For a sport that is considered Australia’s only truly native game, the AFL certainly has some global ambitions.
In a recent article in the Weekend Australian the GWS Giants outlined an audacious plan to possibly play one fixture in early 2021 in Los Angeles. While the article is big on ambition and light on detail, a spokesperson for the club spoke about “the possibility of taking a game to California” and the AFL itself have said that they are “supportive” of at least the possibility of this venture. Past experience also suggests that both GWS and the AFL are more than willing to chance their arm on such a venture.
While the AFL’s Hollywood script is still very much in its embryonic stages, as an unashamed rugby league expansionist I can’t help but look on with a twinge of envy, because even though there is often talk of the NRL taking a fixture to the USA, I can’t visualise a scenario in which a club and the governing body would be so united in their global ambitions. Perhaps that’s because I’ve seen chances for rugby league in the USA squandered before.
In 2018 promotion company Moore Sports proposed an international Test match between New Zealand and England in Denver, Colorado, during that year’s international round. For multiple reasons the event was an unmitigated disaster, with possibly the determining factor being that from its inception NRL clubs were vehemently against the event and set about drawing doubt as to whether their players would be made available to the point that even a week before kick-off many were unsure if the game would even be played.
What made this worse was the absolute silence from the NRL itself.
So even though the match attracted a crowd of 20,000-plus, the event failed financially, with the promoter eventually going into administration, making the ambition to host the 2025 World Cup in the USA – which was primarily driven by Moore Sports – basically unreachable.
If you look at this in comparison to the AFL’s foray into China, where Port Adelaide now has an annual fixture, the position of the AFL administration is one of total support for what Port Adelaide are endeavouring to achieve.
The AFL is locked in behind its China fixture (Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
In fact when other clubs questioned the validity of the game or the relatively small crowd was scrutinised – less than half of the rugby league Test in Denver – it was Gil McLachlan who came out in staunch defence of the fixture. So even though the China match between St Kilda and Port Adelaide has issues and opposition, no-one is unsure of the governing body’s position on it.
The AFL has had setbacks in the past when it had tried to expand globally, like St Kilda abandoning their games in New Zealand due to waning interest, and also the league abandoning AFLX, which was stated as its push into global rugby and football markets. Yet these sorts of difficulties are treated as mere bumps in the road as the game strives for a future in which they see a Sherrin kicked around in every corner of the world.
While outside of their respective heartlands both sports are very niche entities, there is still no doubting that a well-attended fixture would do wonders for each code abroad and back home.
Yet while rugby league has some recent capital in North America, with the likes of the Toronto Wolfpack joining the Super League and pro teams to come in New York and Ottawa, plus the USA competing in the last two World Cups, I can’t help but be sceptical if the game is able to get out of its own way long enough to make headway in North America.
The idea of an AFL game in California poses far more questions than answers and has some very real obstacles to overcome before a ball is kicked. Yet the fact that there may not be a suitable venue in the state or only the tiniest percentage of the population are even aware of the sport probably won’t detract GWS from hosting an event there, but it may delay them.
This is where rugby league needs to step up and grow its international appeal. A city like Salt Lake City in Utah with its large Polynesian presence would be primed to host a Test between Pacific heavyweights Samoa and Tonga, and the Rabbitohs and Cowboys playing a season opener in Dallas could cash in on Russell Crowe’s celebrity status and the Cowboys brand.
While not endless, there are opportunities present, and if rugby league won’t take them, we can be sure the AFL will.
Si Rasputin
Guest
You should read about the history of RL in France. They Rugby Union had the French government ban RL. The French public were taking to rugby league in droves because of its swashbuckling style, which suited how the French liked to play. But the Rugby Union in France simply squashed rugbly league just as it was taking off.
Si Rasputin
Guest
The AFL is not going anywhere. Americans will think that Aussie Rules is a quirky unsophisticated game. It will reinforce their preconceived ideas about Aussies being uncouth and rough around the edges. It will never catch on there in any real sense. It will provide them with a chuckle. They might get on some late shows, with curious American audiences gawking at Aussie blokes in tank tops and skimpy shorts kicking and punching a red ball. But they'll never take to it. Aussie Rules types are seriously delusional about the mass appeal of their game beyond Australia. They simply couldn't comprehend that New Zealanders a) love their rugby soooo much and b) hate anything culturally and uniquely Australian. The only group of people I've met who despise AFL more than Queenslanders are New Zealanders. They hate it and think the game is stupid. And Kiwis are close enough to Australia to know any name change from Aussie Rules to decouple the game from is nation of origin would be a BS publicity stunt. Rugby league has actually underplayed their hand internationally. Sure, it is far behind rugby union and football. But look at the Wolfpack. Look at rugby league in PNG and Tonga. PNG, mind you, has a population of over 8.5 million people. It may be a developing country, but the PNG Hunters (a Qld Cup team) managed to get a $3 million dollars over 4 years from SP Brewery. That's their major sponsor and they many other junior sponsors. Nothing to sneeze at. League has been a stronghold in many towns in Northern England. It has a good following in the south of France as well. There are even former All Black greats and NZ media claiming that Auckland will be, if it isn't already, a rugby league town. That's thanks to Union snobbery and the burgeoning Pacific Islander communities who prefer League. This is organic love for Rugby League that you just can't manufacture. The AFL cannot match this. You just can't orchestrate love for a game. My feeling is that 2020 will be a turning point in the fight for football dominance in Australia. V'landys is aggressive. He'll pull out all stops to push the AFL out of the northern states. RL doesn't need Victoria. But the AFL need NSW and Qld because outside of Vic, AFL states are going backwards. SA WA and Tas are going no where in terms of population and their economies. V'landys knows this. The AFL bosses have always known that if they relied on Vic and the other rusted on AFL states, their code would be destined for the scrap heap. They've done a great job of pushing into RL territory. But I still don't think that AFL is in the psyche of NSW and Qld. Certainly it will never penetrate into NZ or PNG, which has a combined population of over 13 million. If League can shore up NSW, Qld, Auckland, Wellington, maintain their dominance in the North of England and PNG, capture the Polynesian countries on the back of Tonga's success, and build on the promotion of the Wolfpack in North America, AFL just won't be able to go anywhere. The strategy has got to be suffocate the AFL back into Victoria and don't let them out again. Because internationally, they've got absolutely nothing.
UKRL
Roar Rookie
Haha your delusional bro. If AFL had that many teams in the U.S, they would at least be able to compete against Australia in matches. #Fake AFL news.
UKRL
Roar Rookie
How about RL teams in Canada and France too? AFL can't even get a reserve grade team outside Australia :laughing:
UKRL
Roar Rookie
28 first grade clubs in 5 countries is not a bad effort for Rugby League. What has AFL got outside Australia?
UKRL
Roar Rookie
I think Rugby League is blowing AFL out of the water internationally to be honest. The fact is, our sport has two top leagues working at growing the game in each hemisphere. Super League up North and NRL down South. AFL is currently only really operating out of one country at a professional level. The fact Rugby League has 28 first grade clubs in 5 countries to AFLs 18 first grade clubs in 1 country really puts things into perspective. Then you have talk of new Rugby League teams planned for Serbia with Red Star. Ottawa Staggs in Canada as well as a team in New York. Should Rugby League really be that worried with AFL playing a single game in America?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Apart from Manly-Warringah the North and East of Sydney are Rugby League free zones with Easts having few juniors and now calling themselves Sydney. Most of the RU clubs are on the North Shore with only three covering the rest of Sydney and they are Parramatta, Penrith and Southern Districts (The Shires of St-George and Sutherland). As you say they are far stronger ‘citadels’.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Australian Football was played in Sydney before RL so Ch7 showing the VFL made perfect sense. Even showing the mighty St-George Dragons in Melbourne wouldn't get the viewers so it wouldn't get the advertising money. So League is working class, Union is middle class and AFL and Soccer are upper class as well as all others. The ruggeroids wouldn't like that.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I went to Sydney Technical Boys High School (St-George) in the Wolli zone and they played Rugby Union.
Jacko
Guest
Cather you make claims about alias's yet no one can say that your name is actually Cathar Treize. I could call myself Cathar Trieze if I wanted to. It means didly squat. You are just another name commenting on a sports site....Just as unproven name wise as the rest of us...
Jacko
Guest
Randy the NRL now has 41% NZ/PI and 8% Other ( mainly english) so soon to be less than 50% Aus...Thats why Tonga beat Aus even tho Tonga does not have a League comp
Jacko
Guest
Shute Shield is the 4th teir rugby comp at best...There is Test rugby, Super rugby, NPC then each city has their local comps...Shute Shield is nothing like the level of NRL or NSWRL so I dont see what the comparison is being done for....I see Qld League cup games with 4000 at them...Why is it even relevant?
Jacko
Guest
Cathar the reason a rugby comp is now started and is being backed by some very wealthy people is because the 7s is an Olympic spot so it has now been given Govt funding to colleges. Why cant you enjoy both? Why is it that in AUS you have to be a Union fan or a League fan?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Rugby League has outgrown Rugby Union and Aussie Rules in NSW and Qld because both games were played long before League came into being in 1908.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
The academies and Uni links for the Arrows has little to do at least primarily with building attendance. Rather a pathway and funnel for aspiring players.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I was replying to your question "How many Academy bases do the Wolfpack have in the Toronto area?". Which was pretty obvious.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I was replying to Trent who hasn't bothered to back up his claim. I replied to show him it wasn't true. They were worried about them in 1978 and they are obviously worried about them now with the high ratings for the NRL. The VFL was moving the Swans to Sydney, they were the becoming the AFL.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
It's like you were isolated in enemy territory unable to contact your friends. It shouldn't happen in Australia but they do love their rugby league in Newcastle. I was lucky as I found South Australians to be nice and friendly and enjoyed my time there and I'm not surprised Don Bradman moved to Adelaide to live. Someone said he lived down the street but I never saw him.
deucer
Roar Rookie
It really does surprise me that there aren't more Melbourne born and bred players considering the number of PI's down there, but won't be too critical of Craigo as he's been taking a bit of a hit of late
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
Munro Mike, AFL has buckleys chance of establishing in the USA or anywhere else. No oval grounds in the USA. didn't Arch Bishop Gill endeavour to establish AFLX to overcome that problem? A few comments in 2018 from the Roar's AFL tab, Anyway on the AFL Roar here are a selection of comments made by AFL people. " I ate pies said | May 20th 2018 @ 10:20am | ! Report 10,689? Hahaha, good old AFL and their propaganda. The count must’ve been done by the people who count the GWS and AFLW crowds." Kangajets said | May 19th 2018 @ 8:09pm | ! Report 4000 at best , still bigger then a Gws crowd On the Ball said | May 20th 2018 @ 7:31am | ! Report As an Australian, I’m very embarrassed at this game being played in China. It’s substandard and does more damage than good for the code. Any local would walk away thinking what are these Aussies smoking. Couldn’t the AFL get a better team than the Suns? Big Fail for the second year in a row AFL! And please stop lying about the crowd numbers!!! Roar Guru Cousin Claudio said | May 21st 2018 @ 3:27pm | ! Report A “sell out” crowd from a “sell out” organisation who would sell their own grandmothers, if it made them money or look better. As a taxpayer, I greatly protest the waste of time and money. Can’t wait to see how much credit the Victorian Rules marketing department will take every time we sell something to China now. Victorian Rules, “the game that made the world.” Can’t wait for the AFLX game in the grounds of Buckingham Palace next. Cousin Claudio said | May 21st 2018 @ 10:57pm | ! Report The Victorian Rules media department have put out a press release to explain. Those weren’t empty seats mate, they were just very small Chinese spectators who don’t wear colourful clothing and are hard to see against the backdrop of the big grey seats, some sitting two or three to a seat. Oh good. That explains the sell out crowd. I believe the merchandise shop at the ground also sold 2 AFL Sherrins and a Suns scarf, which proves what a great money spinner this venture was for Australian taxpayers.'' Mate, some very witty & funny comments.