U.S. and Canada’s national football teams return to Arlington, Texas for International Bowl series

Photo credit: Ron Jenkins / USA Football

Canada’s Under-18 and Under-19 National Teams will compete against their U.S. National Team counterparts when the International Bowl series returns to Arlington, Texas, in January and February 2016. Provincial teams from Alberta and Ontario will also participate in the event, facing off against U.S. competition.

Games will take place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and are a collaboration of the sport’s national governing bodies in each country – USA Football and Football Canada – featuring top student-athletes in football’s greatest annual international competition.

The event will feature a week of practices and activities for each team, culminating with official international competitions. The schedule includes:

(All times CT)

Sunday, Jan. 31

• U.S. Under-19 National Team vs. Canada’s Under-19 National Team, 3 p.m.
• U.S. Under-19 Selects vs. Canada’s Under-18 National Team, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 3

• U.S. Under-18 National Team vs. Canada’s Under-18 National Team, 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 5

• U.S. Under-16 Team vs. Under-16 Team Alberta, 1 p.m.
• U.S. Under-18 Select Team vs. Under-18 Team Ontario, 4 p.m.
• U.S. Under-17 Team vs. Under-17 Team Ontario, 7 p.m.

After having defeated the U.S. three games to two in both 2014 and 2015, Canada will look to carry that momentum into the 2016 International Bowl series.

Canada’s U18 National Team head into their third International Bowl undefeated, after taking the 2015 edition at AT&T Stadium, 25-9, while in 2014, they defeated their U.S counterparts, 54-9, at Maverick Stadium.

In addition to facing the U.S. U18 National Team on February 3, this year, Canada’s U18 squad will also face the U.S. U19 selects on January 31.

The Under-18 National Team is composed of participants from the 2015 under-18 national tackle football championship, the Football Canada Cup, which took place from July 13-19 at Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu’s Alphonse-Desjardins Stadium in Quebec.

Canada’s U19 International Bowl squad will be led by the Junior National Team coaching staff as they prepare for the 2016 IFAF U19 World Championship.   Canada’s U19 National Team roster will be announced in the coming months.

A roster of 45 players will be selected based on Canada’s national teams’ performances against the U.S. national teams in the International Bowl’s U18 and U19 contests, and invited to participate at the 2016 world championship.

The International Bowl, held to coincide with NCAA’s National Signing Day, was established in 2010 as an annual Team USA versus the World game until it transitioned into its current format in 2014.

More information is available at www.footballcanada.com or www.InternationalBowl.com.

Quotes:

“Representing Canada on the world’s stage is always an incredible opportunity. Being able to fulfill that dream at an NFL stadium against an opponent like USA Football is a once in a lifetime experience. The competition is going to be intense as U.S. National Team International Bowl alumni include RB Todd Gurley (Georgia State/St.Louis Rams), DB Tyrann Mathieu (LSU/Arizona Cardinals), QB Bryce Petty (Baylor/New York Jets), RB Samaje Perine (Oklahoma) and DL Stephon Tuitt (Notre Dame/Pittsburgh Steelers).”

– Shannon Donovan, Executive Director, Football Canada

“These International Bowl experiences of playing American football against Team USA are something that you can’t put a price-tag on from the standpoint of what it means to this program and these kids. In the end, football’s football but there’s a lot of nuances to the U.S. game that take some getting used to;  from the size of the field to going down from 12 to 11 men [on the field] as well as taking away the yard [between the offensive and defensive lines]. There are nuances and being able to play these friendlies going into the U19 World Championship helps this team so much and their confidence.”

– Warren Craney, Head Coach, Junior National Team