Edinburgh Napier Knights go head to head with Predators
Edinburgh Napier Knights will host their cross town rivals Edinburgh University Predators in a crunch gridiron derby just hours before Super Bowl 2017.
Meggetland will be the setting for the capital’s annual American Football Varsity Trophy showpiece, which is expected to pull in a four-figure crowd on Sunday February 5.
The game, for which admission is free to under 16s, will feature a Festival of Sport hosted by Edinburgh Leisure, as well as offering a Come and Try youth session prior to kick-off.
The pre-match entertainment programme in the build-up to the 2.30pm kick-off will also include a DJ, the Edinburgh Napier Big Band and the Napier Panthers Cheer Squad.
Edinburgh Napier Knights’ Head Coach Pete Laird said: “This year’s Varsity game is going to be more exciting than ever, with the result being the potential championship decider.
“The crowds really get into the match, with opposing team colours of red and green on display and a lot of noise coming from the stands. The players involved will remember it for the rest of their lives.
“We’ve had the upper hand in the last couple of seasons but this Predators team is one to be wary off and have multiple scoring threats. We will be looking to our always aggressive defense and our ground game to try to win the day.”
Match tickets for over 16s are priced at just £4 for adults and £2 for students. The Varsity briefs include free entry to the city’s biggest Super Bowl Party at The Three Sisters in the Cowgate that evening from 8pm as New England Patriots take on Atlanta Falcons for American Football’s biggest prize.
The Knights are also in the process of recruiting from high schools in the area for a new youth team. Training sessions will take place from 10am until noon at the Sighthill sports pitches from Saturday February 11th and 18th, moving to Sundays onwards from the 26th.
No experience is needed for the sessions and kit will be provided. 14-16 year-olds will play a contact version of the sport, with 11-14 year-olds playing ‘flag football’, in which players are ‘tackled’ by pulling out one of two flags worn from a belt around the waist.
The pictures show action from last year's Varsity Trophy match