Queens League

The Netherlands, 2020 - 2023

Women's American football has had a tumultuous history in the United States, but women have been actively involved in the sport since the late 1880s. For the past few years, however, the sport has been quietly growing abroad too. Canada, Mexico, Australia and Germany — all countries with close cultural ties to the U.S. — have active leagues and, by 2016, there were over 200 teams in Europe alone. 

Until 2017, the Netherlands was the odd one out. Although there'd been a men's league in since the mid-'80s, there were no women's teams and no dedicated competition. The only option for women who wanted to play was to join a men's team, something that put many potential female players off. 

The now-defunct Queens Football League (QFL), founded by Kanessa Muluneh in 2017, was created in response to that lack of opportunity. Not interested in competing with men, Muluneh decided that if there was no league for women like her to join, she would start one. The QFL as it is colloquially known, lasted for a mere 4 years before it was abruptly shut down by Muluneh, who moved to Dubai. In its place, a new organization, the Women's Football League took over, led by Ravens head coach Wesley Kuils and Miguel Alfarez, the Amsterdam Cats' former head coach. 

I spent 18 months following the players of the QFL as they battled each other for the Queens Bowl and tried to hold the league together in the midst of the pandemic.