AFL Europe is the regional governing body for
Australian rules football in Europe
Australian rules football is played in Europe at an amateur level in a large number of countries. The oldest and largest leagues are those in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, in each of these nations there are several established clubs, a ...
. As of 2018, it organises the
AFL Europe Championship
The AFL Europe Championship is an Australian football competition played between European national teams. The European Championship is played in a full traditional 18-a-side format (formerly 16-a-side) unlike the Euro Cup which has a 9-a-side f ...
and the
Euro Cup
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
, and previously managed the ''European Legion'' representative team as well being responsible for the organisation of the ANZAC Cup, Fitzpatrick Cup and AFL Europe Champions League.
AFL Europe also organises the
European combine which provides a direct pathway to the
Australian Football League.
History
Australian football has been played regularly in Europe since the late 1980s when leagues formed in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
. These first leagues led to the first international game between two European teams was played in 1994 between
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
.
As more leagues were formed, more international games began to be organised. Historical international competitions played by European teams include the
Atlantic Alliance Cup,
Central European Australian Football League Championships
The CEAFL championships was 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 200 ...
and the
European Australian Football Tri-nations Tournament
The European Australian Football Tri-nations Tournament was an Australian rules football competition between national teams from Germany, Denmark and Sweden, first played in 2006.
It was intended to be an annual tournament between the three countr ...
.
The growth of Australian football in Europe led to the need for a central body that was accountable to the member organisations. At the
2005 EU Cup a conference was held which formed the body ''
Aussie Rules Europe
Australian rules football is played in Europe at an amateur level in a large number of countries. The oldest and largest leagues are those in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, in each of these nations there are several established clubs, a ...
'' as a promotional body. ''ARE'' was superseded after a conference at the
2009 EU Cup the decision was made to form such a body at another conference the following January. The January conference was held in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and the ''European Australian Football Association'' was founded. At an October, 2010 conference in
Parabiago
Parabiago (Milanese: ; la, Parabiacum) is a town located in the north-western part of the Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy, northern Italy.
The town is crossed by the road to Sempione (S.S.33) and MilanGallarate Railway; nearby flow the Olo ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
the members of the ''EAFA'' voted to change the organisations's name to ''AFL Europe'', to fall in line with the
Australian Football League.
Headquartered in London, and affiliated to the Australian Football League, AFL Europe's responsibilities include assisting member Leagues and Associations, promoting the sport, managing and delivering major events, overseeing an Elite Talent Identification programme for the AFL and engaging with commercial and community partners.
Members
*
Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg
, symbol_type = Coat of arms
, national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
*
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
*
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...
*
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
*
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
*
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
*
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
*
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
*
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
*
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
*
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
*
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
*
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
(AFL Ireland)
*
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
*
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
*
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
*
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
*
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
*
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
*
Sweden
*
Switzerland
*
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
*
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
Competitions
Fitzpatrick Cup
Beginning in 2013 the annual Colleges and Universities Cup is named after current AFL Chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick. Generally played by Irish and English Universities and Colleges, with the 2016 edition being held in Birmingham for the second year running.
AFL Europe Champions League
A new event first held in March 2015, contested as a one-day lightning carnival involving the club champions of all the various European leagues. The inaugural Champions League was won by the
West London Wildcats
The West London Wildcats is an Australian rules football and netball club based in London, England. The club fields teams in each of the three men's AFL London divisions – Premiership, Conference and Social and each of the two women's divisi ...
in Amsterdam.
ANZAC Cup
Beginning in 2012 and played in Villers-Bretonneux to commemorate the ANZAC's and the historic liberation of the town in World War II by Australian forces. A team of Australian players selected based on their connection to the ANZAC heritage to play in a game against the French national team, which is a centrepiece of the annual commemorations. The current tally stands at 4 wins to Australia and 3 wins to France.
AFL Europe GF Lunch
Starting in 2015, the first corporate event held by AFL Europe to raise awareness of Aussie Rules internationally was held in Australia House in London. The function was run in conjunction with the South Australia Club and was hosted by Bill Muirhead (Agent General for South Australia and AFL Europe Ambassador). The ticketed event provided a unique opportunity for attendees to connect with the UK and Australian business communities while creating exposure for AFL Europe and our great game.
Euro Cup
An annual
nine-a-side footy
Nine-a-side football is a sport based on Australian rules football played informally by Aussie rules clubs but not yet an official sport in its own right.
9-a-side games are sometimes played on half size fields that are typically rectangular o ...
competition. The
Euro Cup
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
was originally known as the ''EU Cup'', the name was changed after teams representing non
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
countries started participating. The Euro Cup is partially intended as a developmental tool to allow participation for countries without enough players to form a full team.
European Championships
Held every three years, this full format competition determines the Champions of Europe and has taken place twice since the inaugural championship in Denmark and Sweden in 2010. The reigning champions are Ireland who won the most recent championship on home soil with a goal on the final siren against neighbours Great Britain, maintaining a 100% record in the Championships.
AFL Europe also support a range of events and tournaments throughout the UK and Europe which can be seen in the Calendar on the AFL Europe Website.
European Legion
The ''Legion'' represents the whole of Europe in Australian football. The Legion's first game was an Under 21 game against the AFL-AIS Academy Australian Under 17 team in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The Europe team had only been together for three days, which showed in the 27.21 (183)-2.0 (12) scoreboard. The Legion's colours are the blue and gold of the
Flag of Europe
The Flag of Europe or European Flag consists of twelve golden stars forming a circle on a blue field. It was designed and adopted in 1955 by the Council of Europe (CoE) as a symbol for the whole of Europe.
Since 1985, the flag has also been ...
and white.
See also
*
Australian rules football in the Middle East
Australian rules football in the Middle East describes the minority sport of Australian rules football as it is watched and played in the Middle East region.
The sport is played at various levels, mainly by expatriate Australians. The main cup ...
*
Australian Football International
*
Countries playing Australian rules football
Note: In order to be recognised as a true national team and not simply expatriates (for the purposes of this entry), the list is subject to International Cup eligibility rules.
Australian Football League has official affiliation agreements wit ...
References
External links
*
{{Sports governing bodies in Europe
Australian rules football in Europe
Australian rules football governing bodies outside Australia
Sports governing bodies in Europe