Russian American Football Championship () is the highest level of American football played in Russia originally founded in 1991, previously known as the League of American Football (LAF; , ЛАФ).
There are 11 teams in two divisions participating in the league.Ilya Kravtsov: Kaliningrad to Vladivostok: Season In Review American Football International Since 2020 season the Eastern European Super League serves as the highest league of American football in Russia.
History American football came into the Soviet Union in late 1980s. The first official games were played in 1989 when American high school all-star teams from Oklahoma played exhibition games against local teams, following a failed attempt to have college football bowl game be played in Moscow (known as the Glasnost Bowl). In the same year the very first game between Russian teams was played.Ilya Kravtsov: Hockey Pads to the FAFR: The History of American Football in Russia American Football International
In 1989, the Moscow Bears were first formed team and represented the Russia national American football team. In 1991, the Soviet Championship was founded and the league became the Russian Championship in 1992 as the Soviet Union collapsed. However the league was soon suspended in the turmoils of the dissolution of the USSR. The Moscow Bears national team was reformed later in 1992 and Russian Football Championship league later re-organized.
The Russian Championship was founded again in 2002. The league has been growing ever since.
In 2016 it was reorganized as The League of American Football, LAF in short. But in 2019 the league was re-organized as Russian Championship.
Since 2020 season the Eastern European Super League serves as the highest league of American football in Russia.
List of champions Year Champion Runner-up 3rd place1991 (USSR Championship)Moscow BearsMoscow SwansKharkov Atlants Aktau Caspian Sphinxes1992Moscow BearsKrasnoyarsk Siberian DevilsKrasnoyarsk Siberian Bruins1993Moscow BearsKrasnoyarsk Siberian DevilsMoscow Eagles1994Moscow Bears2002Moscow PatriotsMoscow Bruins2003Moscow PatriotsMoscow BruinsMoscow Tanks — Astrakhan Gladiators2004Moscow PatriotsMoscow BruinsMoscow Tanks — Astrakhan Gladiators2005Moscow Patriots2006Moscow PatriotsMoscow Black StormMoscow Tanks2007Moscow PatriotsMoscow Tanks2008Moscow PatriotsMoscow Tanks2009Moscow Patriots2010Moscow PatriotsMoscow Red Falcons2011Moscow PatriotsMoscow United2012Moscow PatriotsChelyabinsk Scouts2013Moscow Black StormSaint Petersburg Griffins2014Moscow PatriotsAstrakhan Gladiators2015Saint Petersburg GriffinsMoscow Patriots2016Moscow PatriotsMoscow Spartans2017Moscow PatriotsSaint Petersburg Griffins2018Moscow SpartansMoscow Patriots2019Moscow PatriotsPerm Steel Tigers2020Moscow SpartansPerm Steel TigersMoscow Dragons2021Moscow SpartansMoscow PatriotsSpartak Moscow
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