American Football
Cheerleaders, marching bands, and team mascots will take to the field as California’s Golden Bears take on Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors at the first ever College Sydney Cup. Have I forgotten anything?
Oh, yes! A football game between the Golden Bears and the Rainbow Warriors will be played!
Cheerleaders, marching bands, and team mascots will take to the field of Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on 27 August 2016 as the Golden Bears of the University of California at Berkeley take on the Rainbow Warriors of the University of Hawaii at Honolulu.
The game represents the first ever College Sydney Cup.
Cheering sections from both schools will cheer on their side – before the game starts, between plays, between quarters, at half time, and every time there’s a first and 10.
And watch the fans go wild if there’s an interception or a touchdown is scored!
Before the opening kickoff, the Hawaiian side will perform their version of the haka – something Australian rugby fans should be familiar with.
At half time, the marching bands of both schools will perform their legendary precision routines.
American football is about as American as apple pie – or should I say hamburgers?
As players compete on the field to win the game, and fans compete in the stands to see who can yell loudest, chefs representing both schools will compete at the grill to see which side can serve up the most mouth-watering (and calorific) hamburger!
- The California Cal Bear Burger will feature two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, bacon, caramelized onions, pickles, and Monterey jack cheese.
- The Hawaii Rainbow Warrior Burger will feature grilled chicken, tomato, grilled pineapple ring, mozzarella, bacon, lettuce, and chili.
Other standard football fare – foot long hotdogs, pretzels, and Buffalo wings – will also be served.
Have I forgotten anything?
Oh, yes! There will be copious quantities of beer to wash down the yummy food!
Local Gridiron players Tom Newbold and Tuck King ahead of College Football Sydney Cup. Copyright: Destination NSW.
The Sydney Cup will be the first clash between the rival US universities ever to be played outside the United States.
The inaugural College Football Sydney Cup will be part of the first round in the official 2016 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) College Football Championship series.
The final game of College Football Championship series determines a national championship in the NCAA Division I FBS. It is the final game of the 2016-17 collegiate football season.
The game will be played this season at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on 9 January 2017 between the winners of the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl, which will be played on 31 December 2016.
American Football 101
If you’re not familiar with American football, this is all you need to know to enjoy the game.
The field measure 100 yards. There are markers every five yards. The goal is to get the ball across the goal line at the opposing team’s end of the field.
This results in a six-point touchdown, with the opportunity to score or two additional points by kicking the ball through the goal posts or running it across the goal line.
The ball can either be passed or run down the field. It cannot be kicked. A kicked ball can only be received by the opposing team.
When a team takes possession of the ball, it has four chances to move the ball 10 yards forward – these are called “downs”.
If it succeeds in moving the ball 10 yards before running out of downs, it starts all over with four more downs.
If it fails, the other team takes possession of the ball.
Not wanting to give the opposing team good field position, most teams will not attempt to run or pass the ball on a fourth down. Instead they will kick the ball down the field.
Usually, the other team takes possession of the ball. If the ball successful passes through the goal posts, however, the team scores a three-point field goal.
Disclaimer: the rules are actually quite complicated. This it just an attempt to give newcomers to the game a basic understanding of how the game is played.