Bristol Aztecs v Belfast Trojans - CEFL ‘Battle of the Isles’ clash preview.

Photos c/o @shotbyyj & @davebradshaw.co

The reigning Britbowl champions, Bristol Aztecs will launch what they intend to be a new era for Britball when they start their second Central European Football League (CEFL) campaign this Sunday.

The Aztecs, who opened their BAFA Premiership South season and defence of the Britbowl Championship at London Blitz with a 28-0 victory on Sunday, now turn their attention to European matters.

The Aztecs' first game in Bristol since defeating the London Warriors 27-24 in Coventry last September will be on Sunday, April 26, when they welcome Irish champions the Belfast Trojans to Shaftesbury Park (1.30 pm kickoff) in the CEFL in front of an expected crowd of around 2,000. 

The club, which is backed by investment led by former Aztecs youth player Elliot Hoyte, has installed more than 1,250 additional seats across three temporary stands with the intention of making gamedays at Dings Crusaders Rugby Club this season a spectator event and spectacle.

Hoyte, who played four seasons on the defensive line at NCAA Division One Boise State from 2013 to 2016, and is now the Aztecs' managing director, wants to reach standards not seen in Britball since its 1980s heyday when his dad, and Bristol’s defensive co-ordinator Nigel, featured for the London Ravens.

“More than anything, I hope other teams in Britball will watch what we’re doing and feel inspired to do more,” said Hoyte.

“The domestic game hasn’t made anywhere near enough progress in the last 30 years when you benchmark us against countries like Germany. It’s time to wake up, set aside egos, collaborate, and apply ourselves so we can all benefit.”

Sunday’s opponents, six-time Irish champions Belfast, make the perfect opponents for such a fixture, said Hoyte: “I think playing Belfast for the first home game of the season in a CEFL matchup is actually the perfect way to open the season at home. It's a knockout game with big implications. That alone is reason enough for people to watch it.

“The Trojans do a great job marketing themselves and present themselves well both on and off the field. They will bring several of their own fans to add to the atmosphere. We have great respect for them as an organisation. They, too, are trying to raise the standard of the game here in Europe and are pioneers in their domestic league.”

The Trojans will fly into Bristol on Saturday for a much-anticipated CEFL debut.

General manager Mark McGrath said: "The activity Bristol is doing around their game days looks amazing. We have a very similar outlook on ensuring there are a lot of activities around our own game days for our fans and families to interact with.

“Getting invited into the CEFL and getting to play against the Aztecs, who have such a similar mindset, has been energising for us as a club, and we’re very excited to see what we can build off of this initial fixture.”

Dubbed the ‘Battle of the Isles', both Hoyte and McGrath acknowledge the derby, or rivalry, style European fixture will have added significance, with the fixture also being streamed by the Aztecs, which will be followed with great interest at the Trojans watch party in Belfast.

Hoyte acknowledged “historically there has always been some form of rivalry between the British and the Irish, probably more so toward the English contingent of the British part”.

McGrath, who said he would personally like to see the Trojans play a four-team tournament with BAFA sides, said: “I think having two champions from different countries is always going to give some additional significance to any game and will be a great measuring stick to see how the leagues differ in talent and knowledge.”

Bristol, with a CEFL campaign that included a big win at home over Amsterdam Crusaders and a defeat at Carlstad Crusaders in Sweden last year, has recruited heavily - perhaps most significantly - building an offensive line stacked with European experience and will likely start as favourites against the Trojans.

The winner will travel to Poland to face the Warsaw Eagles in round two, when Manchester Titans will also enter the 10-team tournament with a challenging fixture against the defending champions, the Thonon Black Panthers of France.

Belfast already have three American Football Ireland league games and victories under their belts this season, having enjoyed an undefeated 2025 which culminated in victory at the Shamrock Bowl.

The Aztecs have already won what is arguably their toughest regular season domestic fixture now the BAFA Premiership South no longer features the London Warriors, and have a clear mission, which includes a second crack at the CEFL, with Hoyte stating: “The goal is to win both a back-to-back Britbowl and the CEFL.”

The Trojans, who routed Craigavon Cowboys 72-6 on Sunday, have explicitly stated they aim to retain their Irish crown but haven’t conceded anything ahead of travelling to England.

McGrath said, “Our goal for the CEFL in 2026 is the same as our goal for our domestic season. We want to play a competitive, exciting brand of football that pushes us to improve and continue to grow as players and as a club.

“As for expectations from the tournament, we’re expecting to play against a very talented side in Bristol that will challenge us on the field, and this is exactly what we hope for from every team involved in this tournament.

“Domestically, we have our sights set on retaining the Shamrock Bowl, but the team’s focus will be on the next game in front of us.”

US QB Ethan Gretzinger, who has NCAA Division III experience with Pomona-Pitzer, returns to lead the Aztecs' offence while 2025 Shamrock Bowl MVP Rayshawn Boswell is considered the Trojans' main offensive threat. The speedy US running back earned multiple league honours in four seasons at the Division Three III level with the Hobart Statesmen.

The Trojans also feature US receiver Chris Williams (Bethany University NCAA Div III), and while clubs can, by agreement, play up to three North Americans in CEFL fixtures, the Aztecs have more than this number in their squad, meaning some will have to miss out.

The Aztecs should have a relatively fresh squad while the Trojans have been in competitive action since the end of March.

Both teams have been studying film, but Hoyte expects the advantages and disadvantages of being at different stages of their domestic seasons to balance out: “Whenever you have a few games under your belt you undoubtedly build momentum, especially operationally on the field. Conversely, when you've played only one game, you're likely to be a little fresher. Overall, I don't see either scenario trumping the other.”

Come kick off on Sunday, spectators will be able to judge what a new vision for Britball could look like as well as find out whether a fresher Aztecs or battle-hardened Belfast hold the trump card.

You can get your tickets for the game from the Aztecs' website - https://goaztecs.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/trojans, but if you can't attend, we'll share the live stream link as soon as we have it.