xpLosION kicks off new BUAFL season

Posted in: League News    By Ryan Baker Oct 15, 2009 - 10:25:01 PM

xpLosION kicks off new BUAFL season

The Birmingham Lions once again start the BUAFL season with a bang, as they entertain University rivals, Loughborough, for one of the biggest fixtures in the British American Football calendar. Now in its fourth year, 'xpLosION' has become the annual kick-off event of the British Universities American Football League, and has drawn crowds of over 3,000 people in it's short history.

The Birmingham team was unbeaten last year, having swept aside the Bath Killer Bees at the corresponding fixture in 2008, and continued to produce a record breaking season that ended with being crowned as National Champions, defeating the Newcastle Raiders 42-2.

This year will again see the Birmingham side face a stiff test at xpLosION, as the Loughborough Aces look to spoil the party. One of the strongest teams in UK College football history, the Aces are no strangers to success in Birmingham. The Aces enter as the last team to beat Birmingham at home in a regular season fixture, winning 18-6 under floodlights back in 2007.

The fixture also includes an added edge, as the rivalry between the University of Birmingham and Loughborough University has been one of the most storied and fiercely contested rivalries in University sport. The sporting fixtures between the two institutions normally draw good sized crowds, and so the Lions hope this could be the largest crowd seen at an xpLosION event to date.

Lions Assistant Head Coach Ryan Baker, said of the fixture, "Although we've really worked hard to get this fixture to where it is today, xpLosION has so far been a huge success for us, on and off the pitch. This year is even more exciting though, as it's the first time xpLosION will see a rivalry game, and so we are hopeful we'll see a lot more of Birmingham's student body, and really push the attendance figures. The game should also be a great one! I'm no stranger to a lot of the Aces team, having spent the BAFL season with a lot of the guys at the Tamworth Phoenix, so I know first hand that we host a talented and well drilled Aces team. We'll definitely need to be on our A-game to continue our winning ways at xpLosION. Our Head Coach, Tony Athersmith, continues to do a great job here, and our staff are working hard and really pushing the team to be their best, and ready for this game."

'xpLosION' kicks off at 6pm on Saturday 7th November 2009 at the University of Birmingham's Bournbrook Pitch.

For more information please visit the Facebook event for xpLosION at
http://www.facebook.com/home. php?#/event.php?eid= 299618035170&index=1
or visit the Lions’ website at: www.birminghamlions.co.uk

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