Australian rules football around the world

Australian Football International Cup

The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

is a sport played in various countries around the world. In 2006, about 16,000 people played in structured competitions outside of Australia and at least 20 leagues that are recognised by the game's governing body, exist outside Australia. This figure had grown to a total of 34,845 players by the end of 2007. In contrast, there are over 600,000 players in Australia where the game is at its strongest; overseas players make up less than 2% of the total players worldwide.

Australian Rules football is played professionally only by men in Australia and is a major spectator sport in Australia and Nauru

Nauru

Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...

Players of Australian Rules Football

There have been several players in the VFL/AFL who were born outside Australia and since 1982, an increasing number of players have been recruited from outside Australia through initiatives such as the Irish experiment

Irish experiment

The Irish Experiment is the popular name for the interest, primarily from VFL/AFL clubs, in bringing Irish sportspeople to Australia to play Australian Rules Football professionally ....

and more recently, international scholarship programs. Despite the amateur competitions outside of Australia, no player from these competitions has yet debuted in the AFL Premiership Season. Some have, however, featured in semi-professional competitions in Australia as well as in AFL pre-season practice matches.

The international growth of Australian rules in the 19th century and early 20th century was rapid, but it went into rapid decline following World War I. After World War II, the sport experienced a small amount of growth in the Pacific region, particularly in Nauru

Australian rules football in Nauru

Australian rules football in Nauru dates back to the 1930s and quickly established itself, along with weightlifting as the national sport of the country.The overall participation rate of over 30% is the highest for the sport in the world.-Structure:...

, Papua New Guinea

Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea

Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea is a rapidly developing team sport which was initially introduced by Australian servicemen. The sport has a long and somewhat shaky history, but has recently achieved big strides in the Papua New Guinea community and is now the second most popular sport...

and New Zealand

Australian rules football in New Zealand

Australian rules football in New Zealand is currently a minority sport in a nation where rugby union is the national sport and predominant football code...

.

Australian rules football emerged as an international sport much later than other forms of football, such as soccer or rugby, but has grown substantially as an amateur sport in some countries since the 1980s. Initially, the sport grew with the Australian diaspora

Australian diaspora

The term Australian diaspora may refer to the approximately 1,000,000 Australian citizens who today live outside Australia. This usage of the term includes the several hundred thousand people who spend some time in the United Kingdom and Europe but return to Australia...

, aided by multiculturalism and assisted by exhibition matches

Australian rules football exhibition matches

Australian rules football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria in 1859....

and players who have converted to and from other football codes

Players who have converted from one football code to another

There are many players who have converted from one football code to another or even changed from other sports at a professional or representational level....

. In Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States, there are many thousands of players. Canada, Japan, Denmark, and Sweden have also shown strong potential in the sport in the lead up to the 2008 Australian Football International Cup

2008 Australian Football International Cup

The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested....

.

The AFL became the de facto international governing body for the sport when it pushed for the closure of the International Australian Football Council

International Australian Football Council

The International Australian Football Council was a body established in 1995 to govern the sport of Australian rules football internationally...

in 2002.

Australian rules football is played professionally by men, only, in Australia, and is major spectator sport, with the exception of occasional exhibition games

Australian rules football exhibition matches

Australian rules football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria in 1859....

staged in other countries.

Although the game is played in many countries, the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

only has 13 affiliated international governing bodies, AFL Canada

AFL Canada

AFL Canada is the governing body for men's and women's Australian rules football in Canada....

, Danish Australian Football League

Danish Australian Football League

The Danish Australian Football League is the controlling body and main league for the sport of Australian rules football in Denmark. Founded in 1989, regular competition commenced in 1991...

, BARFL, AFL Japan

AFL Japan

AFL Japan is a league and governing body for Australian rules football in Japan.The Top League season runs from April to November, with a summer break during August. All teams including the University teams compete in the Top League. The most successful team has been the Tokyo Goannas, who have...

, ARFLI, Nauru Australian Football Association, New Zealand AFL

New Zealand AFL

AFL New Zealand is the governing body of Australian rules football in New Zealand.AFL New Zealand currently has around 536 senior players. New Zealand, like Papua New Guinea and Queensland, has experienced a boom in junior participation in recent years with reports of as many as 10,000 junior...

, USAFL, AFL South Africa

AFL South Africa

AFL South Africa is the governing body and development organisation for Australian rules football in South Africa.They manage the South African national Australian rules football team, development leagues and competitions in several provinces as well as junior participation.The body is funded by...

, AFL PNG

AFL PNG

AFL PNG is the peak promotional body for the sport of Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea.AFL PNG organises the national championships tournament and selects the national team, the Mosquitos.The governing body is the PNG Rules Council....

, AFL Samoa, Tonga Australian Football Association and AFL Germany. The league also has working relationships with bodies in additional countries, who have sent, or may in future send, teams to the International Cup. In 2010, a European association of 18 Countries was founded which later re-branded as AFL Europe. This association is affiliated to the Australian Football League, which funds the retention of a regional manager in Europe.

Early beginnings

Almost as soon as the game was becoming established in Australia, it had spread to New Zealand

Australian rules football in New Zealand

Australian rules football in New Zealand is currently a minority sport in a nation where rugby union is the national sport and predominant football code...

and South Africa

Australian rules football in South Africa

Australian rules football in South Africa is a fast growing team sport, having grown in participation by 160% between 2005–07.Since 1996, the sport has been growing quickly amongst indigenous communities, beginning in the North West province and later spreading to Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western...

, initially because of the Otago Gold Rush and Witwatersrand Gold Rush

Witwatersrand Gold Rush

The Witwatersrand Gold Rush was a gold rush in 1886 that led to the establishment of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was part of the Mineral Revolution....

. The game was further fuelled in South Africa by Australian soldiers in the First

First Boer War

The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...

and Second Boer War

Second Boer War

The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...

s.

There were reports of early competitions in England, Scotland, and Japan

Australian rules football in Japan

Australian rules football in Japan is a minority team sport which dates back to 1910, but found its roots in the late 1980s.Japan competes regularly at international level and Japan's national team has defeated amateur Australian clubs on numerous occasions....

, started by expatriate Australians and servicemen.

The First World Governing Body and international competition

In New Zealand, where proximity to Australia saw a formidable league, the sport quickly grew to a sizeable 115 clubs by the turn of the 19th century. As the game spread, it became known as Australasian Football, with delegates from New Zealand added to the newly formed Australasian Football Council.

In 1908, New Zealand defeated both New South Wales and Queensland at the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival, an event held to celebrate 50 years of Australian Football.

Decline and hiatus

World War I saw the game being played by Australian servicemen around the world, particularly in Egypt, and in Europe in France, Belgium, and England.

Following the war, the game went into a sharp decline outside of Australia, with all international domestic competitions dying out. National teams and international competition in the sport became non-existent for three quarters of the 20th century. The return of many Australian expatriates from overseas gold fields and tours of duty, combined with Australia's low profile on the world stage, offered few opportunities for the game to grow during this time. With the withdrawal of its New Zealand delegates, the sport returned to the title of Australian Football, governed by the Australian Football Council. Concerned primarily with the growth of their own domestic competitions, the Australian leagues and governing bodies made little effort to develop or promote the game until the 1950s, and the council's role was mainly to oversee the growing importance of interstate test matches

Interstate matches in Australian rules football

Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...

.

Nevertheless, the longest running fixture outside of Australia, the annual Varsity match between Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club

Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club

Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club is an Australian rules football club representing the University of Oxford. The Club operates under the auspices of Oxford University Sport...

and Cambridge University in England, has been held since 1921, and has emerged into a fierce rivalry, worthy of half-blue status

University Sporting Blue

A Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and women at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge Universities...

at Oxford. Apart from this match, however the game was rarely played in England.

Return of Oceania football

The only overseas place where the sport has been continuously played is the former Australian trustee mandate

League of Nations mandate

A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...

of Nauru

Australian rules football in Nauru

, which began both senior and junior local competitions in the 1930s. The sport was also introduced to the Territory of New Guinea

Territory of New Guinea

The Territory of New Guinea was the Australia-controlled, League of Nations-mandated territory in the north eastern part of the island of New Guinea, and surrounding islands, between 1920 and 1949...

in 1944 and the Territory of Papua in 1948.

World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

saw some servicemen play the game overseas, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, and Algeria. During the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, matches were even played by servicemen against the local Vietnamese.

In the 1960s, Australian leagues began to show some interest in expansion of the game outside of Australia. 1963 saw the first Australian rules football exhibition matches

Australian rules football exhibition matches

Australian rules football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria in 1859....

played in the United States. Australian state leagues began occasionally promoting themselves in this way over the following decades.

In 1967, it was reported in the VFL Record's "Footy Facts" column that Australian football clubs existed in Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

, Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

, and Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

and that the VFL was optimistic about the future of the game in South Africa. Little is known of how or when these clubs had formed or what later became of them.

Since 1967, there have been many matches between Australian and Irish teams, under various sets of hybrid, compromise rules. In 1984, the first official representative matches of International rules football

International rules football

International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....

were played, and these games have continued to be played annually each October, now attracting considerable public interest, drawing sizable crowds, and receiving regular television coverage. New Zealand resumed a local competition in 1974.

By 1975, Papua New Guinea had gained independence and test matches began to be played against teams from Australia. The first ever full international match involving Australia was played in 1977 at under 17 level between Australia and Papua New Guinea in Adelaide, with Australia taking the honours. Since then, Australia have been peerless in the sport and seldom compete at international level.

Despite these small advancements to the international aspects of the game, progress overseas was rarely covered in the Australian media

Media of Australia

Media in Australia is an important component of the Australian economy. Australian media is widely accessible and caters to a wide variety of audiences...

1980s and '90s

In the late 1980s, successful VFL exhibition matches attracted large crowds and spawned fledgling local competitions in both Japan and Canada. The Australian media showed only a token interest in the matches in London and Japan involving VFL clubs. It was during this decade that the sport was first televised in North America and the United Kingdom.

Some nationalities respond well to less formal means, however, and many trends in sporting activities are achieved outside formally organized programs. For instance, although Australian football was not formally established in Tonga until 2003 however informal matches had been introduced to schools as early as 1985.

Game spreads

The largest barriers to growth of Australian rules football internationally have traditionally been distance, field availability, and player numbers. With a total of at least 36 players required for a game, and a cricket sized pitch, organising games can be difficult in countries where space is a premium, enclosed grounds are not available, and there are few willing participants available. While these factors have not been a problem in Papua New Guinea or New Zealand, they did pose large problems to leagues in Europe, Asia, and America. The more inventive of organisers began to accept modified versions of the game, such as nine-a-side, often played on any available field, open space, parks, or on existing soccer or rugby fields. These approaches to the game have been highly successful.

In the late 1980s, as these factors became less of an obstacle, amateur leagues were established in Japan

Australian rules football in Japan

(1987), England

Australian rules football in England

Australian rules football in England is a team and spectator sport with a long but obscure history and has grown since 1989 to a number of local leagues coordinated by AFL Britain...

, Denmark, and Canada

Australian rules football in Canada

Australian rules football in Canada is a fast growing team and spectator sport which has been played since the late 1980s.Australian football is currently played in four Canadian provinces - Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia...

(1989). In the case of Japan and Canada, these were directly sparked by VFL exhibition matches.

In the 1990s, the Australian diaspora had spread and amateur competition had grown in countries such as Sweden (1993), Germany (1995), the USA

Australian rules football in the United States

Australian rules football in the United States is a team and spectator sport which has been played domestically in the United States since 1996.There are several leagues around the country, a national championship and a national men's and women's teams.-History:...

(1996), Argentina, Spain, Samoa

Australian rules football in Samoa

Australian rules football in Samoa has been played since 1997.The governing body for the sport was formed under the name Samoa Australian Rules Football Association in 1998, becoming the AFL Samoa in 2007...

(1997), and South Africa

Australian rules football in South Africa

(1998), as well as a number of solely expatriate teams, mainly based in South East Asia.

During this time, the VFL expanded to become the AFL and began to command a greater national and international audience. Word of the sport grew out of AFL exhibition matches, cult television followings, and Internet communication. North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n fans formed an organisation, AFANA, specifically to work for improved media coverage of Australian football.

The traditionalists in the governing bodies of Australia (which became the AFL) were reluctant to sanction any games which were not played exactly according to the Laws of the Game, and the AFL initially did not recognise leagues that played the game on fields that did not closely match the proper dimensions, or had less than 16 players per side. Since the 1990s, these attitudes have changed somewhat, and the AFL and other development bodies have directly contributed to the development of the game overseas.

Formation of a world governing body

The International Australian Football Council

International Australian Football Council

The International Australian Football Council was a body established in 1995 to govern the sport of Australian rules football internationally...

(IAFC) was formed after football first featured at the Arafura Games

Arafura Games

The Arafura Games is a Multi-sport event held every 2 years in the Australian city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is an international event which draws its competitors from around the world. First held in 1991, the most recent Games, held in 2009, involved over 30 nations and over 3,000...

in 1995. Since 1998, the Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament

Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament

The Barassi Youth Tournament is an international Australian rules football tournament for junior players who are no older than 16 years of age. In conjunction with the Australian Football International Cup senior competition, the youth cup is an important event for the development of Aussie Rules...

, endorsed by the AFL as part of its International Policy, has hosted several junior teams from other countries.

Since 2000, fledgling competitions have been established in countries such as Ireland (2000), Tonga

Australian rules football in Tonga

Australian rules football in Tonga has its origins in local schools the 1980s, but has been played on an organised basis only since 2003, when the game's governing body, the Tonga Australian Football Association was founded....

(2002), Scotland

Australian rules football in Scotland

Australian rules football is currently played by a three-team league in Scotland, with clubs in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh forming the Scottish Australian Rules Football League...

, France, and China

Australian rules football in China

Australian rules football in China is an article on the Australian brand of football played in the People's Republic of China.- History :The sport has been played in the People's Republic of China since the 1990s...

(2005). Television and the internet have since helped to increase the awareness of the game outside of Australia.

Inspired by successful Arafura Games competitions, the inaugural Australian Football International Cup

Australian Football International Cup

The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...

was held in Melbourne in 2002, an initiative of the IAFC and the AFL. The first International Cup also marked the beginnings of a very small media interest in the international aspects of the game in Australia.

At the 2002 International Cup, meetings held between the AFL, IAFC, and international teams saw a unanimous vote amongst member countries that the AFL become the de facto world governing body for the sport, with the leagues linked to the teams affiliating with the AFL. The IAFC's public relations officer, Brian Clarke, disputed this move and continued the organisation in name. This organisation was finally dissolved in 2005, dropping all public claims to being the world governing body for the sport and being replaced by the development organisation Aussie Rules International

Aussie Rules International

Aussie Rules International promotes and develops the sport of Australian rules football internationally. Committed to working with all stakeholders to assist the international growth of the sport, its focus is on:...

21st century

In recent years, the game has grown particularly strongly in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. In percentage terms, their increases are high in comparison to the growth of the sport in Australia, although their total player numbers are at least 200 times less, making senior competition involving Australia at open level unlikely until at least 2020.

In 2004, a volunteer group known as World Footy News began documenting the growth of Australian football internationally through their website, becoming a major source of international football news, and for the first time providing a source of detailed coverage for the International Cups (2005 and 2008). Its website states that it "was created to foster awareness of Australian Football around the globe and to aid communication between clubs, leagues and individuals playing and supporting Aussie Rules". At various times between 2004 and 2007, other regularly updated sources included OziRulzGlobal, Fourth Quarter, and with slowly improving quantity, an International Leagues section of the AFL website.

In 2005, after eight years of growing domestic competition, the South African government declared Australian Rules Football to be the sport for "the new South Africa", injecting government funding into the sport.

In 2006, Pakistan, Indonesia, Catalonia

Australian rules football in Catalonia

Australian rules football in Catalonia is run by the Catalan League of Australian Football , member of Aussie Rules Europe. In 2002 Aussie rules was first played in Valls, where was founded the first club, Belfry Valls....

, Croatia, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, Bermuda and East Timor joined the list of playing nations.

On 3 July 2006, the AFL announced that it had formed an International Development Committee to support overseas leagues. The AFL hopes to develop the game in other countries to the point where Australian football is played at an international level by top-quality sides from around the world. The AFL plans to host the International Cup regularly every three or four years, beginning in 2008, the 150th anniversary of the code. Following the AFL's interest in the internationalisation of the game, coverage in the Australian media grew substantially.

On 14 April 2007, the Australian Institute of Sport

Australian Institute of Sport

The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...

Under 17 squad competed against the South African national Australian rules football team

South African national Australian rules football team

The South African national Australian rules football team represent South Africa in the sport of Australian rules football....

in the first international match between the two countries at North West Cricket Stadium

North West Cricket Stadium

Senwes Cricket Stadium is a cricket ground in Potchefstroom, North West Province, South Africa. It has hosted one Test match, in 2002. The Highveld Lions also play some home matches here...

in Potchefstroom, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. The Australians won a hard-fought contest by a score of 162-12. In the same month, a massive junior program called "FootyWILD", similar to Auskick, was launched in the country.

International competition

The first truly international competitor in Australian rules was New Zealand. In 1908, the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Australian rules football. New Zealand (then representing a total of 115 clubs) defeated both New South Wales and Queensland in the carnival, but lost to Victoria and Tasmania.

The 1995 Arafura Games

Arafura Games

, held in Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

, Northern Territory

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

became the first international sporting event to have Australian football as a competition sport, rather than a demonstration sport

Demonstration sport

A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...

. Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

won the gold medal

Gold medal

A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

and retained it in subsequent games. Other teams that have competed at Australian Rules in the games include Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Nauru

Nauru

, and a Northern Territory indigenous team. The International Australian football Council

International Australian Football Council

The International Australian Football Council was a body established in 1995 to govern the sport of Australian rules football internationally...

(IAFC) was formed after the 1995 Games.

Inspired by successful Arafura Games competitions, the inaugural Australian Football International Cup

Australian Football International Cup

The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...

was held in Melbourne in 2002

2002 Australian Football International Cup

The 2002 Australian Football International Cup was the inaugural international Australian rules football tournament held in Melbourne, Australia in 2002....

, as the last act of the IAFC, and held in conjunction with the AFL. The 2002 cup was contested by eleven teams from around the world, made up exclusively of non-Australians. Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

won, defeating Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

in the final.

In the interim years, Japan and New Zealand played an annual game as a curtain raiser to the AFL games. The New Zealand national team were victorious by 100 points in 2003, and so, in 2004, a club side from Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

played the game, which Japan lost by two points. The amateur Australian Convicts

Australian Convicts

The Australian Convicts are a touring amateur team of Australian rules football players and officials from Australia.The Convicts were formed in 2003 to help promote Australian rules football internationally through playing tour matches against international amateur sides.-Tours:The Convicts have...

also toured, playing several matches against sides from developing nations.

The second Australian football International Cup was held in Melbourne in 2005

2005 Australian Football International Cup

The 2005 Australian Football International Cup was the second time that the Australian Football International Cup tournament, an international Australian rules football competition was held....

, again under the guidance and funding of the AFL, with New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

defeating Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

in the final. Third place went to the United States of America.

In 2006, Denmark, Sweden and Germany competed in a tri-nations series, which will in theory be repeated annually.

The third Australian Football International Cup was again staged by the AFL in Melbourne

2008 Australian Football International Cup

The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested....

, with a record 16 teams competing. Papua New Guinea at last won the title, defeating New Zealand, and South Africa controversially defeated Ireland by 1 point to finish third.

Other international competitions that include Australian expatriates are also held, including the EU Cup

EU Cup

thumb|Logo of the 2007 EU CupThe EU Cup is an international Australian rules football tournament played between European national teams. Played under 9-a-side Footy rules, the tournament was first held at Chiswick Rugby Club in London, England in 2005 as an extension of the Central European...

, which was first held in 2005 in London

2005 EU Cup Australian rules football

The 2005 EU Cup of Australian rules football was held in London on October 9, 2005, with 10 national teams. The tournament was won by Belgium who were crowned European Champions after defeating Sweden in the final.-Teams:-Pools:--------...

, featuring ten teams. In 2007 the Cup was held in Hamburg

2007 EU Cup Australian rules football

The 2007 EU Cup of Australian rules football was held in Hamburg in 15 September 2007, with the attendance of 12 teams. The tournament was won by Sweden defeating Germany in the final.-Teams:-Pool matches:----------------...

, with twelve teams.

World rankings

Although the AFL is regarded as the world governing body, it does not publish statistics for matches that it does not specifically sanction. By 2009, the only attempt to consolidate all World Rankings was created by the World Footy News website, which for 2008 listed 22 countries, from Australia (1st) through to India (22nd). Detailed criteria were given as to whether a country qualified for consideration, though ultimately the rankings were listed as unofficial, and are only noteworthy because of the lack of any other system. The unofficial 2008 Australian Football World Rankings.

International rules Australia vs Ireland

A series of hybrid International rules matches between the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

's best professional players and a representative Gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

team from Ireland's Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

amateur players is staged annually. The rules are a compromise between the two codes, using a round ball and a rectangular field. The fierce tackling

Tackle (football move)

Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....

of the Australian code is allowed, although this has caused controversy with the Irish players. The series have remained evenly matched with the Irish using speed and athleticism, and the Australians strength and power — both inherent skills in their respective codes. This contrast of skills has created exciting contests that are a hit with spectators.

International promotion, funding & governance

The International Australian football Council

International Australian Football Council

The International Australian Football Council was a body established in 1995 to govern the sport of Australian rules football internationally...

(IAFC) was formed in 1995 by a subset of playing countries to promote and develop Australian football internationally, before unanimously dissolving in favour of the AFL in 2002. In 2005, former IAFC member Brian Clarke in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

set up a new organisation called Aussie Rules International

Aussie Rules International

. This promotes itself as an international organisation for developing, but not governing, international Australian football. As well as playing a role in promoting Aussie Rules overseas, Aussie Rules International coordinates the Multicultural Cup

Australian Football Multicultural Cup

The Australian Football Multicultural Cup was an amateur Australian rules football competition featuring teams drawn from melbourne's migrant communities...

, played in Australia and aimed at instilling national pride in those born overseas and encouraging migrants to take up the game.

Australian football is not yet considered large enough internationally for a FIFA

FIFA

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

style governing body, so the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

is primarily responsible for funding and governance. In the mid-2000s, it provided around $30 million for development of the game in Australia and around A$

Australian dollar

The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

500,000 annually for international development, with the following breakdown in 2005:

New Zealand $150,000
South Africa $100,000
United States of America $90,000
Papua New Guinea $45,000
Other $115,000

Including AFL exhibition and NAB Cup matches, indigenous and AIS youth tours, International Cup funding and staff funding, this will have risen to around A$

Australian dollar

2,000,000 annually by 2008. Additional support for countries such as South Africa is leveraged through contacts with industry, and is increasingly adding to the total investment.

Much of the additional international promotion of the game is fuelled by exhibition matches, expatriate Australians, local leagues, and various AusAID projects. The internet is seen as a key tool in keeping diverse Australian football communities in contact.

High profile advocates

Although international football has a low profile within Australia, the issue is getting increased media exposure as several high profile Australians have become advocates for international football. Former players and coaches that are involved in, have expressed interest in or are passionate about international footy at some stage include Ron Barassi

Ron Barassi

Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr AM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father, Ron Barassi, Sr., was the first Australian footballer killed at Tobruk during...

, Kevin Sheedy, Jim Stynes

Jim Stynes

James "Jim" Stynes OAM is an Irish former professional Australian rules footballer who is currently a businessman, philanthropist, writer, youth worker, qualified teacher and chairman of Melbourne Football Club since 2008....

, Paul Roos, Robert DiPierdomenico

Robert DiPierdomenico

Robert "Dipper" DiPierdomenico is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL of Italian descent and a member of the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century...

, Michael Long, Garry Lyon

Garry Lyon

Garry Peter Lyon is a former professional Australian rules football player and was captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. Since his retirement from football, he has been mainly an Australian rules football media personality, featuring on television, radio and in...

, Peter Schwab

Peter Schwab

Peter Schwab is a former Australian rules footballer and coach in the VFL/AFL.-Playing career:Recruited from Bennettswood, he played with Hawthorn from 1980-1991, going on to play 171 games and boot 38 goals...

, Guy McKenna

Guy McKenna

Guy Lindsay McKenna is an Australian rules football coach and former player. He is the current coach of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League . McKenna also played 267 games for the West Coast Eagles, including the 1992 and 1994 premiership wins...

, Glenn Archer

Glenn Archer

Glenn Archer is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played his entire career with the North Melbourne Football Club.Archer had a reputation as one of the most courageous players ever to play the game...

, Jason McCartney, Wayne Schwass

Wayne Schwass

Wayne Schwass was an Australian rules football player in the VFL/AFL who debuted in 1988.He is notable as one of only a few New Zealand-born players of Māori heritage in the history of the VFL/AFL....

, and Mal Michael

Mal Michael

Malcolm Roberto "Mal" Michael is a former Australian rules footballer. He is notable for his successful professional Australian Football League career. Following a career spanned 238 games and three clubs in two Australian states he is best known as a triple premiership full-back with the...

. Current players who have expressed views or interest on the topic include David Rodan

David Rodan

David Rodan is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club.Rodan is the first Fijian-born player to reach 100 AFL games.-Early life:...

, Alipate Carlile

Alipate Carlile

Alipate Carlile is an Australian rules footballer for Port Adelaide in the Australian Football League .-AFL career:...

, Jimmy Bartel

Jimmy Bartel

James 'Jimmy' Bartel is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A midfielder at and , Bartel is a Brownlow Medallist, two-time All-Australian, and was part of the Cats' AFL premiership-winning teams in 2007, 2009 and 2011, being named the...

, Jason Akermanis

Jason Akermanis

Jason Dean Akermanis is an Australian rules football player. He is a Brownlow Medallist and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears, Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs...

, Aaron Edwards

Aaron Edwards

Aaron Edwards is an Australian rules footballer for the North Melbourne Football Club.-Early life:Edwards was born in Samoa to a Samoan mother and New Zealander father. He migrated with his family to Australia at the age of two and played rugby union until the age of 13...

, and Brad Moran

Brad Moran (footballer)

Bradley "Brad" Moran is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...

. Former AFL players Mark Zanotti

Mark Zanotti

Mark Zanotti is a former Australian rules footballer who played with West Coast, Brisbane and Fitzroy in the Australian Football League ....

and John Ironmonger

John Ironmonger

John Ironmonger is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Sydney Swans and Fitzroy in the VFL/AFL.Ironmonger was a 200 cm ruckman and started his football career at East Perth in the WAFL. He made his debut in 1980 and won a Sandover Medal for his efforts in the 1983 season...

have been directly involved in living and establishing clubs overseas. Other non-players such as John So

John So

John Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.First elected...

, Eddie McGuire

Eddie McGuire

Edward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....

, and Tiffany Cherry

Tiffany Cherry

Tiffany Cherry is an Australian sports broadcaster, best known for her role as boundary rider on the now defunct Fox Footy in the channel's AFL coverage...

have also expressed interest in the media about the game being played or watched overseas.

Women's competitions

Several countries now have Women's Australian rules football

Women's Australian rules football

Women's Australian rules football is a fast growing sport played at senior level in Australia, United States, England, New Zealand, Canada and Japan. At junior level, it is also played in Papua New Guinea, Argentina and South Africa...

programs in place. These countries include Australia

Australia

, Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

, the USA, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, and Japan

Japan

. There is no official ranking system in place, and as of the end of 2008, the only internationals played were the USA's dual defeats of Canada.

Junior competitions

Several countries now have youth Australian rules programs in place. These countries include Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

, Samoa

Samoa

Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...

, Tonga

Tonga

Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...

, Nauru

Nauru

, Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, England

England

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, the USA, and Canada

Canada

.

Since 1998, the Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament

Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament

, endorsed by the Australian Football League as part of its International Policy, has hosted several of these nation's representative youth teams.

The first fully representative junior international outside of Australia was played between England and Denmark in Farum, Denmark, in October 2005. The Jakarta Bulldogs Australian Football Club, founded in 2006, is an Aussie Rules Football Club made up of Under 18 year old expatriate and local students in Jakarta. The team has played against local Australian Football teams such as the Pancawati Eagles, Depok Garudas, and the Jakarta Bintangs.

South African AusAID project

An AusAID funded project is South African junior development began in 2003, which is assisted by aid agency Australian Volunteers International

Australian Volunteers International

Australian Volunteers International or AVI recruits skilled professionals from Australia to work with partner organisations in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East...

in partnership with programs such as AFL Auskick

Auskick

Auskick is a national program in Australia to develop and promote participation in Australian rules football by children. It has proven to be popular with both boys and girls....

, and sponsored by Tattersalls as well as the South African North West Academy of Sport.

Aussie Rules Schools (England)

Another funded junior project is Aussie Rules Schools UK, which is funded by Sport England

Sport England

Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

and co-ordinated by Aussie Rules UK and Aussie Rules International

Aussie Rules International

. This project has seen up to ten English schools adopt Aussie Rules as part of the school curriculum to combat obesity.

China AusAID project

In February 2006, a joint project between the AFL, Melbourne Football Club

Melbourne Football Club

The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....

, Melbourne City Council, and AusAID to post an Australian Youth Ambassador in Tianjin

Tianjin

' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...

, a city of 10 million, about 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) southeast of Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

in an effort to kickstart Australian Football in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

was announced.

Pacific AusAID projects

There have been full-time development officers in Tonga

Tonga

Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...

and Samoa

Samoa

, as part of AusAid projects, since 2005.

International players

Michito Sakaki

Michito Sakaki , is an Australian rules football player from Japan.Michito has achieved recognition as currently being one of the best and most successful players to learn and play the game outside of Australia....

from Japan

Japan

became the first international player to play at AFL level when selected to play for the Essendon Football Club

Essendon Football Club

The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

against the Sydney Swans

Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

at an exhibition match at North Sydney Oval

North Sydney Oval

-Development:* The first cricket pitch was laid on 6 December 1867, making it one of the oldest cricket grounds in Australia.* The first structure built, in 1879, was a simple pavilion overlooking the cricket ground...

in February 2006. Mike Pyke, a former Canadian rugby player, was drafted to the Sydney Swans in 2009, and played his first game in Round 7 of 2009 against Geelong, becoming the first non-Irish international player to play an official league game.

Gaelic converts to Australian football

Australia has recruited several Irish Gaelic footballers to play Aussie Rules. As Gaelic football is primarily an amateur competition and the AFL competition is professional, there is a strong financial lure. In the 1980s, the Melbourne Football Club

Melbourne Football Club

The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....

recruited Jim Stynes

Jim Stynes

, who would turn out to be the most successful Irish player in the history of the VFL/AFL, winning the Brownlow medal

Brownlow Medal

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

. At around the same time, the club recruited the Scot Sean Wight

Sean Wight

John Phillip "Sean" Wight was a Scottish-Australian Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL.He is a member of the Melbourne Football Club Hall of Fame and was named as one of the 150 Heroes of the club during the club's 150th celebrations.The 185 cm tall, 85 kg Wight played for the...

. In more recent years, the Sydney Swans

Sydney Swans

recruited Irishman Tadhg Kennelly

Tadhg Kennelly

Tadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....

, who played in a premiership with the club and has also represented Ireland against Australia. Carlton Football Club

Carlton Football Club

The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...

experimented with brothers Setanta Ó hAilpín

Setanta Ó hAilpín

Setanta "Carlos" Ó hAilpín is an Australian-Irish sportsman. He was a hurler with the Cork senior team before becoming a professional Australian Rules footballer. He is of mixed Irish and Rotuman background...

and Aisake Ó hAilpín

Aisake Ó hAilpín

Aisake Faga Ó hAilpín is an Irish Australian sportsperson. He grew up in Cork and played hurling and Gaelic football with Na Piarsaigh. Ó hAilpín played Australian rules football with the Carlton Football Club between 2005 and 2008...

. The Collingwood Football Club

Collingwood Football Club

The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

has recruited Martin Clarke, and the Brisbane Lions

Brisbane Lions

The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...

recruited Colm Begley

Colm Begley

Colm Begley is a Gaelic footballer from Ireland. He has also played Australian rules football for the St Kilda Football Club and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League .-Recruitment:...

and Brendan Quigley

Brendan Quigley

Brendan Quigley is a Gaelic football player from Laois in Ireland. He usually plays at midfield or full-forward.In 2003, Quigley was part of the Laois team that won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship title for the first time since 1997....

to their international rookie list. Due to increasing concern from the Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

, in 2006 the AFL made a deal with the GAA to limit the number of junior Gaelic drafts.

Australian football converts to American football (Gridiron)

Australia has exported players to the NFL. Since the 1980s, many AFL players have tried out as American football punters. The special teams position requires the long range kicking skills often used by Australian football players, particularly those playing centre half-forward

Centre half-forward

In Australian rules football, the centre half-forward is a position on the half-forward line of a football field. The directly opposing player is a Centre-Half-Back....

and full-forward

Full-forward

Full-forward is a position in Australian rules football and Gaelic football with a key focus on kicking goals.Leading full-forwards of the Australian Football League are usually among those awarded with the Coleman Medal for the most goals in an AFL season....

. Although the punter position is one of the least valuable on an NFL team, punters and kickers have an average salary of around US$860,000 which surpasses the wages of AFL players, who average A$221,000. As the position is less physically demanding, it has also become attractive for players heading into retirement.

External links

News and Results Sites

The Footy Record - Results from around the globe
World Footy News - Independent reporting of international Australian rules football

Fan sites

BigFooty - International Footy Forum of the Largest unofficial Aussie Rules fan community site and forum
AFLClubs - Social community bringing fans from around the world together.

Governing bodies

International tournaments

Promotional organisations

Aussie Rules International
Aussie Rules Europe
Aussie Rules UK
Australian Convicts - Amateur touring side that helps support international leagues
Australian Football Association of North America (AFANA)

International leagues

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Players of Australian Rules Football

Early beginnings

The First World Governing Body and international competition

Decline and hiatus

Return of Oceania football

1980s and '90s

Game spreads

Formation of a world governing body

21st century

International competition

World rankings

International rules Australia vs Ireland

International promotion, funding & governance

High profile advocates

Women's competitions

Junior competitions

South African AusAID project

Aussie Rules Schools (England)

China AusAID project

Pacific AusAID projects

International players

Gaelic converts to Australian football

Australian football converts to American football (Gridiron)

See also

External links