Gridiron Australia is the governing body of American football in Australia. It is an approved sporting association under federal government regulations and is a member of the

International Federation of American Football The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the international governing body of gridiron associations. The IFAF oversees the IFAF World Championship of American Football, which is held every four years. The IFAF became a prov ...

(IFAF). The organisation was formed in 1996. Gridiron Australia oversees the country's

national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...

, which has competed in the

IFAF World Cup The IFAF World Championship of American Football (also known as the IFAF World Cup) is an international gridiron competition held every four years and contested by teams representing member nations. The competition is run by the International Fe ...

. It is a governing body of the state-level leagues and does not manage a national-level league itself. Seven out of the eight Australian states and territories run leagues; a total of 70 teams consisting of approximately 3000 players. Only six of the eight state leagues are currently registered under Gridiron Australia. Leagues also provide state-level teams to the Gridiron Australia National Championships. In 2012, the

Australian Gridiron League The Australian Gridiron League (AGL) is a gridiron competition that forms the highest level of American Football in Australia. The league consists of six state teams from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, The Australian Capital Territory, ...

was established by Gridiron Australia. Organised gridiron has been played in Australia since 1983 and is always referred to as ''gridiron'' rather than ''football'' to distinguish it from the other football codes such as

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

. There is no uniform gridiron season in Australia, with the leagues playing at different times of the year.

Australian Outback National Team

The Australia national team, known a
Australian Outback
consists of 92 players chosen from all seven participating states, as well as international players interested in playing overseas. These players represent Australia in international competitions such as the IFAF World Cup, the Oceania Bowl, a recent Tahiti Football Festival and other national level events.

IFAF World Cup

The 2015 IFAF World Cup was held between 9–18 July and consisted of seven countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the USA) playing twelve games at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Ohio. Australia finished fifth after defeating South Korea 42-14. The gold medal was awarded to the USA, silver to Japan and bronze to Mexico.

Tahiti Football Festival

The men's Australian Outback National Team travelled to Tahiti to participate in the very first Tahitian Football Festival hosted by Federation Tahitienne Football American (FTFA). The purpose of this trip was to assist Tahiti with developing their own national team. American Samoa were invited to participate in the festival which had the intention of encouraging the growth of gridiron in the Oceania Region. Australia played two games during the twelve day stay with winning results. Th
first game
was held on 27 July 2016, against American Samoa, which the Australian Outbacks won 40-14. Th
second game
was played on 30 July 2016, against Tahiti who the Outbacks defeated 82-6.

Member leagues and teams

There are 70 clubs that compete in full contact junior, senior and women's competitions in seven leagues nationwide. Representative teams are formed by players from across the league, not solely from the league's championship team. Gridiron Australia also includes non-contact touch football and flag football competitions and tournaments. NOTE: (W)= Women's team registered under the same name as Seniors. (J)= Junior's team registered under the same name as Seniors. * ACT Gridiron - Championship is the Capital Bowl, representative team is the ACT Monarchs ** Centurions Gridiron (J) ** University of Canberra Firebirds (J) ** Woden Valley Gladiators
Sirens Gridiron
(Women's Team)
Central Spears

Tuggeranong Tornadoes
(Junior's Team)
Gungahlin Wildcats
(J) *

Gridiron NSW Gridiron NSW, originally known as NSW Gridiron Football League (NSWGFL) until 2007, is the governing body for American football (otherwise known as 'gridiron') in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Arguably the longest tenured American ...

's men's Division 1 championship game is the Waratah Bowl and its representative team is the NSW Wolfpack
Central Coast Sharks
(J) (W)
Nepean Ducks
(J) (W) **
Northern Sydney Rebels
(J) (W)
Central West Giants
(J) (W) only
Sutherland Seahawks
(J)
Sydney Uni Lions
(W) **Syndney Uni Cubs (Junior's Team)
UTS Gridiron
(J) (W) **

UNSW Raiders The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

(J) (W)
West Sydney Pirates
(J)
Wollongong Mustangs
(J) ** Hunter Gridiron League * Gridiron Queensland - Championship is the Sun Bowl, representative team is the

Queensland Sundevils ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Bayside Ravens
(J) (W)
Brisbane Bears
(J)
Brisbane Rhinos
(J) **Brisbane Saints (Women's Team)
Cairns Rebels

Gold Coast Stingrays
(J) (W)
Griffith University Thunder
(W)
Logan City Jets
(Women's Team)
Moreton Bay Raptors
(J) (W)
South Brisbane Wildcats

Sunshine Coast Spartans
(J) (W)
Toowoomba Valley Vultures
(J)
Western Cougars
(J) * South Australian Gridiron Association - Championship is the Great Southern Bowl, representative team is the SA Sharks
Adelaide University Razorbacks
**

Port Adelaide Spartans The Port Adelaide Spartans are a gridiron football club competing in the South Australian Gridiron Association league. History The Spartans were one of four original clubs to form the Gridiron league of South Australia in 1985. Along with the ...

South City Chiefs The South City Chiefs American Football Club is a sporting club, based in Marion, SA, competing in the South Australian Gridiron Association league. History The South City Chiefs were formed in June 1988 by founding members Lyn and Trevor Dean ...

Southern District Oilers Southern Districts Oilers are a Gridiron (also known as American Football) team from Adelaide in the State of South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some ...

UniSA Eagles
*

Gridiron Victoria Gridiron Victoria is the governing body for American football in the state of Victoria, Australia. Formed in 1997, Gridiron Victoria was an amalgamation of the two existing governing bodies of the time, the Victoria Gridiron Football League and ...

(not registered under Gridiron Australia)- Championship is the Vic Bowl, representative team is the

Victorian Eagles Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

Ballarat Falcons

Bendigo Dragons

Berwick Miners
(J)
Berwick Miners Diamonds
(Women's Team)
Croydon Rangers
(J) (W)
Geelong Buccaneers
(W)
Gippsland Gladiators

Melbourne Uni Chargers
(Women's Team)
Melbourne Uni Lions
(Junior's Team)
Melbourne Uni Royals

Melton Wolves
(W) **

Monash Warriors The Monash Warriors Gridiron Club are a gridiron team located in Melbourne, Victoria. They currently field two senior Men's, a Juniors teams and a Women's team in the Gridiron Victoria league. History The Nunawading Warriors Gridiron Club was ...

(J)
Northern Lady Raiders
(Women's Team)
Northern Raiders
(J)
Pakenham Silverbacks
(J) (W)
South Eastern Predators
(J)
Western Crusaders
(J) *'
Gridiron West
'' - Championship is the Gridiron West Bowl, representative team is the '
WA Raiders
''
Claremont Jets
(J)
Curtin Saints
(J)
Perth Blitz
(J)
Perth Broncos
(Men's, Women's & Under 19's)
Rockingham Vipers
(J)
West Coast Wolverines
(W) (J) ** Vincent City Ducks
Westside Steelers
(J) *'
Gridiron Tasmania
'' - Championship is the Tiger Bowl, representative team is the Tasmanian Tigers
Launceston Gorillas

Utas Devils

TasKeno Knights

Northwest Raiders

Australian Outback National Team

IFAF World Cup

Tahiti Football Festival

Member leagues and teams

See also

References

External links