Australian Rules football has been accepted as a demonstration sport at this year’s Africa Games despite only one African nation playing it.
A team of indigenous Australians from underprivileged backgrounds will play a one-off exhibition match against a team from South Africa, in the opening week of the September 3-18 Games in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.
The inclusion of the sport in the Games, which are held every four years, is a result of lobbying from Aussie Rules International (ARI), a non-profit organisation aimed at promoting the sport internationally.
They will also run coaching clinics at a simultaneous camp for children from nations throughout Africa, as well as giving away specially-designed guernseys and footballs, in an effort to promote the Australian code.
ARI’s general manager Brian Clarke said the sport was accepted by the Games’ organisers, as they viewed it as a potential positive past-time for African boys and young men.
“We offer an opportunity to channel their aggression into a contact football code, it’s going to be welcomed by African governments,” Clarke said.
The initiative follows the early success of an AFL-driven Australian Rules program for school children in South Africa – Footy Wild – which began in 2007.
There have also been several tours of South Africa by Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) AFL Academy sides in recent years.
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- AFL, Africa Games, Australian Rules Football
May 10th 2011 @ 6:04am
VikingSven said | May 10th 2011 @ 6:04am | Report comment
Gotta start somewhere…
May 10th 2011 @ 8:09am
The Cattery said | May 10th 2011 @ 8:09am | Report comment
Very true – Australian Football is a great fit for many African nations – a game for tall athletes, plenty of running, the capacity to show some flair by hand and foot – it provides another option for those wishing to pursue a career as a professional footballer.
May 10th 2011 @ 9:25am
PaddyBoy said | May 10th 2011 @ 9:25am | Report comment
good news.
May 10th 2011 @ 9:28am
Redb said | May 10th 2011 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Good stuff. Said it before and I’ll say it again, Africans were made to play this game.
May 12th 2011 @ 6:12am
SideShowBob said | May 12th 2011 @ 6:12am | Report comment
So too with Europeans
May 10th 2011 @ 9:59am
The recalcitrant said | May 10th 2011 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Was rugby league included?
I guess the worldwide phenomena of RL keeps to the glamour locations of old coal mining villages in the north of England and the feral suburbs of western Sydney and Queensland backblocks.
May 10th 2011 @ 10:01am
Redb said | May 10th 2011 @ 10:01am | Report comment
hey mate, dont go off the rails.
May 10th 2011 @ 10:05am
The Bush said | May 10th 2011 @ 10:05am | Report comment
You must be a delight at dinner parties…
May 10th 2011 @ 2:19pm
kovana said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:19pm | Report comment
May 10th 2011 @ 10:33am
Tristan Rayner said | May 10th 2011 @ 10:33am | Report comment
Friendly warning, you’ll be on moderation shortly if this keeps up. It can’t be unexpected. Tristan – The Roar.
May 10th 2011 @ 10:07am
BigAl said | May 10th 2011 @ 10:07am | Report comment
. . . those guys who run the AFL just never cease to amaze do they !
.
.
May 10th 2011 @ 4:25pm
ruckrover said | May 10th 2011 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
This exhibition game does not appear to have come from the AFL itself but from ARI – a small organisation that independently promotes Australian Football internationally. It will be interesting to see if the AFL gives it direct support. In the past the offical AFL junior aboriginal all-stars side, the Flying Boomerangs, have played against official AFL-South Africa rep sides. That would likely be a higher standard match than what the article above is suggesting. But with many 1,000s playing Aussie Rules in Sth Africa and many 1,000s of talented aboriginal players in Australia – the game should be of a good standard for the African Games patrons to see.
May 11th 2011 @ 10:37pm
SideShowBob said | May 11th 2011 @ 10:37pm | Report comment
I hope the AFL will support the event in some capacity. The South African success story must be replicated elsewhere in Africa, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing to see more countries take up the sport to give them a little “local” international competition.
Despite all, I’m really hoping some serious ground will be broken out of this initiative and footy starts to make it’s mark on the African continent.
May 10th 2011 @ 10:19am
GrantS said | May 10th 2011 @ 10:19am | Report comment
One team ? Should be a pretty easy win!
Seriously though it would be good to see some Africans with their great leaping ability and stamina playing Aussie Rules. (Can you imagine a team of Zulus playing? They would run all day.)
May 10th 2011 @ 10:24am
Redb said | May 10th 2011 @ 10:24am | Report comment
Majak Daw is not far away from senior selection at North Melb.
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2011/02/20/1226009/012669-majak-daw.jpg
May 10th 2011 @ 11:42am
Jaceman said | May 10th 2011 @ 11:42am | Report comment
Since recalcitrant is on a warning :
Rugby Union in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, AFL as a demo sport in the African Games. 30 years ago both would have seemed impossible as would 2 AFL teams each in NSW and Queensland. Congratulations to forward thinking administrators…
May 11th 2011 @ 10:38pm
SideShowBob said | May 11th 2011 @ 10:38pm | Report comment
I think footy is also being mooted as a demonstration sport at the South Pacific games. Watch this space.
May 10th 2011 @ 12:38pm
Matt S said | May 10th 2011 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
Actually RL is a possibility for inclusion to the Commonwealth games. Countries eligible would be Australia, NZ, Tonga, PNG, Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa, Malta, South Africa, England, Nth Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Canada and Jamaica, and a couple of other small Pacific Islands.
This would be based on all having domestic comps.
The latest report from league backwaters is Fiji Vodaphone Cup expanding to 30 clubs, French rugby league announcing playing numbers have reached 40,000 and will hit 50,000 two years earlier than their 2015 target.
Jamaica RL have signed another sponsorship deal taking the total to nearly a million US in 1 month.
Ah the struggle of RL in the backwaters.
May 10th 2011 @ 1:48pm
Redb said | May 10th 2011 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
Seriously Matt S, who cares. This belongs on a RL thread.
May 10th 2011 @ 5:50pm
Bruce said | May 10th 2011 @ 5:50pm | Report comment
Matt is responding to recalcitrant. He chose to introduce RL to this thread.
May 11th 2011 @ 9:04am
Redb said | May 11th 2011 @ 9:04am | Report comment
No other posters and the moderators dealt with Recalcritrants errants post. It is just an excuse for Matt S to post more RL propaganda and attempt to hijack the thread,
May 11th 2011 @ 8:11pm
Bruce said | May 11th 2011 @ 8:11pm | Report comment
What do you mean “No”? recalcitrant introduced rugby league into the discussion and Matt responded. Show me where that statement is incorrect. The action of other posters and the moderators doesn’t change that. You can speculate all you like on his motives but only Matt knows what his intention is.
May 11th 2011 @ 8:28pm
Sam el Perro said | May 11th 2011 @ 8:28pm | Report comment
What do you mean “propaganda”?
“Rugby league given green light to make Commonweath Games debut by 2018 event”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/rugby-league-given-green-light-to-make-commonweath-games-debut-by-2018-event/story-e6frf3ou-1226053797995
May 11th 2011 @ 8:35pm
The Cattery said | May 11th 2011 @ 8:35pm | Report comment
That’s great news, but it still doesn’t belong on this thread – not only a different sport, but different games, there’s no real link to the content of this thread.
May 11th 2011 @ 8:37pm
Sam el Perro said | May 11th 2011 @ 8:37pm | Report comment
Just rebutting a pejorative term someone else introduced into the thread.
May 11th 2011 @ 8:39pm
Working Class Rugger said | May 11th 2011 @ 8:39pm | Report comment
Included as an optional sport. Fair enough, good work by those involved. They’d be likely hoping the Gold Coast gets the nod ahead of Sri Lanka though as it’s unlikely it would elect to use it as an optional sport.
May 10th 2011 @ 2:24pm
clipper said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
RL isn’t even in the Commonwealth Games list of approved sports, which is the first step they use to determine what gets played at each games. Once the sport is on the approved list, it might then be in the recognised list, which are deemed to need expansion, then on the optional list, which each host nation can choose, then on the core list, which must be included in every games. The AFL would probably love to get on the approved list too, The Boot Throwing Association tried, with little success. But it is certainly something to aim for – great exposure for any sport that gets included.
May 10th 2011 @ 2:32pm
kovana said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
If RL is included in the CWG, which form of the game would they play? Because just like Rugby.. the 13 a side League game would be a bit too much since the CWG lasts only 10 days. So most likely it will be the 9 a side version.
Hopefully the Gold Coast gets the Nod to host the CWGs… Which is one of the reasons i think the Gold Coast got the nod to host the IRB 7s tournament starting at the end of this year.
May 10th 2011 @ 12:51pm
Matt S said | May 10th 2011 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Actually recalcitrant take some time to look at some league sites that may blow your myth bound ego:
http://www.rugbyleagueconference.co.uk
and
http://www.rlef.com.eu
If you then persist with you diatribe your are no longer ignorant but a liar.
May 10th 2011 @ 2:00pm
Redb said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
who cares.
May 10th 2011 @ 2:41pm
Jaceman said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
Matt S you spruik a lot of numbers but rarely is there any evidence to back it up…The french numbers look particularly suss and your link to 10 amateur RL clubs outside the north of England hardly compares with the 300K RU players in England..The jamaica RL appears to have been smoking the local weed…RL may get into the Commonwealth games eventually but it is certainly not on the horizon considering the number of Commonwealth countries that reallly play it…
BTW its the Vodafone Cup in Fiji not Vodaphone
May 10th 2011 @ 2:53pm
Matt S said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
Jaceman, there is enough evidence. The IRB claim substantial growth in numbers in England then a major report in The Guardian states the RFU has just lost Sport England funding for declining numbers in union, so what’s the truth there?
Anyone can write anything then including rugby union.
May 12th 2011 @ 8:51pm
Working Class Rugger said | May 12th 2011 @ 8:51pm | Report comment
It relating to adult makes 18+. The actual number is around 177,000 which feature on the IRB site. The substantial growth in participation has been occurring at the 16 and under levels of the game.
May 10th 2011 @ 9:44pm
Matt S said | May 10th 2011 @ 9:44pm | Report comment
Sorry, link should be http://www.rlef.eu.com
May 10th 2011 @ 1:02pm
scarface said | May 10th 2011 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
How much money did that cost… The colonialist flashing the wads goes over a treat in third world countries…. Great to see China have taken it up in great numbers…..Anyway they should get some good footage for the propaganda machine..
May 10th 2011 @ 2:16pm
Aware said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
Problem is, where will the huge, oval-shaped grounds come from? How are the Africans going to maintain ovals the size of the MCG over the next decades? Will the AFL put the “hard word” on their governments to fund them? You know, give them an offer they can’t refuse?
May 10th 2011 @ 2:36pm
The recalcitrant said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:36pm | Report comment
Wanderers, Cape Town Cricket Ground, although Kingsmead is too short. For starters. Most of Africa does not really have much in the way of stadia from my travels there. Soccer is very disorganized, rugby is mainly for the wealthy whites, just in South Africa. It is perceived to be very Afrikaaner(the white Dutch-German colonists).
Definately Cape Town is a good un’ for AFL and has had games played there already.
Was at the World Cup there last year and came across Ron Barassi with black Africans learning the great Australian game at the Oz. v. Ghana match at Rustenberg(yes, we were robbed!)
Believe it or not, Australian football had it’s own leagues in the Transvaal up until World War 1. Transvaal is the province surrounding Johannesburg. Joburg, particularly the old central bit reminds me an awful lot of Melbourne. Did not see any crime in my time there.
Did speak with some rugby loving locals about rugby league. Apparently they tried to get RL off the ground there but it was not popular. The Currie Cup sides get all the attention as well as the Springboks. There does seem puzzlement and amazement of the popularity of both the AFL and NRL from Europeans and southern Africans. They just assumed we were lousy rugby and soccer players. They did not know of the drain of sportsmen to league and AFL.
Forgive me for my cheap shot at league. I assumed the gloves were off considering all the anti-AFL stuff you read on this site.
May 10th 2011 @ 2:41pm
kovana said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
“rugby is mainly for the wealthy whites, just in South Africa. It is perceived to be very Afrikaaner(the white Dutch-German colonists)”
I take it you dont know about Kenya and Madagascar being very keen on Rugby nowadays? Mainly thanks to 7s. Zimbabwe and Uganda also have healthy numbers playing the Game due to 7s introduction.
And in South Africa there are more and more non-whites playing the game too. There are now 600K+ registered rugby players in South Africa nowadays and quite alot are young colored saffas.
May 10th 2011 @ 2:52pm
The recalcitrant said | May 10th 2011 @ 2:52pm | Report comment
Went to Kenya too. They are a soccer nation, but it is so poor it is not like here. They have other worries than about sports.
A lot of people there are subsistence farmers.
If anything, I would say cricket is bigger than union. But long distance running gets all the attention. I think their soccer union was banned by FIFA for a while.
Yes, they have more rugby in South Africa then at the turn of the century for the African population, but it is still mainly played by white guys. Having said that soccer is dominated by the Africans. You don’t get too many whites playing soccer.
May 10th 2011 @ 3:06pm
kovana said | May 10th 2011 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
Yes.. Kenya is a Soccer nation.
But rugby has a footprint there. They didnt start making Rugby compulsory in Secondary school recently for nothing you know.
In these few short years they already have 40K+ registered players… This will rise in the future.. by a lot.
May 10th 2011 @ 3:19pm
Matt S said | May 10th 2011 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
I like when the AFL & union fans temporarily forget their alliance against rugby league and put the boot into each other. It’s called using each other for convenience while the underlying fact is if given the chance AFL would love to trample over union before it gets to league. Already achieving some of that when you look at the pitiful column space union gets in the papers in QLD, for example, making way for AFL coverage.
May 10th 2011 @ 3:40pm
kovana said | May 10th 2011 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
Your paranoia is outstanding.
Did you see any attack on Aussie Rules in my post?
May 10th 2011 @ 3:42pm
kovana said | May 10th 2011 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
Also Matt if you insist on calling it union… Look at the top and see if there is a ‘Union’ tab there.
May 11th 2011 @ 9:33pm
Sam el Perro said | May 11th 2011 @ 9:33pm | Report comment
In which case we should call Australian rules football AFL, as there is only an AFL tab. I think the southerners might take umbrage with that line of argument!
May 12th 2011 @ 5:58am
Daniel Robinson said | May 12th 2011 @ 5:58am | Report comment
Paranoid – Rugby is pushing in on League internationally and AFL is pushing the Australian domestic market. I guess this is not a good time for the average Australian League fan.