Australasia GAA
Encyclopedia
The Australasia County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA) , or Australasian GAA, or Gaelic Football & Hurling Association of Australasia is one of the county boards
of the GAA outside Ireland
, and is responsible for Gaelic games
all across Australasia
. It is also responsible for Australasian inter-state matches, primarily conducted in an annual weeklong tournament. The association is made up of the Australian state associations of New South Wales
, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania
, Victoria and Western Australia, and the New Zealand associations of Auckland and Wellington.
The first Australasian GAA was formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1953. Victoria's GAA was formed in 1956, followed by New South Wales. This was followed in 1963 by the formation of a South Australian association and associations in Western Australia and Queensland soon after.
The first interstate championships in both codes were played between NSW, Victoria and South Australia in 1971.
In Sydney in 1974 representatives of state associations met and agreed to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia to administer and promote Gaelic football
and hurling
on a national level. Subsequently, the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia joined with the New Zealand associations of Auckland and Wellington to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australasia.
The last few years have been a time of expansion in the Association. New initiatives and developments, combined with GAA funding, have seen the number of teams competing in Gaelic football more than double.. The current Australasian secretary is Gerard Roe.
The tournament is usually played in a round-robin format with the top-4 teams proceeding to the semi-finals (1v4 and 2v3), with the two winners of those matches contesting the championship final.
States may name a squad of up to 25 players for the championships. For each match teams then name a panel of 21 players with unlimited player interchange used. In recent years a 'Visa' rule has been introduced to encourage states to develop their own players. This rule limits the number of players any state may select in any code who are not either Australians or New Zealanders, or have obtained residency in either country. It was initially introduced at 12 players and has been reduced to 10 players more recently.
Recent years winners are:
Recent years winners are:
Recent years winners are:
Recent years winners are:
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...
(GAA) , or Australasian GAA, or Gaelic Football & Hurling Association of Australasia is one of the county boards
GAA county
A Gaelic Athletic Association county is a geographic region within the Gaelic Athletic Association , controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have...
of the GAA outside 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...
, and is responsible for Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
all across Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. It is also responsible for Australasian inter-state matches, primarily conducted in an annual weeklong tournament. The association is made up of the Australian state associations of New South Wales
New South Wales GAA
The New South Wales Board is a division of Australasian Gaelic Athletic Association or New South Wales GAA , and is responsible for Gaelic games in New South Wales. The board is also responsible for the New South Wales state team....
, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania
Tasmanian Gaelic Football and Hurling Association
The Tasmanian Gaelic Football and Hurling Association was established in 2007 and is the ruling body for Gaelic Football and Hurling in the Australian state of Tasmania...
, Victoria and Western Australia, and the New Zealand associations of Auckland and Wellington.
History
The first reported games of Gaelic football in Australasia were played in South Australia in the 1840s, and this begins the recorded history of Australasian GAA. Official associations, however, were not formed until the twentieth century.The first Australasian GAA was formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1953. Victoria's GAA was formed in 1956, followed by New South Wales. This was followed in 1963 by the formation of a South Australian association and associations in Western Australia and Queensland soon after.
The first interstate championships in both codes were played between NSW, Victoria and South Australia in 1971.
In Sydney in 1974 representatives of state associations met and agreed to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia to administer and promote Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
on a national level. Subsequently, the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia joined with the New Zealand associations of Auckland and Wellington to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australasia.
The last few years have been a time of expansion in the Association. New initiatives and developments, combined with GAA funding, have seen the number of teams competing in Gaelic football more than double.. The current Australasian secretary is Gerard Roe.
The Australasian Championships
The Australasian Championships, commonly referred to as the Australasian Games, are a weeklong tournament staged annually in September/October each year and hosted by one of the member state associations. Tournaments feature Mens football (both Senior and Minor) and Women's football, with Hurling typically only played when the tournament is in Australia. In most circumstances there is only one side per state per code, but when numbers are low in a code (typically hurling) or in the number of states entered (usually when the tournament is in Western Australia or New Zealand) exceptions to this are made.The tournament is usually played in a round-robin format with the top-4 teams proceeding to the semi-finals (1v4 and 2v3), with the two winners of those matches contesting the championship final.
States may name a squad of up to 25 players for the championships. For each match teams then name a panel of 21 players with unlimited player interchange used. In recent years a 'Visa' rule has been introduced to encourage states to develop their own players. This rule limits the number of players any state may select in any code who are not either Australians or New Zealanders, or have obtained residency in either country. It was initially introduced at 12 players and has been reduced to 10 players more recently.
Hurling
The current Australasian champions are New South Wales, who defeated Queensland by a score of 1-16 to 1-07 at the 2009 Australasian Championships in Melbourne. Hurling was not played at the 2010 tournament in Auckland.Recent years winners are:
- 2008 Victoria 2-09 def Western Australia 1-10
- 2007 NSW City 2-12 def NSW Country 1-07
- 2006 NSW 3-17 def Western Australia 3-08
- 2005 NSW City 2-14 def NSW Coast 2-06
- 2004 NSW 3-10 def Victoria 1-10
- 2003 NSW Coast 4-14 def NSW City 0-08
- 2002 Not played
Mens Gaelic football
The current Australasian champions are Queensland, who defeated Wellington by a score of 0-22 to 4-06 at the 2010 Championships in Auckland. This match is notable as being the first time the final has gone to a second period of extra-time as the teams were tied 0-14 to 3-05 at the end of regulation time and 0-18 to 4-06 at the conclusion of the first period of extra-time. This was Queensland's first title and Wellington's first final appearance.Recent years winners are:
- 2009 Victoria 2-12 def Western Australia 2-10
- 2008 Victoria 3-15 def South Australia 2-04
- 2007 NSW 3-12 def Victoria 2-12
- 2006 Western Australia 1-13 def Victoria 0-14
- 2005 NSW 4-12 def South Australia 0-07
- 2004 NSW 1-13 def Victoria 0-06
- 2003 NSW 0-14 def South Australia 0-06
- 2002 Victoria 2-14 def NSW 1-14 (after extra time)
Minor Gaelic football
The current Australasian champions are Victoria, who defeated Auckland 1-18 to 3-03 at the 2010 championship in AucklandRecent years winners are:
- 2009 Victoria 3-10 def Western Australia 1-07
- 2008 Western Australia 1-13 def Victoria 0-06
- 2007 Victoria 5-12 def South Australia 1-06
- 2006 WA Gold 2-10 def WA Black 1-08
- 2005 South Australia 2-05 def Western Australia 1-03
- 2004 South Australia 1-11 def NSW 1-04
- 2003 South Australia 3-07 def Auckland 2-05
- 2002 Auckland 3-11 def Western Australia 2-08
Ladies' Gaelic football
The current Australasian champions are Western Australia, who defeated South Australia by 5-09 to 2-01.Recent years winners are:
- 2009 Western Australia 3-08 def South Australia 1-08
- 2008 South Australia 2-08 def Western Australia 2-07
- 2007 Western Australia 4-11 def Queensland 0-03
- 2006 Western Australia 3-07 def Queensland 0-04
- 2005 Western Australia 3-07 def Queensland 2-07
- 2004 Queensland 5-07 def Western Australia 1-02
- 2003 NSW 1-07 def Queensland 1-06 (after extra time)
- 2002 Queensland 2-03 def NSW 1-04