Haberdashers’ Knights Academy Hosts High-Energy NFL Flag Football Tournament for Girls

This week, Haberdashers’ Knights Academy played host to a thrilling regional round of the NFL Flag Football tournament — a fast-growing sport that’s recently been confirmed as an Olympic event. Held on Tuesday 3 June, the tournament brought together girls’ teams from across London for a full day of high-energy sport, skill development and memorable moments.

The event took place on the Academy’s playing fields, with three of the competing teams representing Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South. Pupils from Haberdashers’ Borough Academy, Haberdashers’ Hatcham College and Haberdashers’ Knights Academy joined guest schools including Lilian Baylis, Graveney, John Bosco and Dunraven, making for a vibrant and competitive atmosphere. In total, over 50 girls from Trust schools took part.

The tournament was organised in collaboration with The Dukes, an NFL coalition helping to grow the sport in schools across the UK.

Adding to the excitement of the day, Sky Sports were on site filming the action, and students had the rare opportunity to meet representatives from the Chicago Bears, NFL Great Britain and even former NFL star, Charles Tillman. Off the pitch, pupils enjoyed fun extras such as face painting — with flower designs proving especially popular.

The day wasn’t just about sport — it was about visibility, representation and growth. All three participating Haberdashers’ schools now offer NFL Flag Football as part of their extracurricular programme, helping open doors for girls to engage in a sport that combines teamwork, strategy and fitness.

A huge well done to all the students who took part — and a special thank you to the staff at Haberdashers’ Knights Academy for hosting such a brilliant and inspiring event.