ACT Gridiron

Gridiron in the ACT began in 1990 with the formation of the Canberra Sabretooths Gridiron Club. In that year the Sabretooths played a number of full contact games against NSW gridiron teams before entering the NSW competition in 1991. The club played three seasons as members of the NSW League, winning the championship in 1994, their last year in the competition.

The ACT Gridiron League was formed in 1993 with five teams competing for the Capital Bowl trophy. In 2020, the League had three teams and welcomed its first female athlete playing in the Men's division, Daniela Stosic.[1][2]

• Narrabundah Centurions
• Woden Valley Gladiators
• Gungahlin Wolves

• Central Spears
• Gungahlin Wildcats
• Tuggeranong Tornadoes
• University of Canberra Firebirds
• ACT Astros
• Canberra Tigers
• Queanbeyan Wolverines
• Erindale Titans (Juniors)
• Queanbeyan Warriors
• Kambah Kestrels (Juniors)
• Tidbinbulla Space Cadets
• Canberra Sabertooths
• Marist Razorbacks (Juniors)
• Weston Creek Buccaneers (Juniors)
• Queanbeyan Eagles/Knights (Juniors)
• Belconnen Thunderbolts

(*) Championship decided over a five-game series. (**) Championship decided over a four-game series.

Since 1994, the first game of the ACTGL Senior season has been given the title of the Charity Bowl with funds raised on the day going to local charities. Since 1998, all funds have been donated to the ACT Cancer Society in memory of Shane Gray, a founding member, former player and official of the ACT Gridiron League who died of cancer in 1996. The winning side receives the Charity Shield, a perpetual trophy donated by former ACT Chief Minister and ACT Gridiron patron Trevor Kaine.

The first Charity Bowl was played between the Tuggeranong Tornadoes and the Queanbeyan Wolverines. Since then, the game has been scheduled between the holders of the Charity Shield and the defending Capital Bowl champions. If one team holds both trophies, the opponent is the team which lost the Capital Bowl the previous year.

Thirteen teams have recorded a perfect season to win a championship: the Firebirds in 1994, the Tornadoes in 1998, the Astros in 2001 and 2003, the Firebirds again in 2006, the Spears in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the Firebirds in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and the Centurions in 2020 and 2021. The 1993 Tidbinbilla Space Cadets won eight games and tied one on their way to the championship. Two teams – the Firebirds in 2000 and the Astros in 2005 – have finished the regular season undefeated but lost the Capital Bowl.

The League has seen four 4-peat championship streaks throughout its history, with the Astros (2001-04), Firebirds (2005-08), Spears (2012-15) and Centurions (2019-22) all achieving this feat. The record for the junior competition is five consecutive titles by the Firebirds, between 2013 and 2017.

The ACT Representative team is the ACT Monarchs. The Monarchs have played representative teams from NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia since 1996. They participated in the 1996 National Championships in Canberra, the 1998 Gridiron Australia National Challenge in Sydney, the 1999 Gridiron Australia Eastern Regional Championships in Sydney as well as the 2001 and 2003 Gridiron Australia National Championships in Canberra and Adelaide, respectively. After a seven-year absence, the Monarchs returned to interstate competition at the 2010 National Championships in Melbourne. The Monarchs posted their first-ever victories at the 2001 Championships, defeating Victoria in the second round and South Australia in the third place playoff. The 2010 Monarchs defeated Queensland 12–9 in a pool game, before losing to Western Australia in the third-place playoff game. After another hiatus from state competition, the Monarchs participated in the 2014 Australian Gridiron League (AGL), suffering heavy losses to Queensland and NSW in their pool games.

The first season of Junior Gridiron in the ACT was played in 1991. At one stage there were as many as nine Junior teams playing in the local competition which was divided into two divisions – High School (ages 14–16) and College (ages 16–18). The current Junior competition is contested in one division by players 18 years old or younger.

In 1999 the junior Monarchs became the first ACT team (senior or junior) to taste victory at representative level by winning both games of a two-match series against NSW. In 2006 the Junior Monarchs finished second at the National Championships on the Gold Coast, losing only to the Queensland Sundevils, which won the tournament, in overtime. At the 2007 National Championships, the Junior Monarchs finished third overall.[4]

In 2022 the Monarchs returned to State competition against South Australia winning 22-18 in Adelaide.

• Gridiron Australia
• UC Firebirds
• Centurions

• ACT Gridiron official site