National American Football Championship of Romania
Football league
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The National American Football Championship of Romania (CNFA) (Romanian: Campionatul Național de Fotbal American) is the elite league for American football in Romania. It was formed in 2010. Playing rules[1] are based on those of the International Federation of American Football. Each end of season culminates with the championship game, known as the Romanian Bowl or RoBowl. The championship is currently organised by the League of American Football Teams in Romania (Romanian: LEFA - Liga Echipelor de Fotbal American din România).[2]
| Founded | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Romania |
| Number of clubs | 6 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Current champions | Bucharest Rebels |
| Most championships | Bucharest Rebels (8 titles) |
The popularity of American football in Romania can also be attributed to the nation's interest in the career of Romanian-born American punter for the New England Patriots of the NFL, Zoltán Meskó.[3]
History
The league is played annually, and it follows IFAF rules. A flag championship is also organized every year, to better promote the sport.
The first-ever game in the history of the championship was played on July 24, and it featured the Timişoara Lions and Cluj Crusaders.[4]
On November 21, 2010, in Bucharest, the Bucharest Warriors met the Cluj Crusaders, in the first-ever Romanian Bowl. The home team won the game, 56–12, becoming the first champion of Romania.[5][6]
Bucharest Warriors retained the CNFA title in 2011, after 14–6 and 15–20 against the same opponent from the previous year, Cluj Crusaders.[7][8]
Following the withdrawal of the Mures Monsters and the merger of the Timisoara 89ers and Resita Locomotives to form the Banat Team in 2024,[9] the CNFA championship featured only four participating teams. The regular season followed a single round-robin format, with the Banat Team finishing at the top of the standings with three wins and a net point difference of +94 (124 points for, 30 points against).
RoBowl XIV was hosted by the Banat Team at the artificial turf field of Stadionul Mircea Chivu in Reșița. However, they were defeated by the Bucharest Rebels, who secured their fifth consecutive national championship title.[10]
In 2024, the six remaining teams agreed to shift the championship schedule back to a spring and summer format, beginning with the 2025 CNFA season. The competition will take place between March and June.
For the 2025 season of the National American Football Championship of Romania (CNFA), four teams have registered: defending champions Bucharest Rebels, Cluj Crusaders, Mures Monsters, and Timisoara 89ers. The season will follow a double round-robin format, where each team will play every other team twice, once at home and once away. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top-ranked team will qualify directly for RoBowl XV, the national championship game. The second and third-placed teams will compete in a playoff game, hosted by the second-ranked team, to determine the finalist that will face the top seed in the championship match. The 2025 season sees the withdrawal of Reșița Locomotives and Bucharest Titans, reducing the number of participating teams to four.
In 2026 the league was not played. Bucharest Rebels and Bucharest Titans took part in the newly founded Danube American Football League.
Teams
| Current CNFA teams | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bucharest Titans | ||
| Cluj Crusaders | ||
| Mureș Monsters | ||
| Former / inactive teams | ||
| Bucharest Rebels | ||
| Bucharest Dacians | Reșița Locomotives | Bucharest Predators |
| Constanța Sharks | ||
| Iaşi Sevens | ||
| Miners Baia Mare | ||
| Oradea Stars | ||
| Prahova Thunder | ||
| Scăieni Jaguars | ||
| Vaslui Wolves | ||
| Bucharest Warriors | ||
Romanian Bowl
The Romanian Bowl is the championship game of the National American Football Championship of Romania (CNFA), the Romanian equivalent of the NFL's Super Bowl. The Bucharest Rebels are the current titleholders, having won the championship for six consecutive years.
| # | Year | Winning team | Losing team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 2010 | Bucharest Warriors | Cluj Crusaders | 56–12 |
| II | 2011 | Bucharest Warriors | Cluj Crusaders | 14–6 & 15–20 |
| III | 2012 | Cluj Crusaders | Bucharest Rebels | 20–7 |
| IV | 2013 | Cluj Crusaders | Timișoara 89ers | 14–8 |
| V | 2014 | Bucharest Rebels | Timișoara 89ers | 18–12 |
| VI | 2015 | Bucharest Rebels | Cluj Crusaders | 2–0 |
| VII | 2016 | Bucharest Rebels | Cluj Crusaders | 46–18 |
| VIII | 2017 | Cluj Crusaders | Bucharest Warriors | 17–12 |
| IX | 2018 | Cluj Crusaders | Bucharest Rebels | 10–0 |
| X | June 15, 2019 | Bucharest Rebels | Timișoara 89ers | 34–14 |
| XI | November 27, 2021 | Bucharest Rebels | Mures Monsters | 40–30 |
| XII | December 4, 2022 | Bucharest Rebels | Mures Monsters | 48–28 |
| XIII | November 25, 2023 | Bucharest Rebels | Resita Locomotives | 34–28 |
| XIV | November 23, 2024 | Bucharest Rebels | Banat Team | 48–19 |
| XV | June 22, 2025 | Bucharest Rebels | Mures Monsters | 38–16 |