Bristol Barracuda
The Cuda were formed in March 2005, when founding members Charlie Wilson and Phil Fear meet to put in place the infrastructure of a University of Bristol American Football programme. Their planning was underpinned by a series of key principles including the further development of the sport in Bristol; the exploitation of untapped potential in the area; and ensuring that they avoided the dilution of existing teams wherever possible.
Once these principles had been established Phil and Charlie met with University of Bristol Alumni, Abdul Bah, Dave Sherwin and Kieran Balmer to put in place a Barracuda development plan – a development plan which was ultimately presented to the University of Bristol Athletic Union by Adrian Jetter and Anish Satija, and heralded the formal arrival of the Bristol Barracuda.
Recruitment at Fresh 2006 saw the Cuda sign 101 players and training begin in preparation for the team’s first fixture. On 18th February 2007 the Cuda played their first ever match, travelling to Cheltenham to play the Gloucestershire Gladiators at The Prince of Wales Stadium, Cheltenham. The Cuda put in an impressive display winning 30-0, in front of a crowd of 300 spectators.
A return fixture with the Gladiators on 4th March amidst atrocious weather conditions at the BAWA, saw Bristol grind out a 14-0 victory. BCAFL League team and 2001 College Bowl Champions, the Oxford University Cavaliers, were to be the Cuda’s final challenge for their associate season and a step up in class and competition. The Barracuda dug deep and punched in two fourth quarter scores to win 16-0 and preserve their unblemished record. On 17th August 2007, the Barracuda applied for membership of the newly formed British Universities American Football League (BUAFL) and became founder members, competing in the 2007-08 season.
The team played it’s first ever league match on 11th November 2007, running out 35-14 winners against Plymouth Blitz.
South | W | L | T | PFor | PAgt | % |
Newcastle Raiders | 3 | 0 | 0 | 158 | 0 | 1.000 |
UT Cougars | 3 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 18 | 1.000 |
Durham Saints | 2 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 60 | 0.667 |
Northumbria Mustangs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 95 | 0.000 |
Sunderland Spartans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 102 | 0.000 |
North | ||||||
UWS Pyros | 4 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 22 | 1.000 |
Napier Mavericks | 2 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 142 | 0.500 |
Glasgow Tigers | 1 | 2 | 0 | 58 | 36 | 0.333 |
GCU Roughriders | 1 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 67 | 0.333 |
Stirling Clansmen | 1 | 4 | 0 | 58 | 103 | 0.200 |