It’s hardly a well-known sport in New Zealand, but flag football is already experiencing some of the Olympic effect in the wake of its inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic programme.
"We’ve had enquiries already,” the national team’s head coach Shiraz Soysa told 1News.
"We know there’s going to be a lot of players interested in the game."
It comes as five new sports were confirmed for the Games, after being put forward by the LA Organising Committee last week.
Along with flag football, T20 cricket, squash, lacrosse and baseball [men]/softball [women] will also make up part of the programme.
It makes for an exciting time for the New Zealand Mako, the national men’s team, who often have to battle explaining their sport to people.
"Normally they say, 'does it hurt?' and we have to say no," quarterback Jono Entwistle said.
Flag football is effectively the equivalent of ripper rugby, but for American football. It’s five-a-side and played on smaller fields, boasting approximately 20 million players world wide.
"I think it has that American football connotation, which is a lot of stop start, really slow, just meatheads running into each other," Defensive back Tom Rance added.
"But this is a lot more than that."
While it traditionally has been seen as a development and recreational sport [NFL great Tom Brady learned his craft in flag football], the Olympics will naturally elevate the code to elite level, with the NFL itself a big backer of its push for inclusion.
Speaking to 1News from his base in New York, USA Football’s Chief Executive Scott Hallenbeck said he is keen to sell the concept near and far.
“It takes incredible accuracy in terms of the quarterback and receiver play, a lot of creativity in terms of your offensive scheming, super quickness with dips and spins,” he said.
“There already has been just in the last 12-24 hours current and former NFL players who're saying. 'I’m in, I’m excited to represent my country'."
That includes four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, who is among the high-profile names to have expressed interest in helping the USA chase gold in the sport.
The question also turning to who might put their hands up for New Zealand.
When rugby sevens was added to the Olympic programme, Sonny-Bill Williams was quick to convert, while current All Black Caleb Clarke also chased the dream in Tokyo, though he never took the field.
“We love poaching people from the other sports,” Entwistle said.
“Getting some high profile athletes in there couldn’t hurt the sport."
For other members of the Mako, like former NZ under-85kg rugby representative Rance, the opportunity to be an Olympian provides something to aspire to.
“It’s always every sportsperson's dream to be an Olympian, and it’s always a long shot,” The 23-year-old said.
“And it’s still a long shot but it’s a lot more likely than it was last week.”
The timing is impeccable for the team as well – next week they head to Malaysia for the Asia-Oceania Continental Championships, a chance to test themselves on the international stage ahead of the World Championships next year.
And while there’s no qualifying path for the Olympics laid out yet, one thing remains the same according to Soysa.
“The future's bright, super exciting,” he said.
“But winning starts now.”
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