The Tauranga City Tridents American Football Club is now its third year.

From the initial 50 members it had in 2021, the club now has 100.

Tauranga Boys’ College was the launchpad after a student who played for the Hamilton Hawks travelled from the Bay of Plenty to Waikato, said club president Alex Hatwell.

“We come down, but it’s like 50 people there, with a little bit of Facebook advertising to get it going,” Hatwell said.

“Once we had that critical mass, it was quite easy to keep it rolling.”

The club now practises at Waipuna Park in Welcome Bay on Sundays from 1pm and Wednesdays from 6pm.

Both forms of American football, contact and flag football - a non-contact form similar to rippa rugby, are offered at the club.

In flag football, teams of five will line up across each other and attempt to pull a piece of cloth from a belt around a player’s belt without tackling.

The Tauranga Trident American Football Club head of coaching Kevin Palalagi said that the contact team needs bigger bodies to go on the line of scrimmage. Photo / Tom Eley

Both have skills that cross over from rugby, league, hockey and other community sports, head of coaching Kevin Palalagi said.

“You can use rugby and rugby league skills, but it’s a little more structured in American football.”

From the outside looking in, American Football looks like madness, chaos and violence, especially on the line of scrimmage, said Palagai.

“There’s a lot of technique,” he said.

He said that soccer can easily transition to flag football, with fast feet and quick directional changes being advantageous.

The one position that cannot be quickly filled is the quarterback, gridiron’s most famous and challenging role.

Throwing the ball forward is the more accessible part of learning the position, said Tridents and Flag Ferns developmental quarterback Nicole Huala.

“You have to know the defence and what players are doing,” Huala said.

“The most important thing is that your head is calm and confident. Because a lot of times, the quarterback carries the team’s mood.”

Members of the Tridents will venture over to Australia’s largest flag football competition - Capture the Flag, on November 2 at Monash University in Melbourne.

Tauranga Tridents and Flag Ferns defensive back Kyla Connolly is originally from Virginia in the United States and moved to Aotearoa, New Zealand, with her Kiwi husband.

“I was growing up, we would just play backyard football. There was no football for girls, and I begged my mom, ‘please let me play’.

“So to be able to play flag is great. I love it.”

Wide receiver Scott Witney will join quarterback Nicole Huala and defensive back Kyla Hubbard for the Capture the Flag tournament in Melbourne. Photo / Tom Eley

Wide receiver Scott Witney joins the Mako Flag Football Developmental team, which enters the Capture the Flag tournament alongside the Flag Ferns.

“There seem to be a lot more men’s teams, and I envision we only keep growing,” said Witney.

At Capture the Flag, the Makos and Flag Ferns will likely line up against teams from Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Australia.

“It’s a good test,” Witney said.