The average Edinburgh student’s idea of peak performance on the American football field would extend to Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and, if you’re lucky, Ray Lewis.
But these poor, uninformed students would be shocked to learn of the group of lads and ladies putting those giants of the game to shame on a cold, rainy night at Peffermill.
Despite finding themselves on the fringes of the Edinburgh University Sports Union, the Mavericks are a well-established name in British American football and have been a staple of Scottish American football for 16 years.
In recent history, the Mavericks achieved their third consecutive BUCS Division One play-off berth this past season and, with the introduction of a brand-new coaching staff, look to make the 25/26 season the most exciting in the club’s history.
“The quality of play [in Scotland] is definitely better than it was 15 years ago,” head coach Dave Orr tells me as we’re whipped by the icy wind and rain. He goes on to say: “The quality of the coaching has improved and the growth of the U19 teams in East Kilbride and Edinburgh has really helped drive the level [of play] up”
And it’s this progress which has helped drive the sport’s popularity within the University, with the Mavs now boasting a squad of nearly 60 strong, their highest since the post-COVID boom.
The growth of the sport is not purely linked to Edinburgh University, as no sport would be complete without its fair share of derbies. The Napier Knights and the Heriot-Watt Wolverines complete the trifecta of Edinburgh American Football sides, making Edinburgh the city with the second most BUCS American football teams behind London.
The impact of these teams is seen around the city, whether it be each of the team’s respective Super Bowl watch parties, at Meggetland for the Knights vs Mavericks annual varsity match or as extra entertainment for dog walkers at Sighthill public park on a Sunday morning.
Whether you leave your Sundays free to watch Red Zone or still think the sport is just Rugby with training wheels, it’s clear that American Football has made its mark in Edinburgh and doesn’t show any sign of stopping.
And although you’ll probably never see a Mav play in the NFL, at least you have a more interesting answer when the American exchange student asks you if “y’all play football over here?”
“Flag football, Peffermill – geograph.org.uk – 8058829” by Richard Webb is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.