“Our memberships have increased by about 30% in the last two months”, says Cheltenham Neptunes founder and president Ben Newham as he’s excited about the future of flag football in the UK.
Flag football is one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports and it is right on your doorstep here in Gloucestershire, in the form of Cheltenham Neptunes.
As we enter a new Olympic cycle following the Paris 2024 Games, flag football will debut at the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
If you fancy giving yourself a shot of making the Games in 2028, Cheltenham Neptunes is your local way to get into the game.
Founded by Ben Newham after having a throw-around with his friends in Pittville Park on Sundays, the Neptunes are one of the best flag football teams in the country.
Parklife Sport spoke to Newham at a training session, to get to know: what flag football is, why to choose the Neptunes, and his thoughts on the future of the sport.
Who are the Cheltenham Neptunes?
“It started off just as a hobby. Me and a few friends, we love the NFL, and fantasy football and we’d just be having a throw around in the park every Sunday.
“One of the guys said ‘We should do this every week and make a team’, so I thought ‘Yeah that’s great I’ll do that I’ll make a team’ and none of them turned up!” he said.
“I persevered and set up a group on Facebook, and people started to show up, it started as a hobby, but then better athletes began turning up, and it gradually became more serious, and we’ve gotten more competitive.”
Newham has seen the team grow a lot since its inception, but after the announcement that the sport would be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the uptake has been exponential.
“The programme is going great, we’ve been growing really well over the last few years, flag [football] has been growing massively, especially with it now becoming an Olympic sport in four years, it’s exploded all over the country.
We’ve probably increased by about 30% I would say in the last two or three months.”
What is Flag Football?
As one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK, alongside the likes of Padel, flag football has seen a large uptake from men and women of all backgrounds across the UK.
With fully fledged gridiron American football being difficult and expensive to organise, flag football offers a fast-paced and inclusive variation of the sport that so many Brits are getting increasingly excited about having watched the NFL.
Prince William showcasing his throwing ability at @Jaguars flag football game with NFL Foundation UK 👏
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) October 15, 2024
A new recruit for Flag Football at @LA28? 👀
🏈 @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/Mcm8XXsFxr
The British American Football Association (BAFA) have championed the sport highlighting its ‘high-octane’ style.
Newham tried his best to give a short explanation of the sport, “It’s different [to American football] in the sense that it’s non-contact and it’s five-on-five.
“The mechanics are the same, you’re using the same mechanics, like throwing, catching, and running but the tackling is much closer to touch rugby. It’s still fast-paced and it’s a great way to enjoy a sport that we all love in the NFL.”
How is it inclusive for all?
Flag football is growing on a national and local level, its cross-gender nature also allows it to be inclusive for all.
“I think it’s really great that we have a sport that is co-ed [men and women on the same team] that provides people with the same opportunities.
Whether they want to play in the mixed premiership in BAFA or whether they want to play in the women’s only league.” Newham said.
Newham went on to reveal the Neptunes’ plans to start a women’s only team in the future. “If there are people that want to come and play for a women’s only team we can provide them the same access and opportunities for that.”
Whatever your background, Newham believes that flag is a sport for everyone, “It’s a relatively safe sport, it’s non-contact and it’s very inclusive in regards to the fact that we have a broad range of players that play for us.
“All very different ages, all kinds of physical attributes, it doesn’t matter what background you’re from even if you’re new to sport entirely,” Newham said.
“It’s a great way to introduce people to being active and introducing them to becoming part of a community that all share the same passion for the sport whether they love the NFL or not, it’s a wonderful sport to play.”
As there is no professional or established alternative to the NFL in women’s sports, flag football provides a platform for female fans of the sport to get involved.
Newham gave a nod to some of the players he’s seen come into the sport, “I think the growth of the women’s sport in flag has been massive and you’ve got so many athletes coming through.
“We’ve got Millie Wood who has a rugby background who has started training with us, she’s ex-England, ex-Barbarians, ex-Gloucester-Hartpury, and she’s just started her training with flag so it’s really exciting to see her development as she comes to a new sport as well.”
Get involved!
Finally, Newham had a message to any fans of the NFL or anyone interested in getting into the sport, “If you want to try it, just turn up!
“We train at Newlands Park on Thursdays, 8:30 pm until 10 pm, if you don’t want to catch us off guard drop us a message on Instagram @CheltenhamNeptunes”
