Australian Football International Cup

Infobox sports league
current_season=2008 Australian Football International Cup
logo=Afl international cup trophy.jpg
pixels=150px
caption=2005 Tournament logo
sport=Australian rules football
founded=2002
teams=16
continent=International (AFL)
champion=flag|Papua New GuineaThe Australian Football International Cup (also known as the "AFL International Cup") is an international Australian rules football competition hosted by the Australian Football League (AFL). The goal of the competition is to promote the sport outside Australia.The tournament is the largest international Australian rules football event and the only one that is open to worldwide senior competition, although Australia (the home and world's strongest nation in the game) does not participate (as it would most likely dominate the competition). Melbourne, Australia has hosted both the 2002 and 2005 tournaments, along with some games in Wangaratta in 2005 and Geelong in 2002. Matches in the 2008 tournament were played in Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool.

The inaugural tournament was the 2002 Australian Football International Cup and it has been held every 3 years since.

The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was held in Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool in September 2008 with 16 nations competing. After 2008 the AFL intends to resume competition every 4 years.

Australia is not represented in the tournament; as the only nation where the sport is played professionally, the difference in skill level between an Australian national team and the nearest competitor is currently far too large for any contest to be worthwhile. As such, the tournament is geared towards development of the sport outside Australia and expatriate Australians may not compete.

History of the Cup

When the International Australian Football Council was formed in 1995 one of its aims was to 'establish and promote an official World Cup of Australian Football.' At the time it was thought that 2008, being the 150th anniversary of the game, was the appropriate date.

However, in 1999 a proposal was received from the New Zealand Australian Football League (NZAFL), suggesting that the World Cup be brought forward to 2002. This was accepted by the Council and, following visits to many countries, Brian Clarke drafted a discussion paper and draft regulations for circulation to the various national bodies.

An approach was then made to the AFL, asking for their support in staging the event. The AFL agreed on the basis that the event was renamed the "International Cup". An Organising Committee, chaired by Ed Biggs and including AFL and IAFC representatives, was then appointed.

The inaugural competition was held between August 14 and August 23, 2002 (in conjunction with the International Australian Football Council), with 11 countries competing including Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the United States. Ireland defeated Papua New Guinea in the final.

The second Cup was held between August 3 and August 13, 2005 in Australia. Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Samoa, South Africa, Spain and the United States competed. Denmark and Nauru competed in 2002 but withdrew from the 2005 tournament for financial reasons. Papua New Guinea were again runners up, this time defeated by New Zealand by 7.8 (50) to 5.2 (32).

The third Cup was held in August and September, 2008. Sixteen nations competed; all teams from the 2002 competition returned, joined by debutants China, India, Sweden, Finland and the Peres Peace Team (Israel-Palestine). Tonga competed as a seventeenth team, as they were unable to commit to the full draw they played a series of matches against "Team Asia" and "Team Africa", sides drawn from Melbourne's migrant communities.

Results

Placing Rankings

ee also

*Australian rules football around the world
*List of Australian rules football leagues outside Australia
*List of International Australian rules football Tournaments
*Australian Football Multicultural Cup
*International Rankings

External links

* [http://www.aussierulesinternational.com/home/tournaments/international-cup Australian Football International Cups - ARI central page for all of the Cups]
* [http://www.worldfootynews.com/staticpages/index.php/20070107140306873 Australian Football International Cups - World Footy News central page for all of the Cups]
* [http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=intcup Australian Football International Cup, 2005 - AFL Page]

Video Content

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_hqosNvv5E Video of Aussie Rules] from YouTube
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6079144366356008330&q=afl New Zealand's Haka versus Samoan's Siva Tau - Wangaratta - International Cup 2005] from Google Video
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8856379896636741698&q=afl Samoan Siva Tau - International Cup 2005] from Google Video
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8614873593015313420&q=afl Papua New Guinea War Dance - International Cup 2005] from Google Video
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7632994618603262253&q=aussie+rules South Africa and Canada post match song] from Google Video