Could you be the next American football star? Ireland's Kicking King: Road to Ryan Field is coming near you! FREE tryouts, ages 16–24

Get ready for Ireland's Kicking King: Road to Ryan Field 2026! Everybody Welcome

Do you want to? Do you want to end up playing in the NFL like Charlie Smythe? Do you want to kick in front of 50,000+ fans? Do you want to be part of a documentary that will be seen by millions? You've come to the right place!

By coming to one of our free regional events, you get the chance to to try out to be selected to to kick at a packed Aviva Stadium in August, and then on to the world leading Ryan Field in Chicago for a chance to be crowned Ireland's Kicking King in front of a brand new stadium and walk away with a cash prize! You could also be featured on a documentary that is being filmed around this competition that will be distributed internationally and potentially seen by millions of people around the world.

Who are we looking for?

Participants must be aged between 16-24, ideally enjoy kicking a gaelic football, rugby ball or soccer ball, if so this event is for you. We expect upwards of 90% of attendees to have never kicked an American Football before, so this is a welcoming, low pressure environment to try something new.

All participants will get a FREE TICKET to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium on August 29th when UNC take on TCU!

Thanks to our partner UPMC, Ryans Sports Ventures, Intersport Elverys, Meta and Aer Lingus College Football Classic, Ireland's Kicking King: Road to Ryan Field is a free event for all those participating.

How will it work?

Participants will get the chance to showcase their kicking skills in a fun and supportive environment. Athletes from any sport are welcome, especially those with rugby, GAA, or soccer experience. The event is open to males and females from ages 16-24.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Session Details (NFL-style kicking session)

A Leader Kicking coach will kick things off with a demo on how to kick an American football. Everyone will have practice reps before the main event.

Each participant will then attempt field goals from various distances.

Specific events will feature a Longest Kick competition.

Top 3 Performers from each regional event will advance to the quarter final, bringing together the 30 (approx.) best kickers from across the country where the top 20 (approx.) will compete at halftime at the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic and the winning prize.

Winning Prize: The overall winners from the Aviva semi final on August 29th will win a trip to America and 2 months specialised training with Leader Kicking prior, where you will then kick at half-time on November 7th at Ryan Field where Northwestern University take on Iowa University. The overall winner will take away a cash prize (Terms and Conditions apply). But we also expect all the finalists to be seen and evaluated by some of the top University and professional coaches in the United States through this journey.

Past Participants: All who came from GAA, Rugby and Soccer backgrounds who are now playing college football in the US and signing contracts in the NFL.

Charlie Smyth - Signed NFL contract with New Orleans Saints

Mark McNamee - Signed NFL contract with Green Bay Packers

Adam McCann-Gibbs - Received full ride scholarship

Sean O'Haire - Received full ride scholarship

Lorcan Quinn - Received full ride scholarship

Ryan McDonnell - Received full ride scholarship

Eoin O'Sullivan - Received full ride scholarship

Jack Cassidy - Received full ride scholarship

Ross Bolger - Signed CFL contract with BC Lions

Conor Donaghy - Received full ride scholarship

Eoin O' Sullivan - Received full ride scholarship

Mark Fitzgerald - Received full ride scholarship

Daniel Leahy - Received full ride scholarship

Karl Campbell - Received full ride scholarship

Oisin Flynn - Received full ride scholarship

Eoin Walsh - Received full ride scholarship

Sam Krebs - Received full ride scholarship

Fearghal Mac Cearra - Received full ride scholarship

Description supplied by the event organiser.