Event | International Rules Series | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
Australia win series 109–79 on aggregate | |||||||
First test | |||||||
| |||||||
Date | 28 October 2006 | ||||||
Venue | Pearse Stadium, Galway | ||||||
Referee | Pat McEnaney (Ireland) [1] Shane McInerney (Australia) [1] | ||||||
Attendance | 35,000 | ||||||
Second test | |||||||
| |||||||
Date | 5 November 2006 | ||||||
Venue | Croke Park, Dublin | ||||||
Referee | David Coldrick (Ireland) [1] Shane McInerney (Australia) [1] | ||||||
Attendance | 82,127 (Sell Out) | ||||||
The 2006 International Rules Series (officially the 2006 Coca-Cola International Rules Series) was the 13th annual International Rules Series and was played between Ireland and Australia.
The 2006 series involved two sell-out test matches, the first in Galway and the second in Dublin. Both of the matches were a landmark occasion for the International Rules Series and Irish sport; the Galway test was the first international rules series match to be played under floodlights in Ireland and the first to be played outside Dublin, whilst the attendance for the second test was the largest in the history of international sport in Ireland. [2]
Both tests were again controversial due to the off-field actions of the Australian team and the on-field actions of both teams, as well as injury to several players from both sides.
Graham Geraghty was cited for a knee to the head of Australia's Lindsay Gilbee.
Off-field controversy also dominated the series. Brendan Fevola's assault of an Irish barman which resulted in his being sent home from the Australian tour brought the series into question for the behaviour and laid-back attitude which the professional Australian players have towards the series. [3]
A tackle by Australia's Danyle Pearce on Ireland's Graham Geraghty in the second test left Geraghty unconscious and requiring hospitalisation. The act was considered a "square up", further adding tensions to the series. Despite several on-field incidents, including a shirtfront by Adam Selwood which resulted in the broken nose of an Irish opponent and a headbutt to Australia's Ryan O'Keefe which left his face bloodied, red cards were not used and the actions were cleared by the match review panels.
Irish coach Seán Boylan publicly blamed thuggery and refereeing for Ireland's loss to Australia and called for the series to be scrapped. In December, 2006, the GAA decided not to participate in the series any further unless the Australians agreed to abide by a code of conduct and stricter rules regarding tackling. [3]
Ryan O'Keefe was awarded the Jim Stynes Medal. [3]
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland | 0.5.1 | 0.6.3 | 0.8.5 | 1.12.6 | (48) |
Australia | 0.1.1 | 0.4.2 | 1.8.3 | 1.9.7 | (40) |
Ireland won by 8 |
Date | Saturday, 28 October 2006 |
---|---|
Scoring (IRL) | Goals: Bergin Overs: McDonnell 4, Barden, Begley, Bergin, Brogan, Cavanagh, Earley, Geraghty, Kennelly |
Scoring (AUS) | Goals: O'Keefe Overs: O'Keefe 3, Davis 2, Hall 2, Davey, Lappin |
Best | IRL: Kelly, McDonnell, Fitzgerald, Bergin, McGeeney, Brogan AUS: Lappin, O'Keefe, Fletcher, Sherman, Hall, Davis |
Injuries | Nil |
Venue | Pearse Stadium, Galway |
Attendance | 35,000 |
Umpires | Pat McEnaney (Ireland) Shane McInerney (Australia) |
Video | RTÉ Broadcast of the 1st Test (YouTube) |
RTÉ Match report |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland | 0.3.1 | 0.4.4 | 0.5.5 | 0.7.10 | (31) |
Australia | 1.3.1 | 1.6.3 | 3.11.6 | 3.15.6 | (69) |
Australia won by 38 |
Date | Sunday, 5 November 2006 |
---|---|
Scoring (IRL) | Goals: - Overs: Brogan 2, Earley 2, McDonnell 2, Coulter |
Scoring (AUS) | Goals: Crowley, Goddard, Stanton Overs: Hall 4, Sherman 3, O'Keefe 2, Pearce 2, Bateman, Davey, Davis, Goddard |
Best | IRL: Kelly, Lockhart, Cavanagh, Moyles, Coulter, McDonnell AUS: Pearce, Sherman, O'Keefe, Hall, Fletcher, Davey |
Injuries | IRL: Geraghty (concussion) AUS: Brown (hand/lower back), Crowley (knee) |
Venue | Croke Park, Dublin, County Dublin |
Attendance | 82,127 |
Umpires | David Coldrick (Ireland) Shane McInerney (Australia) |
Video | RTÉ Broadcast of the 2nd Test (YouTube) |
RTÉ Match report |
As far as I'm concerned what happened out there in that first quarter today is not acceptable in any code of sport. It's not accepted on the street. How that could be termed as playing within the spirit of the game is beyond me.
— Seán Boylan, Ireland coach [4]
The 2006 series is remembered as a significant turning point in the history of international rules football. The physicality and occasional violence in the second test marred the entire contest between the two nations and resulted in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) abandoning the planned 2007 series and only agreeing to resume following a significant change to the game's code of conduct. On the pitch, Ireland manager Seán Boylan had to be convinced by his players not to abandon play at the end of the first, so serious was the off-the-ball meleeing. The sling tackle which resulted in a serious concussion to Ireland player Graham Geraghty and forced play to stop in the first quarter dominated discussion post-match, whilst the trading of barbs and insults between the teams was prolific both before and after the final test. [5]
Don't get blinded by your passion. I think we won well, and I think it's very hard to win in Ireland, and I think we won because we were fitter. Every time Australia win the series is coming to an end. Unbelievable. You're the greatest conmen I've ever met.
No player was later sanctioned by the Australian Football League (AFL) and GAA following the series, though a number of yellow cards (send-offs) were issued to players by both referees. The series would later go on to be ranked 10th by the Irish public in the one-off television program 20 Moments That Shook Irish Sport . Despite eventually returning in 2008, the International Rules Series struggled to maintain a place on the annual Irish and Australian sporting calendars, and the no test match since has come remotely close to the rivalling the sell-out crowd 82,000 who attended the second test match on a Sunday afternoon at Croke Park. [4] [5] [6] Others editorialised that the disgruntlement in the series demonstrated a difference in cultural values regarding aspects of the Indigenous Gaelic and Australian games such as umpiring methods and types of physicality deemed tolerable in the two sports. [7]
Gaelic football, commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kicking or punching the ball into the other team's goal or between two upright posts above the goal and over a crossbar 2.5 metres above the ground.
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, Gaelic handball, and rounders. The association also promotes Irish music and dance, as well as the Irish language and it also promotes environmental stewardship through its Green Clubs initiative.
Croke Park is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Since 1891 the site has been used by the GAA to host Gaelic sports, including the annual All-Ireland finals in Gaelic football and hurling.
Seán Boylan is an Irish former Gaelic football manager from Dunboyne, County Meath. He retired from his position as manager of the senior Meath county team on the evening of 31 August 2005 after twenty-three years in charge. This was an inter-county managerial record with one team that was only surpassed in Gaelic games by Brian Cody in 2022, his 24th and last season as manager of the Kilkenny senior hurling team.
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath county teams.
The 2005 International Rules Series was the 12th annual International Rules Series and the 14th time that a test series of international rules football was played between Ireland and Australia and was won by Australia.
The history of the Gaelic Athletic Association is much shorter than the history of Gaelic games themselves. Hurling and caid were recorded in early Irish history and they pre-date recorded history. The Gaelic Athletic Association itself was founded in 1884.
The Ireland international rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football. The team is made up of Irish players from the Gaelic Athletic Association and Australian Football League.
Colm Begley is an Irish Gaelic footballer from County Laois. He has also played Australian rules football for the St Kilda Football Club and the Brisbane Lions of the Australian Football League (AFL).
The International Rules Series is a senior men's international rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team. International rules football is played using a set of compromise rules devised by both governing bodies. While the International Rules Series matches use some rules from Australian rules football, the field, ball and uniforms of both teams are derived from Gaelic football.
Composite rules shinty–hurling – sometimes known simply as shinty–hurling – is a hybrid sport of shinty and hurling which was developed to facilitate international matches between the two sports.
Pádraic Joyce is a Gaelic football manager and former player who played as a forward. He has been manager of the senior Galway county team since 2019.
Finian Hanley is a former Gaelic football player from Galway. He played his club football with Salthill-Knocknacarra and inter-county football for Galway from 2005 to 2017. He played in the full-back position. In 2008 he was nominated for an All Stars Award.
The 2009 International Rules Series was to have been the 15th International Rules Series football competition.
The 2010 International Rules Series was the 15th International Rules Series, contested between Gaelic football players from Ireland and Australian rules football players from Australia. The Series was won by Australia, winning the first test by seven points and the second test by three, thereby winning with an aggregate score of 102 to 92. This was the first time Australia have won the Cormac McAnallen Cup since 2006. Dane Swan was awarded the Jim Stynes Medal, for being Australia best player over the Series, while Colm Begley won the equivalent award for Ireland. The second test in Croke Park on 30 October marked the end of the broadcasting career of commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh who commentated on his last live match on RTÉ Radio.
Paul Conroy is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays at senior level for the Galway county team and teacher. Conroy was captain of the All-Ireland winning Minor team in 2007 when they narrowly defeated Derry. Conroy made his Senior championship debut against Roscommon and scored finished the game with a tally of 0–6.
The 2013 International Rules Series was the 17th International Rules Series contested between Gaelic footballers from Ireland and Australian footballers from Australia. Ireland entered the 2013 series as defending champions, whilst Australia were, for the first time in the series, represented by an exclusively Indigenous team, known as the Indigenous All-Stars.
David Coldrick is a Gaelic football referee from County Meath. A member of the Blackhall Gaels club, he has refereed four finals of the All-Ireland SFC.
The 2020 International Rules Series was to be the 21st International Rules Series contested by Gaelic footballers from Ireland and Australian footballers from Australia. The series would have been held in Ireland and was to be the first series to be arranged by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Australian Football League (AFL) since November 2017.
It was cancelled in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland.
The Meath county football team represents Meath in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Meath GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
The hybrid game has always had its detractors, and the heavy-handed tactics that Kevin Sheedy's victors deployed in front of 82,127 Croke Park spectators – a record crowd for an international fixture held on Irish soil – will only add to their number.