INTERNATIONAL RULES FOOTBALL

Official tournament logo

The Irish team is selected by the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Australian team is selected by the Australian Football League.

The senior International Rules Series is played each October, after the completion of the Australian Football League Grand Final and All-Ireland Football Final which are both played on the last weekend of September. The series alternates host countries each year between Ireland and Australia. Since the resumption of the senior international series in 1998, the average crowd has been 47,000, Ireland has won seven matches, Australia has won five with a further two being drawn.

In 2004, the Series trophy was renamed the Cormac McAnallen Cup, after a Tyrone Gaelic Footballer who died in 2004 from a heart condition. He also represented Ireland at this level in 2002.

It is currently sponsored by Foster's Group and run by the AFL and the GAA.

The best player in the Australian side each year is awarded the Jim Stynes Medal.

Australia vs Ireland Test Senior Results

Australia is the current holder of the Cormac McAnallen Cup, after winning the 2005 Series in a clean sweep and with an aggregate margin of 57 points. The series took place in Australia, with tests played at Subiaco Oval in Perth (on October 21) and the Telstra Dome in Melbourne (on October 28). Peter MacGrath's Ireland team went into the game as heavy favourites, however Australian coach Kevin Sheedy's policy to handpick fast running players more suited to the hybrid game rather than use the All Australian Team proved a winning move.

All-time standings (1984-2005)

Country	Series won	Test matches won 1
Australia	6	13
Ireland	6	13

¹ Two draws (second test 1999, second test 2002).

Future of the International Rules Series

The future of the series was brought into doubt through the onfield actions of Australian co-captain Chris Johnson, with high contact against at least 3 Irish players. Many Australians raised the argument that the actions of Johnson and other players such as Trent Croad was in response to low contact by the Irish players unaccustomed to tackling. As Johnson's penalties only applied to future International tests and not AFL home and away matches, the AFL and GAA were forced to negotiate suitable penalties for similar future indiscretions. The harsh reaction of the Irish media and calls amongst various officials threatened to cancel the series.

In 2006, following the Under 19 series, the GAA raised the possibility of making it a biennial event to reduce cost of travel.

Also in 2006, the AFL's international development department, with interests in the development of South African talent, announced its intentions to include South Africa as part of an international tri-series in 2010.

Under 17s and Under 19s

In 2005, in addition to the annual senior international series, Australia and Ireland began to play an under-19 and under-17 contest. Australia won the 2006 series[1]. The junior series was largely instituted by both leagues as a means to identify emerging talent.

An exhibition match between an Indigenous Australian touring side composed of players from the Clontarf Foundation and led by Sydney's Adam Goodes against South African youth teams was held at Potchefstroom in 2006.

International Rules Football Around The World

International Rules is played in various locations throughout North America and the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, Australia and New Zealand between fledgling Australian rules football and Gaelic Football clubs.

Ladies/Women's International Rules

Ladies Gaelic football has been growing almost exponentially in Ireland since the 1970s with over 100,000 women and girls playing in 2006 and figures expected to reach 150,000 by 2010. Women's Footy has far fewer players, but numbers have grown strongly since the 1990s. In early 2006 representatives of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association of Ireland and Women's Australian Football Leagues met at a Ladies Gaelic football festival in Singapore and agreed to compete in the hybrid version of the two football codes.

See also

• Australian rules football
• Gaelic football
• Jim Stynes Medal
• Australian International Rules Team
• Ireland international rules football team

External links

• Australian Football League (AFL) International Rules Pages.
• WFN International Rules. - catalogues some of the scores of games in this new code around the world.
• Laws of the Game
• Aussie Rules International International Rules page.
• International Rules Fan site
• Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
• Setanta sports GAA webcasts. Viewing information for Australia v Ireland International Rules Tests when series is on in October/November.
• International Rules News Fixtures and Results from Sports.ie