New York Jets and Crystal Palace host finale of Jets NFL Girls Flag League
Yesterday, the New York Jets and Palace For Life, the official charity of Crystal Palace Football Club, hosted the finale of the 2026 Jets NFL Girls Flag League. The event, …
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Yesterday, the New York Jets and Palace For Life, the official charity of Crystal Palace Football Club, hosted the finale of the 2026 Jets NFL Girls Flag League.
The event, which was the culmination of the competition between 32 schools with over 300 girls participating from across London, marked the first official collaboration between the New York Jets and Crystal Palace Football Club’s official charity, Palace for Life as Kingston Academy were crowned champions of 2026.
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The New York Jets and Palace for Life, the official charity of Crystal Palace Football Club, have partnered to host the Championship Day of the 2026 Jets NFL Girls Flag league in London
Held at the Crystal Palace FC Academy in South London, the all-day event followed 10 weeks of league fixtures and brought the initiative’s fourth year to a close.
Kingston Academy emerged victorious, claiming the title with an 20-18 victory over Grey Court School in the final.
As part of the new partnership with Palace for Life, the Jets will expand the league in South London in 2027.
Palace for Life will identify schools with which they have current relationships to join the league. Each will receive Jets NFL Girls Flag league uniforms, practice jerseys and flag equipment, in addition to travel stipends for games.
The Jets also hope to bring kick-off and championships to the Crystal Palace FC Academy moving forward.
Championship Day also saw the official unveiling of the first-ever roster for the Jets Flag Elite London, a new all-girls Flag football travel team which will feature top players from the London league.
Led by Jay Taylor of the Fruit Bats flag football team, and launched during the league’s kick-off in March, it will provide elite-level skill development and an exciting new pathway for girls participating in flag football across London.
The Jets NFL Girls Flag league in London has seen a continuous year-on-year growth, with over 300 girls (aged 12-15) from 32 secondary schools taking part in 2026.
The initiative is of huge importance to the Jets, with the organisation’s collective investment in Girls Flag football activities in London and Dublin now surpassing $1 million.
The initiative aims to increase girls’ access to and participation in sports across London through NFL Flag. With a fun, exciting, and accessible format, it helps participants build lifelong psychological skills in strategy, communication, and resilience as they work together to plan and execute winning plays.
Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with over 20 million players across 100 countries, where women and girls are driving the fastest growth.
The sport will officially be included in the LA 2028 Olympic Games programme, led by the efforts of the International Federation of American Football and supported by the NFL. BAFA (British American Football Association) is looking forward to working with the NFL to grow Flag Football in the U.K.
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UK fans can stay updated on the latest news about the New York Jets and hear about their upcoming activities by visiting www.nyjetsinternational.com. Follow them on social platforms, @NYJetsinUKandIE on X and @newyorkjetsinuk on Instagram for more information.
[Photos © Jake Austin]
