American Football Wellington

American Football Wellington, abbreviated AFW, is the governing body for American Football (Gridiron) in Wellington, New Zealand. Formerly known as the American Football Southern Conference (AFSC), it was officially established in 1996 to govern the sport of American football in the Wellington and greater lower North Island region. The league generally runs from November through February ending with two teams competing for the Capital Bowl championship game. The AFW is an affiliate member of the New Zealand American Football Federation (NZAFF), which governs the sport of American Football in New Zealand.

American football in Wellington began in 1987 when local Wellingtonian Quentin Poulsen started up Wellington’s first American football team. Games were played against another team organised by former National Basketball League coach Jeff Green. The games were played without equipment. The following year, a committee was set up and named their team the Harbour City Hurricanes American Football Club and in 1989 the team finally obtained some equipment. By then Jeff's team had folded leaving the Hurricanes the only organised American football team in Wellington. Quentin went on to form two more clubs in Wellington. He established the Hutt Valley Chargers and Capital City Giants teams in 1990 and 1991 respectively.

By 1996 three more clubs had join the existing teams from Wellington. All three clubs were from outside the Wellington region. The Levin Tigers (folded in 1993), Wanganui Royals and Palmerston North Silverbacks. That year a regional governing organisation was formed by representatives of the current clubs and the Wellington representatives of the New Zealand Gridiron Officials Association. Horst Maczuga was voted the inaugural Commissioner of the newly formed American Football Southern Conference.


Read more about American Football Wellington:  Capital Bowl Winners, Ambassadors Cup Competition

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