Estonia's only American football team – Tartu Titans – have reached the final of this year's Baltic League. The Titans now have to overcome Kaunas Dukes on Saturday, as they aim to win Baltic Bowl VII.
Tartu Titans reached the final with a huge 80-0 win over Riga Bears in early November. The win capped off a huge turnaround in fortunes for the Titans, who had begun their season with a 6-8 loss against Lithuanian team Kaunas Dukes.
Having boosted the size of their squad to almost 30 players from Estonia and abroad, Tartu Titans now have to take one final step in order to win "Baltic Bowl VII."
The Baltic League of American Football includes teams from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It was last played in 2022, when Tallinn Kings were crowned champions. However, due to numerous logistical challenges, the league was forced to take a three-year break, before it was revived again in 2025.
This season, five teams took part in the newly re-launched league, with Tartu Titans flying the flag for Estonia alongside Latvia's Riga Bears, and three time from Lithuania: Kaunas Duke, Klaipeda Curonians and Vilnius Iron Wolves.
While enthusiasm remains high, running a pan-Baltic league is no easy task.
"It's a tough logistical challenge, but everyone has responded well and played the season," Tartu Titans quarterback Ott Sellis told ERR in early November. "Now I hope that the cooperation will continue, both in terms of referees and the training of additional coaches. It's very exciting, and I hope that interest will only grow."
Tartu Titans in action at Holm Park, Tartu. Source: Maristell Paat
Having achieved new heights on the field, the Titans have also had to work just as hard off it to raise enough funds to get the team to Lithuania for the final. After setting a target of €3,000, the Titans managed to crowdsource almost double that amount – bringing in €5,890 from the City of Tartu, Sunecor and donations by supporters.
Any of the funds not used in the preparations for the final game will be directed towards the development of the club and the launch of its youth program in 2026.
The final of the Baltic League of American Football (Baltic Bowl VII) kicks off at 4 p.m. on Saturday. All the action can be viewed live on YouTube here.
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