“It’s a sport that you can get into with any level of experience”, Cheltenham Neptunes player Megan Hardwick discusses her journey into flag football.
Played at grassroots, university and international levels, flag football has taken off in the UK, mirroring the popularity of the NFL thanks to the International Series, which started in 2007.
Flag football is one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports and with the announcement that it will debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, there’s no better time to get into the sport than now.
Flag football is right on the doorstep of any intrigued Gloucestershire sports fan and Cheltenham Neptunes player Megan Hardwick sat down with Parklife Sport to discuss her journey in the fledgling sport.
“I’ve been playing a form of American football since I was about 11 years old, with a really close group of friends and then about a year ago, that group of friends found this team,” she said.
“I played flag football at university, the university I was at did both full contact and flag football then this team [Cheltenham Neptunes] gave me an opportunity to come back and play flag football again after a couple of years out of the game.”
Hardwick was complimentary of the set-up at Cheltenham Neptunes, which promotes the co-ed (men and women on the same team) side of flag football.
“It’s really inclusive and that’s one of the best things about flag, my group of friends is mixed, then I went to university and played in a women’s team and now I’m here and playing in a group which is mostly men but there’s a couple of girls so it’s great to see that mixture.
“It’s also good that they don’t treat me like I can’t play alongside them, they’re a really inclusive group and it’s an inclusive sport. You’ll go to gamedays and there are mixed teams fielding women which is really great.”
It’s not just gender inclusivity that’s great about flag football though, anyone from any sporting background can get involved in the sport.
“It’s a sport that you can get into with any level of experience, I started young and we just started learning the rules without a coach or anything.
“We just got into enjoying the sport and I think that’s the great thing is any athleticism, any level of knowledge of the sport you can just get in and start trying.
“The people that play are really passionate about it so love talking about it and love giving that knowledge to other people to promote the sport.”
Flag Football is coming to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/OlIm1ypbC3
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 11, 2024
Hardwick also discussed the impact that an Olympic appearance will have on the wider growth of flag football around the world.
“Joining the Olympics is really great for diversifying the sport outside of America, it puts it on the map as a sport, and it is a sport that can be played by everyone which is really inclusive. Putting it on that platform and letting everyone see how fun and enjoyable it is as a sport.”
Get involved!
If you want to follow in Megan’s footsteps, you can pop down to Newlands Park where the Cheltenham Neptunes train every Thursday from 8:30 pm to 10 pm, or drop them a message on Instagram, @CheltenhamNeptunes to find out more.
