YOU might think that watching the Super Bowl into the small hours is the closest you can get to the American Football experience in Taunton.

But that’s not strictly true, as the Somerset Wyverns are aiming to prove.

Founded in October 2014, the club has grown to 40 signed-up members, who train regularly at Vivary Park.

As Simon Champion, Wyverns chairman, tells Gazette Sport it has been “slow and hard work” to put the committees, paperwork and legalities in place to run a functional American Football club.

They have advertised extensively and held open training sessions, which have attracted a couple more players each time.

On Sunday, about 30 hardy souls turned out, with hard work for the more experienced players and rookies being shown the ropes.

“We have John Chambers in as a new coach, who has made a difference,” says Champion.

A minimum of 35 are needed to play a match – although ideally a team would have more, to allow for two effective offensive and defensive sides.

Somerset County Gazette:

EXPANDING: The Wyverns are up to 40 paid-up members.

With more players coming in and money being raised through membership fees, the next target for the Wyverns is regular competition – but to qualify for the British American Football Association (BAFA) league, they need to play five ‘official’ matches – games with the requisite refereeing and other BAFA standards.

The club have 10 to 12 fixtures lined up, a mixture of official games and scrimmages (friendlies).

“In March we go up to Bristol Apache for a joint training session and friendly,” he said.

Further matches will follow over the next few months, pitting the Wyverns against Torbay Trojans, Welwyn Hatfield Mosquitos, Worcestershire Black Knights and Portsmouth Dreadnoughts.

The Wyverns are an ambitious club, seeking to enter competitive teams at every BAFA level – these include men’s, women’s and youth – and to promote the sport within the community, drawing in fans and cheerleaders as well as players.

Champion added: “We aim to have our affiliation games processed, and enter the BAFA league in April 2018 – that has been our goal from the start.”

For more information, as well as photos and video, log on to the club's website.