Week 1 Review: Titans beat Nighthawks, Titans Women Lose by 1 Point
Week 1 match reports: a decisive win and a narrow loss for the Titans.
The first weekend of the BAFA National Leagues powered by Union Jack Classic saw two of our teams travel for an away fixture - one team to Durham, another to… South Manchester?
Saturday - Manchester Titans Women vs Teesside Steelers
Starting our weekend on Saturday 18 April in Maiden Castle, Durham the Titans Women took the Steelers by surprise by scoring first. RB Emily Rodrigues #15 in her debut as a Titan got the first points on the board on the opening offensive drive which set the tone for the rest of the game. The Steelers’ speedy RB Gaby Derrick racked up most of the points for Teesside but it was close and competitive throughout with the Titans up by one point at the half.
With mere moments left in the fourth quarter, QB Liz Majka #22 found WR Jess Dovey #30 in the endzone, making it 25-26. A daring attempt at a 2-pt conversion to take the lead unfortunately fell short of the mark. The atmosphere was electric and both teams congratulated each other on a solid performance, looking forward to the rematch at Belle Vue on 20 June.
We got Head Coach Scott Tomlinson’s thoughts after the game:
“Honestly the game was a spectacle. A massive shoutout to the two coordinators I have, George Foster (OC) and Stuart Robinson (DC). They adjusted well and kept us in it. We knew our expectations this season, the team banded together and we’re now already hitting those targets. Having 5 people debut for Titans is a huge achievement and shows that this team will only go from strength to strength not only this season but even further into the future. Looking forwards to the game against Solent [on 2 May] - every game will be competitive but if we continue to execute as we have been it’s going to make for a very entertaining game.”
Sunday - Manchester Titans vs Merseyside Nighthawks
Fast forward to Sunday 19 April, at what turned out to be more of a home game than expected, fans, friends, family, and a very loud cohort of Titans alumni crowded the fences at the Armitage Centre to cheer on their boys in royal blue. Knowing what the people had come to see, the Titans put 7 touchdowns on the Merseyside Nighthawks and still left the crowd wanting more.
We spoke to Head Coach George Foster after the game:
“Fairly happy with the game, it took us a little longer than we would have liked to get fully up to speed but that is to be expected for the first game of the season. Defensively we put on a good show and had answers to everything that Merseyside threw at us which was good to see. Offensively we grew as the game developed and started to really hit our standard in the second half. On specials we had a couple of big returns and blocked up our kicks well. So overall a strong performance but plenty for us to work on over the next couple of weeks as we prepare for Coventry.”
Speaking on the offensive performance, OC Alex Challands said “It was a good effort to get any pre-season rust out of the system ready for a hectic May. We showed strong throughout the game, and ran away with it whilst rotating in the second half, which is a testament to the effort put in throughout the depths of the squad so early on in the season.”
It was a great outing for new players on the squad with one touchdown for ex-Newcastle Viking WR Matt Wilson #81, and one for rookie RB Herminio Manga #80 in their Titans debuts. In the second half of the game back-up QB and ex-Chester Roman Alex Ross bagged himself his first two passing touchdowns in his debut as a Titan. Another Titans debutant Ben Komba got the first interception of the season and his first interception as a Titan. In the meantime, the rest of the Titans defence ground down the Merseyside offence, leaving the Nighthawks with negative yardage on the day.
A solid 46-0 victory to start the 2026 season puts the Titans at 1-0 after Week 1.
Both Titans teams play next at home on Saturday 2 May. Titans Women against the Solent Thrashers at 12pm and Manchester Titans against Coventry Phoenix at 3pm. Get your tickets today!
One Club, One Future
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Week 1: Manchester Titans and Titans Women Kick Off 2026 Season
Two Titans fixtures in Week 1 of the BAFA National Leagues powered by Union Jack Classic. Go Titans!
British American Football is finally back! Week 1 of the BAFA National Leagues powered by Union Jack Classic kicks off this weekend with our Manchester Titans Premiership side and our Titans Women both playing a fixture against some very familiar opponents.
Featured player: Madeleine Tjalma (WR, #1)
Manchester Titans Women vs Teesside Steelers - 18 April 2026
Saturday 18 April sees our Women’s team traveling up North to face the Teesside Steelers. After a disappointing 2025 season, a lot of changes have been made to the team’s management, its player base, and coaching roster.
Speaking to our new Head of Women’s Contact Football, ex-Great Britain player Liz Majka, she tells us “The team has gone through a lot of changes, which have all been taken in stride by every player and staff member. We have Scott [Tomlinson] at the helm leading us as HC, with our DC and OC being from GB backgrounds whether that’s playing or coaching. Last year the Titans were a very different team.” She adds, “We are here to play, and bring as much competition as we can to each opponent we face.”
We also spoke with Scott Tomlinson, current Head Coach of Titans Women and long-time Offensive Lineman for the Manchester Titans. When asked what he’s most looking forward to this season, he said “It’s been a couple of seasons since I’ve coached the Women’s team. I am really excited to get back out there and put that Manchester stamp back on the league. The thing I’m most looking forward to is seeing how far the team has come since the start of pre-season and seeing all the hard work from both players and staff finally come to a head.”
As interim HC in 2023, Scott coached the Women’s team all the way to a silver medal in the 7s final against Teesside. He says “I would have to take my socks and shoes off to count the amount of times I have coached against Teesside. They have always been a hard team to go against but that means it’s always a really fun battle.”
It’s clear this will be a test of how Titans Women have prepared during the off and pre-season, but it’s also an opportunity for a fresh start. Liz says, “For me this season is all about rebuilding. We’ve had a new influx of rookies who have taken to the sport like a fish to water and I’m so excited to see everything come together for their debut.”
Mary Priestner, the Women’s Team Manager and Head Medic, says “I’ve been around this team now for 3 years and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a season. Some of the experience [the new coaches] bring is next level and that’s exciting for the players. We are ready to hit the ground running and most importantly have some fun playing football again.”
Titans Women kick off against Teesside Steelers at 1.30pm at Maiden Castle, DH1 3SE. Stay tuned for score updates on the Women’s Contact Instagram page @mcrtitanswomens!
Featured player: Brad Temple (WR, #1)
Manchester Titans vs Merseyside Nighthawks - 19 April 2026
On Sunday 19 April, the Manchester Titans Premiership side travel all the way to Fallowfield for their away fixture against the Merseyside Nighthawks. A familiar opponent from years gone by, the Nighthawks dropped down to Division 1 after the 2024 season but are now back in the Premiership North.
Speaking to Head Coach George Foster, he tells us “I’m looking forward to it. Merseyside had a great year to bounce back last season so will be coming into the game with a lot of momentum. There will always be surprises but we’ve prepped well and I’m sure our players will handle those surprises when they pop up.”
George is going into his second year as Head Coach for the Titans and is staying the course he charted for the team in 2025. He says, “Prep is mostly the same as last year, but we have certainly been able to carry over our momentum from last year. We’re focusing on our fundamentals and ensuring we are executing our skills at a high level. We’ve been very lucky to welcome a large group of new players again this year. We continue to get younger and hungrier, so I’m very excited to see some of the younger guys continue to step up.”
Asked what he’s most looking forward to in the 2026 season, he says “Seeing the guys go out and compete. It’s always special seeing their hard work come to fruition in a game. Nothing beats the atmosphere of a game day when everyone is firing!”
The Titans kick off against Merseyside at 2pm at the Armitage Centre on Moseley Road, M14 6PA. Entry to this game is free.
Catch the Titans and Titans Women at our double header home opener at Belle Vue Stadium on Saturday 2 May! Get your tickets today.
One Club, One Future
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62 Titans selected for Great Britain National Programmes
62 Titans players and coaches involved in the Great Britain National Programmes for 2026.
Titans QB Charlie Martin at the GB trial in Derby, January 2026. Photo by Harvey Steele.
As the Great Britain Contact Teams gear up for their respective camps tomorrow in Derby and Nottingham, we’d like to congratulate and celebrate our 62 Titans who earned a coveted spot in the National Programmes for 2026.
We are immensely proud of all our contact and flag players whose hard work has paid off and who now get to represent their country in the sport they love. It’s an honour to have you be part of our club. We wish you the best of luck in securing a spot on the game day squads, the whole club is behind you!
Titans Coach Eliot Hutton at the GB trial in Derby, January 2026. Photo by Harvey Steele.
We are also proud of all our Titans coaches who are involved with the GB Men’s Performance, Development, Academy, Women’s Performance, and Men’s Flag programmes. With their knowledge, commitment, and dedication to this sport they not only make our club better, but they also elevate British American Football at the international level.
The first GB contact fixture in 2026 will be Great Britain Women vs Germany on Sunday 31 May at the Nick Newbold Stadium in Coventry. Tickets are available to purchase online and on the door on the day.
Titans WR Madeleine Tjalma at the GB trial in Derby, January 2026. Photo by Sarah Hurley.
Later this year the GB Men’s Development Team travel to Georgia on the weekend of 10-11 October. The week after on 17-18 October there will be a double header at home for the Performance team against Norway and the Development team against Spain. The Performance squad then travel to Finland on the weekend of 24-25 October.
Titans WR Matt Wilson at GB Camp on 28 March 2026. Photo by @br7film
See below the full list of GB Titans for 2026.
Great Britain Men’s Contact - Performance and Development
Aaron Wilmot
Abdul Madougou
Alex Challands (coach)
Alex Lenkowski
Allan Murdoch (coach)
Ben Komba
Cade Makin
Charlie Evans
Charlie Martin
Clement Magaji
Daniel Ward
Danylo Szlachetko Blackburn
Darrion Banton
Destiny Olusegun
Djoss Balela
Fin Norton
Fred Nash
Gabe Wiseman
George Foster (coach)
Harry McDermott
Isaiah Shebioba
Jack Mayfield
James Eaton
James Williams
Jerome Darko
Joe Partington
Joel Shebioba
Jonathan Omal
Josh Mills
Manny Eze
Matt Wilson
Mike Thompson
Munashe Nunurai
Owen Smith
Robin Paier
Sam Bloomfield
Sam Fossey (coach)
Tio Benjamin
Tion Fortune
Tom Jones
Great Britain Women’s Contact Performance
B West
Chloe Southard
Eliot Hutton (coach)
Emily Rodrigues
Kiera Collier
Madeleine Tjalma
Rivka Moore
Ruby Watson
Tilley Edwards
Great Britain Academy
Ako Adefulu
Axel Tahoe
Bailey Cross
Gael Cavezzale
Marcus Hood
Ron Buraimoh
Ryan Parkinson
Sarim Rafique
Sean Howe (coach)
Great Britain Men’s Flag
Ash Lancashire (coach)
Luke Sweeney
Great Britain Women’s Flag - Development
Charlotte Townsend
Chloe Southard
Lucy Rowlands
Great Britain Youth Flag
Evan Day
Gael Cavezzale
This list is accurate at the time of writing on 10 April 2026.
U16 Contact: 2026 Fixtures
Our U16 Contact team fixtures are confirmed for 2026. There’s still time to get involved!
U16 Contact Fixtures
We’re excited to announce our U16 Contact fixtures for 2026!
We play a 5-a-side version of American Football and at each tournament we play 2 games against different opponents.
Our season starts with Tournament 1 hosted by the Lancashire Buccaneers on 25 April with games against the Buccaneers and the Yorkshire Academy Assassins. On 9 May we travel to Chester to face the Romans and Darlington Steam and on 4 July we’re in Yorkshire to play Chester Romans and the North East Academy. The regular season concludes with Tournament 6 at home in Manchester on 25 July where we’ll go up against the Sheffield Giants and Lancashire Buccaneers.
We’d love to see you at one of our games this year. Your support means the world to us, and entry is free!
It’s also not too late to join the team. If you are 14 or 15 years old, or you turned 16 after 31 August 2025, you are eligible to play for our U16s Contact team. We are a mixed team so girls and boys are both welcome. We will teach you everything you need to know!
All Youth Contact fixtures for 2026. Featured player: Jorge Santana (#2 QB, U19)
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Saturday 25 April
Host: Lancashire Buccaneers
Opponents: Lancashire Buccaneers, Yorkshire Academy Assassins
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Saturday 9 May
Host: Chester Romans
Opponents: Chester Romans, Darlington Steam
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Saturday 4 July
Host: Yorkshire Academy Assassins
Opponents: Chester Romans, North East Academy
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Saturday 25 July
Host: Manchester Titans, Belle Vue Stadium, M12 4WB
Opponents: Lancashire Buccaneers, Sheffield Giants
Other Manchester Titans Fixtures
Want to get involved?
U19 Contact: 2026 Fixtures
Our U19s Contact team fixtures are confirmed for 2026. Go Titans!
U19 Contact Fixtures
We’re excited to announce our Under 19s Contact fixtures for 2026!
We play our first two games of the season against the Highland Wildcats at a neutral venue on 17 May and 13 June. On 21 June we travel to Lancashire to face the Buccaneers.
Our first home game of the season is on 5 July when we host the Edinburgh Napier Knights at Belle Vue. We then travel to Scotland with the Adult Contact team on 19 July for a double header against the East Kilbride Pirates.
We finish the regular season with a home game against the Lancashire Buccaneers on 26 July.
We’d love to see you at one of our games this year. Your support means the world to us, and entry is free! All home games are played at Belle Vue Stadium, Kirkmanshulme Lane, M12 4WB.
It’s also not too late to join the team. If you are between 16 and 18 years old, or you turned 19 after 31 August 2025, you are eligible to play for our U19s Contact team. We are a mixed team so girls and boys are both welcome. We will teach you everything you need to know!
All Youth Contact fixtures for 2026. Featured player: Jorge Santana (#2 QB, U19)
Other Manchester Titans Fixtures
Want to get involved?
Women’s Contact: 2026 Fixtures
Our U16 Contact team fixtures are confirmed for 2026. There’s still time to get involved!
Women’s Contact Fixtures
We’re excited to announce our Women’s Contact fixtures for 2026!
Our season starts with an away fixture against our Northern rivals, the Teesside Steelers. We then welcome the Solent Thrashers to Belle Vue on Saturday 2 May for a double serving of Titans football as our Adult Contact team take on Coventry Phoenix in the afternoon.
We play Birmingham away on 13 June and host Teesside at Belle Vue for the rematch on 20 June. In July we play the Warriors twice, at home on 4 July and away on 18 July.
The top teams will battle it out in the playoffs on 15 August, with the final taking place on 5 September.
We’d love to see you at one of our games this year. Your support means the world to us.
It’s also not too late to join the team. If you are 16+ you are eligible to play for our Women’s Contact team. Our experienced coaching staff will teach you everything you need to know!
Women’s Contact fixtures for 2026. Featured player: Katie Sykes (DB, #33)
Other Manchester Titans Fixtures
Want to get involved?
Mixed Adult Contact: 2026 Fixtures
Your Manchester Titans 2026 fixtures are here! Get your tickets today!
Mixed Adult Contact Fixtures
We’re excited to announce our Mixed Adult Contact fixtures for 2026!
Our season starts with an away fixture on 19 April against a familiar opponent from years gone by, the Merseyside Nighthawks, who secured promotion to the Premiership North with their successful 2025 season.
On Saturday 2 May, we play our first home game of the 2026 season against the Coventry Phoenix, who are looking to be a strong side again this year. This is sure to be a fantastic game. Our Women’s Contact team host the Solent Thrashers in the morning before our game so it’s set to be a big day of football at Belle Vue.
We host another double header at home on Saturday 20 June with our game against the East Kilbride Pirates and our Women’s team facing off against the Teesside Steelers.
After a brief summer break it all kicks off again in July with a trip up to Scotland with our U19s to face the Pirates in a double header on their home turf.
The regular season comes to a close in August with back to back home games against Merseyside on 1 August and the Nottingham Caesars on 8 August.
The winner of the North will host a semi-final against the second seed in the South on the weekend of 22/23 August. The top two teams will meet in the final on 6 September.
Come down to support your Manchester Titans in our campaign to regain the title of Britbowl Champions in 2026. See you there!
All home and away fixtures for the Manchester Titans in 2026. Featured player: Alex Baldry (#87 TE)
Other Manchester Titans Fixtures
Want to get involved?
WFFL: Manchester Titans are 2026 Plate Champions
Titans Women win Plate Final and secure 5th place overall in 2026 WFFL Finals!
The Manchester Titans squad at the 2026 WFFL finals at Ravenscraig. From left to right, top to bottom: Becky Haward, Sarah Ul-Haq, Sian Perry, Katie Sykes, AD Olesen, Tika Marcucci, Emily Massey, Charlotte Townsend, Chloe Southard, Becky May, Sal Fields, Airnorh Ikie.
On Saturday 14 March, as the third seed in the Highland and North Conference (HNC), the Manchester Titans had the honour of making the pilgrimage up to Ravenscraig Regional Sports Centre in Scotland for the 2026 WFFL Finals.
A close first game against London Flame in the quarter-final ended 6-20, leaving the Titans disappointed but fired up to win the next two games.
The Titans then stormed past the Leicester Huntsmen in the Plate semi-final with a decisive 33-6 victory. They finished the day by beating East Kilbride Pirates Red, a familiar opponent from the regular season, 26-7 in the Plate final. With determination and grit, they brought the silverware home to Manchester and claimed the title of 5th best Women’s flag team in the UK.
Defensive player Becky Haward (#8) said “Winning the plate feels great, and I'm especially proud of how we stepped up as a solid defensive unit for the Titans this season. I love this sport so much and the buzz at Ravenscraig makes me so excited for where flag is headed in the next few years.”
We are immensely proud of our Titans Women and we can’t wait to see how they do next year.
To get involved with Titans Women’s Flag for the 2027 season, check out our team page or message recruitment@manchestertitans.co.uk.
WFFL: Titans unbeaten in final tournament prepare for Playoffs at Ravenscraig
Manchester Titans Women’s Flag heading into finals day with full confidence and momentum. Go Titans!
Tika Marcucci at Belle Vue Stadium on 8 February 2026. Photo by Chelsea Warner.
After a dominant performance at the final tournament in Edinburgh on February 22nd with three decisive victories over Cheshire Huskies (41-2), Edinburgh Rogues (60-6), and East Kilbride Pirates Red (40-0), the Manchester Titans Women’s Flag team have been fully focused on preparation for the playoffs.
Titans Head Coach Alan Mead said "I'm proud of how the team has played this season. We've been seeing development each game day. Some new faces have joined the squad and fitted in well. Whilst the results haven't all gone the way we wanted, we have definitely got the momentum heading into the playoffs. No predictions, but we're confident we'll perform better than last year."
It’s still all to play for as the top 8 teams in the WFFL go head to head on March 14th at Ravenscraig in Scotland. Joining the Titans in the playoffs are Coventry Cougars, Coventry Panthers Onyx, East Kilbride Pirates Black, East Kilbride Pirates Red, Leicester Huntsmen, London Flame, and Sheffield Giants.
Titans WR Airnorh said “I don’t think we’ve shown our best yet, so hopefully the playoffs give us that chance. Either way, we’re excited to compete and have fun! 🙌”
The first game on the schedule for the Titans is the Quarter Final against London Flame at 1.30pm. The winner will then play the victor of the East Kilbride Pirates Black vs Leicester Huntsmen matchup to secure a spot in the final, which will be streamed online on BAFA’s Youtube channel.
Sal Fields (WR) and Sarah Ul-Haq (QB) celebrating. Photo by Chelsea Warner.
Sal Fields, rookie breakthrough player for the Titans this year, said “I’ve really loved playing for the Titans this season. It’s been my first season in women’s flag, and the girls have been so welcoming and supportive. The coaches are very knowledgeable and they’ve done a great job in helping us progress as a team throughout the season. We’ve developed so much, and I’m really looking forward to working together as a team and showing what we can do at finals!”
Drop a follow on our Titans Women’s Flag Instagram page to stay up to date.
Check out the Tartan Touchdown Podcast to hear Italian National Team and Titans WR Tika Marcucci’s thoughts ahead of the Finals. And make sure to tune in to BAFA’s livestream of the 2026 WFFL Finals day at Ravenscraig to catch all the action in the semi-final, the plate final, and the grand final!
Wishing our Manchester Titans Women the best of luck on Saturday!
Airnorh (WR) with a runaway touchdown on 8 February 2026. Photo by Chelsea Warner.
As the season draws to a close for Women’s Flag, there is still plenty of opportunity to get involved with Flag Football at the Titans. Our Mixed Flag teams have started pre-season practice and can be found every Tuesday at Belle Vue Stadium 8-10pm. We also run Youth Flag sessions for kids aged 8 and up at St Anne's Academy in Middleton 7.30-9pm. Come down and give it a go!
Women’s Flag at Titans starts up again in September but for any women wanting to continue to play football over the summer and looking for a new challenge, our Women’s Contact programme is always recruiting new players. They practice every Tuesday at Belle Vue Stadium 8-10pm and on Saturday mornings at Aldwinians Rugby Club 10-12pm.
One Club, One Future
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Invest into the Manchester Titans with SNAP Sponsorship
Support Manchester Titans growth initiatives with SNAP Sponsorship
We’re excited to announce the launch of our SNAP Sponsorship profile! For over a decade SNAP has supported grassroots, local and regional sports across the UK by facilitating mutually beneficial partnerships between businesses and clubs to benefit companies, communities, and the economy.
American Football is one of the fastest growing sports in the country but at grassroots level it does not yet receive any funding from its governing body or the government. Sponsorship offers critical financial support, allowing us to cover expenses and invest into our growth initiatives. From our youth programmes to our CEFL campaign, you can be a part of our big plans for British American Football by sponsoring us today!
Through sponsorship you can support us in providing a high quality American Football experience to our players, coaches, and our fans by means of the following objectives:
Facilitating high quality American Football events for our fans and our players.
Improving our live stream broadcast to increase our audience across the UK and beyond and raise the profile of British American Football.
Providing both essential and innovative practice equipment to elevate coach and player performance.
By investing into our club and our vision, your business will benefit from enhanced brand recognition, giving you the opportunity to connect with our club members and our growing audience to promote your products, services, and experiences.
Learn more about how you or your business can support the Manchester Titans here.
Or contact us on sponsorships@manchestertitans.co.uk to discuss opportunities and explore your options.
Thank you for your support!
One Club, One Future
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