Australian rules football in Europe - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

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 played in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

at an amateur level in a number of countries. The oldest and largest leagues are those in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, 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 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...

, each nation having a number of clubs and organised junior programs. The governing body for Australian Football in Europe was founded in Frankfurt in January 2010; the body was initially called the European Australian Football Association, but changed its name to AFL Europe

AFL Europe

AFL Europe is the regional governing body for Australian Rules Football in Europe. It organises the European Championships in Australian Football and the Euro Cup, as well as the European Legion representative team.-History:...

at a general assembly meeting in Milan in October of the same year. It currently has 19 member nations.

The sport has grown from a few clubs and leagues started by expatriate Australians in the late 1980s and early 1990s, to now having established leagues in over 15 nations, with the majority of players being non-Australian.

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...

, Denmark

Denmark

, the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

and Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

have thus far sent national teams to the Australian Football International Cup

Australian Football International Cup

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

.

The two main cup competitions played between nations in Europe are the 16-a-side European Championships in Australian Football

European Championships in Australian Football

The European Championships in Australian Football is an Australian football competition played between 16-a-side European national teams. It is organised by AFL Europe. The inaugural competition was played in Sweden and Denmark in August 2010.-Results:...

, which are played under rules requiring teams to be composed entirely of locals, and the nine-a-side Euro 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...

(formerly known as the EU Cup), where expat Australians can be included in the squads under a handicap system.

Cup competitions held in the past have included the Atlantic Alliance Cup

Atlantic Alliance Cup

The Atlantic Alliance Cup is an international Australian rules football tournament run every 3 years. The inaugural tournament was in pitting clubs and national teams from the North Atlantic together....

and Central European Australian Football League Championships

Central European Australian Football League Championships

The CEAFL championships are an Australian rules football tournament held between European nations where the sport of Australian Rules football is in the early stages of development.-History:The first CEAFL Championships were held in Madrid in 2003....

. In addition, there are tests matches played between Great Britain and Ireland, a tri-series (European Australian Football Tri-nations Tournament) between Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and a tri-series between Croatia, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Andorra

The Australian rules football club of Andorra

Andorra

Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...

formed in early 2008, with plans to compete in the Catalan AFL. Logistical problems saw them withdraw from the league before the first round.

Andorra made its first appearance at the WAFF (World Australian Football Federation) World 9s in September 2008, which was played in Valls

Valls

Valls is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, in Catalonia, Spain. The typical food is calçots and also typical are the human towers called castells...

, Catalonia

Catalonia

Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...

. The first ever international goal for the Andorran team was kicked by Sumra Sallis and the team went on to defeat Spain in their first international match. Andorra finished equal third in the competition which included teams from Senegal, Catalonia, Argentina, France and Spain. France went on to win the final which was played against Catalonia.

In 2009 the Andorra Crows made their debut in the Catalan AFL. The team's Catalan name is Corbs d'Andorra, which translates at "Ravens", but they use the name Crows when referring to the team in English.

Austria

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...

in Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

has been played since 2004, when the nation's first club was founded in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

. The club began life as the Vienna Dingos, changing their name to the Vienna Kangaroos

Vienna Kangaroos

The Vienna Kangaroos are an Australian rules football club located in Vienna, Austria, and are Austria's first Australian rules football club.- History :...

in 2006. In the same year and doubling as the National Team, the Kangaroos competed in a tri-nations series against Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

and the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

.

A second club was formed in Graz

Graz

The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...

in 2008, named the Styrian DownUnderDogs. The first game between the two Austrian clubs was played on 25 October 2008 in Zwaring, Styria. The first Austrian premiership series was contested between the two teams in 2010, with Vienna winning the series 3-2.

The Austrian national team was considering attending the 2011 Australian Football International Cup

2011 Australian Football International Cup

The 2011 Australian Football International Cup is the fourth edition of the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition run by the Australian Football League....

, but later set a debut at the 2014 tournament as a more realistic goal.

Belgium

Australian rules football was first played in Chatelet in 1919 by Australian soldiers in World War I.

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...

has been played in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

since 2004, with a team based in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

. The Brussels Saints have played matches against the Paris Cockerels and teams from around Europe

Europe

, including winning the 2005 EU Cup

EU Cup

, although since this era, the club has gone into recess and is not currently active.

Croatia

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...

in Croatia

Croatia

began with the first official team, known as the Zagreb Giants, in January 2006, although there had been efforts for many years before this to found a team in Zagreb

Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

.

In 2006, the team began a tri-nations series against the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

and Austria

Austria

, winning the first event. In late 2006 plans were laid for a new team in Rijeka

Rijeka

Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

called the Sharks, although these did not come to fruition.

The Zagreb Giants formed an alliance with 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...

club the Hawthorn Hawks, changing their name to the Zagreb Hawks. Croatia's second club was created in 2008 under the name Kapitol Saints, with a series of domestic matches played between the Saints and the Hawks. This series has continued in 2009, with the Saints changing their name to the Agram Power, Agram being an old name for the city of Zagreb

Zagreb

.

There have been beginnings of a national governing body set up under the name Croatian Association of Australian Football. The national team has been nicknamed the Croatian Knights.

Croatia is one of the stronger International teams, having come 1st (2010), 2nd (2008) and 3rd (2009) in the three previous EU Cups

The 2009 EU Cup

EU Cup

was hosted by the Croatian Knights, in the town of Samobor

Samobor

Samobor is a town in the Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area.-Geography:Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samoborsko gorje , in the Sava River valley.-Population:...

, 25 km from Zagreb.

Czech Republic

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...

has been played in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

since around 2003, when there were efforts to start a club in Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

known as the Tigers.

The first lasting club was founded in 2005, known as the Czech Lions. The Lions remained the only team in the Czech Republic for the next three years, playing mainly in tournaments against other European teams, hosting the CEAFL Championships

Central European Australian Football League Championships

in 2006.

The Czech AFL hosted the EU Cup

EU Cup

in Prague in 2008, hosted at Slavia Rugby Club.

In 2009, the Czech AFL took steps to create a domestic competition in the Czech Republic, with the creation of two sides known as the All-Stars and the Marauders. As of July 2009, the two sides had around 30 active playing members, of which around one half were Czech

Czech people

Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...

s, one third expatriate Australians, and the remainder from other nationalities. The national representative side of the Czech AFL still competes under the name Czech Lions.

For the 2010 season, CAFL has expanded to four teams. The All Stars have been re-branded as the Vinohrady Hawks, the Marauders are now the Prague Cats and two new teams Prague Dragons and Prague Kings have been created. As well as significantly expanding the local league, The National team, The Czech Lions will be playing more international games this year. Making 2010 a significant year of expansion for C.A.F.L.

Along with these changes C.A.F.L. games are now played at the Sparta Rugby Field a new facility in Prague.

Denmark

Australian rules football in Denmark is governed by the 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...

(DAFL). The league has grown to over 300 senior players and has one of the most successful junior programs outside Australia with a few hundred young players playing regular club football annually. The DAFL is often considered the largest Australian rules football competition outside the English speaking world.

The national team, the Denmark Vikings, competed at the 2002 International Cup, finishing in fourth place. They withdrew in 2005 due to financial reasons, but returned for the 2008 event.

Finland

Australian rules football in Finland is controlled by the Finland AFL, who formed in 2006 after the creation of Finland's first Australian football club around a year earlier. Domestic matches began in 2007 with two teams, the Helsinki Heatseekers

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

and Salo Juggernauts

Salo

Salo may refer to:*Salo, Finland, a town in Western Finland*Salò, a town in Lombardy, Italy**Salò Republic or Italian Social Republic, a puppet state of Nazi Germany*Salo Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota, a township in Minnesota, U.S....

. A third team, the Espoo Roos

Espoo

Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....

was created in 2008.

In 2009, the Finland AFL saw a three team domestic competition kick off (as the Espoo Roos combined with the Helsinki heatseekers), with the creation of the Turku Dockers

Turku

Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...

. The Finland AFL hopes to have a team from Tampere

Tampere

Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...

or other larger cities to commence in future with a team being developed in Vaasa.

2010 saw three teams once again battle out for the season, with the once powerhouse Helsinki going winless for the year, the grand final was played between Salo and 2009 winners, Turku. Once again, Turku was too strong for its opposition on the day and ran out comfortable winners 19.17 131 to 8.4 52.

The Finland Icebreakers are the representative 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...

team of Finland

Finland

, formerly known as the Finnish Lions. They have twice won the Central European AFL Championships

Central European Australian Football League Championships

, going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. While the team was started by Australian expatriates, it has been captained by a Finn ever since the 2nd match with different captains including Kimmo Heikkilä, Jani Saarinen, Fredi Romar and Ville Voivunen. The Icebreakers are now almost exclusively Finns.

The Icebreakers have appeared at the EU Cup in 2007, 2008 and 2009 as well as making their first trip to Australian for 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....

. Finland also appeared in the first ever 16 a side tournament held in copenhagen and Malmö in 2010.

France

As of 2008, Australian rules football was played in France by four clubs in Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

, Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, Montpellier

Montpellier

-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....

and Bordeaux

Bordeaux Bombers

The Bordeaux Bombers are an Australian Football club based in Bordeaux, France. It is the 6th club in France to play Australian Rules Football, after the Tasmania Montivilliers, Paris Cockerels, Strasbourg Kangaroos, Senlis Razorbacks and Saint-Estève Saints....

, with the Paris Cockerels winning the inaugural national club championship tournament that year.

The national league commenced on 28 March 2009 with those four clubs, although new sides are also under formation in Perpignan

Perpignan

-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...

, Toulouse

Toulouse

Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...

and Aix en Provence. The newly-formed Perpignan Tigers will compete in the Catalan league in 2009.

The French national team has competed at the EU Cup

EU Cup

, and made their Australian Football International Cup

Australian Football International Cup

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

debut in 2011.

Germany

The Australian Football League Germany plays a home-and-away season featuring clubs based in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

, Cologne

Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

, Frankfurt

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

, Stuttgart

Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....

and Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

. The official German national team (the Black Eagles) first appeared in the tri-series with Sweden and Denmark in 2006, although ad hoc German representative teams had appeared at other events in the past.

Iceland

Australian rules football has been played in Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

since 20 May 2009, when Friðgeir Torfi Ásgeirsson, who had played in the 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...

, rounded up friends in a local park to kick some footy. Before the first club was founded in Iceland, a national team, known as the Icelandic Ravens, was assembled for the 2009 EU Cup

2009 EU Cup Australian rules football

The 2009 EU Cup of Australian rules football was held in Samobor from 3 till 9 October 2009, with 15 national teams.-Teams:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Semi Finals:-Ranking Matches:-Grand Final:...

. The first teams were founded in April 2010 and are known as the Dragons, the Eagles and the Bulls. The team names come from Iceland's coat of arms. The 3 teams play in a 9-a-side league and finished their inaugural season on 18 May 2010 with the Bulls as the first premiers of the IceAFL (Icelandic Australian Footbal League).

Ireland

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 fairly recently-introduced team sport

Team sport

A team sport includes any sport which involves players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in which a group of individuals, on the same team, work together to accomplish an ultimate goal which is usually to win. This can be done in a number of ways such as...

in 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...

but the country has a long history of interaction with Australian rules leagues. There has been some awareness of Australian rules football in Ireland since the first 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....

tests took place in late 1967.

Since 1982, 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 ....

has seen Irish players becoming professional Australian rules footballers in 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...

. High profile players include 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....

and Tadhg Kennelly

Tadhg Kennelly

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

among others. As GAA sports are primarily amateur competition and the AFL competition is professional, there is a strong financial lure.

Despite Irish players being recruited to the AFL, Aussie Rules was not officially played in Ireland until clubs were formed in Dublin and Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

in 1999.

The Australian Rules Football League of Ireland

Australian Rules Football League of Ireland

The Australian rules football League of Ireland is an Australian rules football competition and governing body in Ireland.The league is an International Affiliate of the Australian Football League and a founding member of the European governing body, .The league is not affiliated with the Gaelic...

was formed in October 2000.

The Irish national Australian rules football team

Irish national Australian rules football team

The Irish national Australian rules football team represent Ireland in Australian rules football and is selected from the best Irish born players from the clubs of the Australian Rules Football League of Ireland....

, first appeared at the Atlantic Alliance Cup

Atlantic Alliance Cup

in 2001, going through the tournament undefeated. Their berth in the Grand Final created a small amount of interest in the Irish media. They then went on to win the 2002 Australian Football International Cup

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....

, and have since remained in the top four, despite not having kept the pace with other emerging nations.

The International Rules Series

International Rules Series

The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...

between the AFL and GAA generated a high amount of media interest in Ireland, although this is more due to the similarity between International rules football

International rules football

and Gaelic football

Gaelic football

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

than anything related to Aussie Rules. In terms of Australian rules football, the media has covered with interest the successful recruits of the Australian Football League. Television coverage of the sport has grown in Ireland and highlights and game packages are now regularly shown on the ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

channel through British Sky Broadcasting

British Sky Broadcasting

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....

and cable television operator UPC Ireland

UPC Ireland

UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...

Italy

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...

in Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

was first played in 2004 with an attempt to start a league based around the city of Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

, under the name Federazione Italiana di Football Australiano (FItAF). Four teams in Salerno

Salerno

Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....

, Naples

Naples

, San Giorgio

San Giorgio

San Giorgio, is the Italian form of Saint George. When used as the name of a person it is frequently contracted to Sangiorgio.-Places:Many town and villages are named after the saint, including the following comuni, or ‘municipalities’:...

and Barra

Barra

The island of Barra is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay, to which it is connected by a causeway, is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.-Geography:The 2001 census showed that the resident population was 1,078...

were created, but the league ultimately did not get off the ground.

A new group started playing under the name AFL Italia in Milan

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

in July 2009, who created the first national league in Italy in 2010, with the Rome Blues, Genoa Dockers, Milan Aussie Rulers and Lugano Steinbocks.

A friendly match between Rome and Milan in June 2010 became the first match played in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

. The new league which also includes teams from Genoa

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

and cross Switzerland border city Lugano

Lugano

Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...

was supported by prominent Australians Tim Fischer

Tim Fischer

Timothy Andrew Fischer, AC , is a former Australian politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government from 1996 before retiring from Cabinet in 1999...

and Amanda Vanstone

Amanda Vanstone

Amanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...

.

The 2010 AFL Italia premiership was won by the Rome Blues, who defeated Milan in the Grand Final, held in Rome.

Italian community in Australia

A large number of Italian Australians

Italian Australians

-Characteristics :The 2006 Census counted 199,124 persons who were born in Italy. However, 852,417 persons identified themselves as having Italian ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry . Italian is the fifth most identified ancestry in Australia behind 'Australian',...

have played professionally in 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...

, including "Mr Football" 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...

, Sergio Silvagni

Sergio Silvagni

Sergio 'Serge' Silvagni is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League .Silvagni made his debut for the Carlton Football Club in Round 7, 1958...

, Stephen Silvagni

Stephen Silvagni

Stephen Silvagni is a former Australian rules footballer for the Carlton Football Club.During his long VFL/AFL career, from his debut in 1985, until his retirement in 2001, he gained the reputation as one of the greatest ever full-backs to play the game and was named as full-back in the AFL Team...

, 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...

, Saverio Rocca

Saverio Rocca

Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from...

and Peter Matera.

In recognition of the contribution made to the sport of Australian rules throughout its history by players of Italian background, the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century was named in June 2007.

A team representing the Melbourne Italian community also competed at the Australian Football 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...

in 2005.

Netherlands

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...

was first played in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

around 2003, with the creation of the Dutch Australian Football Association (DAFA). This organisation later disappeared but was re-formed in 2007. There was still no formal team or league in the Netherlands, but by late 2006 some steps had been taken with a group training and playing regularly in The Hague

The Hague

The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...

and the national team being nicknamed the Flying Dutchmen (de Vliegende Hollanders).

League

2009 has saw the beginning of rapid growth for the DAFA, with 6 scheduled home and away international games, plus plans for the establishment of 4 domestic teams, in Utrecht

Utrecht (city)

Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...

, Den Haag, Eindhoven and Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

. The first domestic match played in Holland was a friendly between the newly-formed Utrecht Saints and the Rest of Holland played on 9 May in Utrecht. Training sessions are held weekly in various locations around the country. The DAFA Premiership was first contested in 2010, featuring the four city teams established in 2009.

National Team

The Netherlands National Australian Football Team, The Flying Dutchmen, compete regularly in international friendlies, and participate in the annual Eurocup tournament.

EuroCup Results:

2005, London, England: Third place

2006: No competition held.

2007, Hamburg, Germany: Tenth Place
In the 2007 EU Cup

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:----------------...

the Flying Dutchmen finished 10th, losing to Belgium

Belgium

in the plate final.

2008, Prague, Czech Republic: Ninth Place (Bowl Champions)
In 2008 the Flying Dutchmen established a home ground in Amstelveen

Amstelveen

' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,...

, near Amsterdam and fielded a team in the 2008 EU Cup

2008 EU Cup Australian rules football

The 2008 EU Cup of Australian rules football was held in Prague on October 11, 2008, with 12 teams. The championship was won by England, defeating Croatia in the final.-Teams:-Pools round:-Final round:...

in Prague, finishing as bowl champions in 9th place overall.

2009, Zagreb, Croatia: Runners Up
At the 2009 EU Cup held in Zagreb, Croatia, The Flying Dutchmen surprised the other 14 competing teams by finishing as Runner-Up, losing to England in the Grand Final.

2010, Milan, Italy: Runners Up
At the 2010 EuroCup tournament, The Flying Dutchmen again made the Grand Final, defeating England in the Semi but losing to Croatia in the Final.

Norway

The Oslo Trolls formed in 2005 as Norway's first Australian rules football club, but didn't play their first match until hosting the Karlstad Dragons from Sweden in August 2008. Prior to this, players from the Trolls had travelled to western Sweden to play in club matches with the teams in Karlstad

Karlstad

Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...

and Gothenburg

Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

.

The second club to form in the Oslo area were founded in early early 2009 in the town of Ås

Ås

Ås is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås...

. This club is nicknamed the Ås Battlers, after the Australian expression Aussie battler

Aussie battler

The term Aussie Battler is an Australian colloquialism referring to "ordinary" or working class individuals who persevere through their commitments despite adversity. Typically, this adversity comprises the challenges of low pay, family commitments, environmental hardships and lack of personal...

, due to the name of the town sounding similar to the first syllable of Aussie. The Oslo Trolls and Ås Battlers played their first match against each other in August 2009.

In May 2009, a group started playing social matches in the northern city of Tromsø

Tromsø

Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...

. This club is currently the most northerly Australian rules team in the world.

The Oslo Trolls changed their name to Oslo Crows in 2010, with an affiliation agreement with professional club the Adelaide Crows

Adelaide Crows

The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....

from 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...

National Team

The Norway Polar Bears (Isbjørnene in Norwegian

Norwegian language

Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...

) made their first test match appearance against Sweden in Karlstad, Sweden on 3 October 2009. The side involved players from all three Australian football clubs in Norway, with around 50% local-born players, the Norwegian side defeating Sweden on the day.

With the Oslo club becoming known as the Crows, the Trolls name has since occasionally been used for the Norwegian national team.

Russia

The first Australian rules football clubs in Russia were created in May 2011, with groups starting practice matches in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

and Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...

within a few weeks of each other. Both fledgling clubs have been started by an expat Australian, but with the remainder of the playing group consisting of local Russians.

Russia competed at the 2011 AFL 9s Euro Cup in Belfast, finishing in 10th place (out of 18), with wins over Catalunya and Denmark and losses to Croatia and Wales.

Spain

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...

in Spain

Spain

is currently played in two regions, with an emerging local league in the Autonomous Community of Madrid and the LFAC in the region of Catalonia

Catalonia

. Spain

Spain

's national 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...

team is nicknamed the Bulls, their guernsey showing a Bull

Bull

Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...

, the national symbol of Spain, in the national colours of red and yellow. The Spanish national team entered a team into the 2005 Australian Football International Cup

Australian Football International Cup

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

, successfully raising the money to travel to Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, 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...

. The team failed to win a game and finished last, but was widely commended for its spirited performance. This team was drawn exclusively from players from the Madrid Bears and Spanish nationals resident in Melbourne, the Catalan league not taking part in the squad for various reasons.

Two separate sides from Spain appeared at the 2007 EU Cup

EU Cup

, one drawn from Madrid

Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

under the banner of 'Spain' and another representing Catalonia

Catalonia

Madrid

Australian rules was first played in Madrid at a social level in 1997. In 2003, the Madrid Bears club formed and quickly grew in player numbers. In a minor international championship in 2003 hosted by Spain and with Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

and 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...

also involved, Spain defeated Germany in the final.

In October 2003 the 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...

played their second match of their European tour against the Bears in Madrid, Spain.

The Bears' level of activity dropped off in the season following the 2005 International Cup, although the creation of a second team known as the Kangaroos in the town of Móstoles

Móstoles

Móstoles is the second-largest city in population belonging to the autonomous community of Madrid. It is located 18 kilometres southwest from central Madrid. Móstoles was for a long time only a small village, but expanded rapidly in the twentieth century....

near Madrid and the commencement of a championship series between the Bears and Kangaroos has seen a resurgence in playing numbers.

Catalonia

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...

in Catalonia

Catalonia

is currently played by two teams in Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

and Valls

Valls

Valls is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, in Catalonia, Spain. The typical food is calçots and also typical are the human towers called castells...

organised as the Lliga de Futbol Australià de Catalunya (Catalan Australian Football League). The sport began in Catalonia in 2000, when a group of people begun to play in Valls

Valls

Valls is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, in Catalonia, Spain. The typical food is calçots and also typical are the human towers called castells...

. The LFAC was officially created in 2005, teams that have competed in this league include Belfry Valls, Barcelona Stars, Gabas Tarragona, Lleida Coiots, and Wendells Salou. Salou

Salou

Salou is a municipality of the comarca of Tarragonès, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The city is approximately 10km from Tarragona and Reus on the Costa Daurada and 112km from Barcelona...

marged with Tarragona

Tarragona

Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...

for the 2006 season, then in 2007 the teams from Lleida

Lleida

Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...

and Tarragona

Tarragona

elected to withdraw from the league, hoping to rebuild.

A French team from Northern Catalonia

Northern Catalonia

Northern Catalonia is a term that is sometimes used, particularly in Catalan writings, to refer to the territory ceded to France by Spain through the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659...

, the Saint Esteve Saints, considered joining the LFAC for their 2007 season, but this club has since folded.

The Catalan team played at the 2005 EU Cup

EU Cup

in London and also appeared at the EU Cup in 2007.

In 2008 the league kicked off the season with four teams; Belfry Valls, Cornella Bocs (previously the Barcelona Stars), Valls Fire and Picamuixons Birds. A team from Andorra

Andorra

had planned to compete, but were forced to withdraw due to problems with the stadium they had planned to use. The Andorrans competed in other matches outside the LFAC season.

In 2009, the league spread to cover teams from the Catalan regions of Andorra

Andorra

and France, with the inclusion of the Andorra Crows and the Perpignan Tigers.

Sweden

Australian rules football started in Sweden

Sweden

with the creation of a club nicknamed the Saints in the southern city of Helsingborg

Helsingborg

Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...

to play in the Danish AFL. For the next decade, Scania

Scania

Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...

was the only area in Sweden where the sport was played, clubs in Gothenburg

Gothenburg

and Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

being created in the early 21st century. Scania

Scania

, Gothenburg

Gothenburg

and Stockholm

Stockholm

remain the three largest centers for the sport in Sweden, although clubs have also been created in Falun

Falun

Falun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 36,447 inhabitants in 2005. It is also the capital of Dalarna County...

, Karlstad

Karlstad

and most recently Uppsala

Uppsala

- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...

in 2007 by Australian and other Students studying at Uppsala University

Uppsala University

Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...

.

The Swedish national team, the Elks, have become increasingly competitive in the last few years and appeared at 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....

Switzerland

A team from the Swiss border city Lugano

Lugano

began participating in the AFL Italia league in 2010. From this team developed a Swiss National Team who competed in the 2010 Euro Cup

2010 EU Cup Australian rules football

The 2010 EU Cup of Australian rules football was held in Milan on October 2, 2010, with 15 national teams. For the first time a women's international match took place during the competition.-Venue:...

hosted by AFL Italia in Parabiago, Milano, Italy on 2 October 2010.

Switzerland were defeated by England and Germany in the first two rounds, then in the third round defeated the Czech Republic. The Semi Finals for their Pool saw them compete against Scotland, who proved far too experienced for the young Swiss team, and later went on to finish 4th in the overall tournament. The Swiss national team finished 11th out of the 15 Nations competing.

United Kingdom

There are a number of leagues operating throughout the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

, affiliated with the AFL Britain

AFL Britain

The AFL Britain is the governing body for Australian rules football in England, formed in 2008. The organisation is the successor to the British Australian Rules Football League, whose clubs became the AFL London upon creation of the new national body....

. The Great Britain Bulldogs

Great Britain national Australian rules football team

The Great Britain National Australian Rules Football team is known as the British Bulldogs. The team is made up of the best British born players selected from the clubs of AFL Britain affiliated competitions in England, Wales and Scotland...

are the representative team for the whole of Great Britain, although the England Dragonslayers, Scottish Puffins and Welsh Red Dragons have also competed on occasions. Northern Ireland is represented through the Irish national team.

England

The sport in England

England

has a long but obscure history which dates back to the 1880s. Local competition has grown since 1989 to several amateur leagues.

Northern Ireland

The only club from Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

to date were the Belfast Redbacks. The Redbacks were part of the Australian Rules Football League of Ireland, although they are currently in recess, and have supplied some players to the Irish national team.

Scotland

Australian rules football is currently played by three clubs in Scotland, with the Glasgow Sharks

Glasgow Sharks

The Glasgow Sharks is Australian rules football club in Glasgow, Scotland.-History:The Sharks were formed in late 2003 by Australian Andrew Butler and local rent-boy Mick Tonner, entering the Scottish Australian Rules Football League for the 2004 season...

, Edinburgh Bloods and Aberdeen Dingoes forming the Scottish Australian Rules Football League, affiliated with the AFL Britain

AFL Britain

. A fourth club is under formation in Stirling

Stirling

Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...

.

While the current SARFL has only been in existence since 2002, there are stories of a league existing in Scotland prior to the First World War, referred to by Geoffrey Blainey

Geoffrey Blainey

Geoffrey Norman Blainey AC , is a prominent Australian historian.Blainey was born in Melbourne and raised in a series of Victorian country towns before attending Wesley College and the University of Melbourne. While at university he was editor of Farrago, the newspaper of the University of...

in A Game of their Own, although other historians have claimed that this is probably apocryphal.

Scots living in Melbourne and Victoria in the mid-19th century were greatly involved in the formation of the rules of the game, as well as the formation of a number of early clubs, including the still-existing Essendon Bombers.

The Scottish national representative team is known as The Clansmen.

Wales

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...

began in Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

with the formation of Aussie Rules Wales (ARW) on 1 September 2006, associated with 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:...

under the umbrella of the London-based Aussie Rules UK

Aussie Rules UK

Aussie Rules UK was a United Kingdom organisation set up in April 2005 to introduce children in the UK to Australian rules football via an adaptation of the sport for use in schools...

. The Welsh league later went their own way, rebranding as the Welsh Australian Rules Football League (WARFL).

The first Welsh premiership season was conducted in 2007, with an affiliation with the South Australian National Football League

South Australian National Football League

The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....

. The four Welsh senior sides in the South Cardiff Panthers, Cardiff Double Blues, Newport Tigers and Swansea Magpies wear the guernseys of South Adelaide, Sturt, Glenelg

Glenelg Tigers

Glenelg Football Club is an Australian rules football team, which plays in the South Australian National Football League. The club is known as the "Tigers" , and their home ground is Gliderol Stadium @ Glenelg , located in the southern coastal suburb of Glenelg East, South Australia.-Club...

and Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide Magpies

The Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...

respectively.

Aussie Rules Wales was renamed the Welsh Australian Rules Football League for the 2008 season.

The national Welsh team is known as the Wales Red Dragons

Y Ddraig Goch

The Welsh Dragon appears on the national flag of Wales . The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written around 820, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders...

, with their first appearance against the England Dragonslayers which was played in Cardiff on 3 November 2007 with England defeating Wales 61-91. Welsh representatives Ed Doe and David James became the first Welsh members of the Great Britain Bulldogs at 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 WARFL Red Devils are a second representative side of the league, featuring the best players of any nationality.

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

Flag	Nation	Nickname	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....	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....	2008 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....	2011 2011 Australian Football International Cup The 2011 Australian Football International Cup is the fourth edition of the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition run by the Australian Football League....
	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...	Vikings	4th	-	11th	8th
	Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...	Icebreakers	-	-	14th	-
	France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	Coqs	-	-	-	14th
	Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...	Bulldogs	6th	6th	9th	7th
	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...	Warriors	1st	4th	4th	1st
	Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	Bulls	-	10th	-
	Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....	Elks	-	-	12th	11th