Canada’s flag football teams kicked off with victories at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championship in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Canadian women’s team triumphed over Panama with quarterback Sara Parker throwing four touchdowns, three to wide receiver Caroline Moquin-Joubert and one to Laura Molimard, securing a 27-14 win.
In their match against Brazil, the Canadian women dominated the first half with a 20-0 lead and went on to win 36-6. Marianne Quirion and Frédérique Morneau each caught two touchdown passes, with Molimard adding another to the tally.
The Canadian men’s team started their campaign with a single game on Thursday, defeating Austria 26-6. Quarterback Michael O’Connor had an impressive performance, completing 19 of 24 passes for four touchdowns in the victory.
Aside from competing for the world title, teams are also vying for spots in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The top two finishers at the world championships will secure Olympic berths as flag football makes its debut on the Olympic program.
Both Canadian teams will wrap up the group stage on Friday with matches against Japan. The men will play at 2 a.m. ET, followed by the women at 4:30 a.m. ET. All event matches will be live-streamed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
The Canadian men were initially set to face Nigeria on Friday, but due to visa issues leading to Nigeria’s withdrawal from the tournament, Canada will be awarded an automatic win.
This is an exciting start for the Canadian flag football teams at the IFAF world championship, with high hopes for continued success in the competition.