League of American Football
FormerlyRussian Championship
SportAmerican football
Founded1991 / 2002 / 2016
No. of teams6
CountryRussia
Most recent
champion(s)		Moscow Patriots
Most titlesMoscow Patriots (15 titles)
TV partner(s)LAF Network

Russian American Football Championship (Russian: Чемпионат России по Aмериканскому Футболу, tr. Chempionat Rossii po Amerikanskomu Futbolu) is the highest level of American football played in Russia, previously known as the League of American Football (LAF; Russian: Лига Американского Футбола, tr. Liga Amerikanskogo Futbola, ЛАФ).

There are 11 teams in two divisions participating in the league.[1] Since 2020 season the Eastern European Super League serves as the highest league of American football in Russia.

History

American football came into the Soviet Union in late 1980s. The first official games were played in 1989 when American high school all-star teams from Oklahoma played exhibition games against local teams, following a failed attempt to have college football bowl game be played in Moscow (known as the Glasnost Bowl). In the same year the very first game between Russian teams was played.[2]

In 1991, the Soviet Championship was founded. The league became the Russian Championship in 1992 as the country collapsed. The league was suspended in the turmoils of the dissolution of the USSR.[2]

The Russian Championship was founded again in 2002. The league has been growing ever since.[2]

In 2016 it was reorganized as The League of American Football, LAF in short. But in 2019 the league was re-organized as Russian Championship.

Since 2020 season the Eastern European Super League serves as the highest league of American football in Russia.

List of champions

Year Champion Runner-up 3rd Place
1991
(USSR
Championship)		 Moscow Bruins Moscow Swans Kharkov Atlants
Aktau Caspian Sphinxes
1992 Moscow Bruins Krasnoyarsk Siberian Devils Krasnoyarsk Siberian Bruins
1993 Moscow Bruins Krasnoyarsk Siberian Devils Moscow Eagles
1994
2002[3] Moscow Patriots Moscow Bruins
2003[4] Moscow Patriots Moscow Bruins Moscow Tanks — Astrakhan Gladiators
2004[5] Moscow Patriots Moscow Bruins Moscow Tanks — Astrakhan Gladiators
2005 Moscow Patriots
2006[6] Moscow Patriots Moscow Black Storm Moscow Tanks
2007[7] Moscow Patriots Moscow Tanks
2008 Moscow Patriots Moscow Tanks
2009 Moscow Patriots
2010 Moscow Patriots Moscow Red Falcons
2011 Moscow Patriots Moscow United
2012 Moscow Patriots Chelyabinsk Scouts
2013 Moscow Black Storm Saint Petersburg Griffins
2014 Moscow Patriots Astrakhan Gladiators
2015[8] Saint Petersburg Griffins Moscow Patriots
2016 Moscow Patriots Moscow Spartans
2017 Moscow Patriots Saint Petersburg Griffins
2018 Moscow Spartans Moscow Patriots
2019 Moscow Patriots Perm Steel Tigers
2020 Moscow Spartans Perm Steel Tigers Moscow Dragons
2021 Moscow Spartans Moscow Patriots Spartak Moscow

References

  1. ↑ Ilya Kravtsov: Kaliningrad to Vladivostok: Season In Review American Football International
  2. 1 2 3 Ilya Kravtsov: Hockey Pads to the FAFR: The History of American Football in Russia American Football International
  3. ↑ "АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• МОСКВА. Чемпионат России. Финал• Московские медведи - Московские патриоты - 14:33• NFL. 4-я неделя". www.sport-express.ru. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  4. ↑ "АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• Чемпионат России. Финал• Московские Патриоты - Московские Медведи - 32:7• NFL. Регулярный чемпионат• 7-я игровая неделя". www.sport-express.ru. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  5. ↑ "АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• Чемпионат России. Финал". www.sport-express.ru. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  6. ↑ "АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• МОСКВА. Чемпионат России". www.sport-express.ru. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  7. ↑ "АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ФУТБОЛ• Чемпионат России. Финал". www.sport-express.ru. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "Советский спорт - новости футбол, хоккей, биатлон и другие виды спорта". Советский спорт. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
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