The Islanders in training.

THE new Guernsey American Football team will call themselves the Islanders.

Ahead of the upcoming season as associate members of the British American Football League, the Steve Rains-coached side plumped for Islanders as their new nickname after asking the Guernsey public for their suggestions.

Originally, Guernsey’s 1980s team was called the Gladiators, but the new league rules, which prevent duplication of nicknames within the league, prevented a return to tradition as the Colchester Gladiators are already in the BAFL.

A popular next option was ‘Storm’. However, the Dundee Hurricanes have a youth team who bear that name and so the team has adopted the Islanders.

Head coach Rains said he was delighted to have settled the name issue, although was disappointed not to have been able to return to the club’s old name.

‘We think Islanders is a name that the Guernsey public will support when we get the team back into competition later this year,’ he said.