Sport | International rules football |
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Founded | 1967 (Australian Football World Tour) |
First season | 1984 |
No. of teams | 2 |
Country | Australia Ireland |
Continent | Australia (Continent) Europe |
Most recent champion(s) | Australia (10th title) |
Most titles | Australia Ireland (10 titles each) |
TV partner(s) | Seven Network (Australia) RTÉ (Ireland) |
The International Rules Series is a senior men's international rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team (selected by the Australian Football League) and the Ireland international rules football team (selected by the Gaelic Athletic Association). 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.
The competition originated in the 1980s, with four series played in that decade. It was contested annually between 1998 and 2006, and then featured sporadically over next eleven years, with the last series contested in 2017 and no future series scheduled as of September 2024. At the height of its popularity, a series was played over two Test matches in October/November after the completion of the AFL Grand Final and the All-Ireland Football Final, which were both traditionally played in late September, and the winner was the team with the highest cumulative score over both Tests.
The two teams contest a trophy, which in 2004 was named the Cormac McAnallen Cup—after the Tyrone team captain Cormac McAnallen, whose death that year from a heart condition at 24 years old came after he had represented Ireland in the previous three series. [1]
The concept for the series originates from the Australian Football World Tour, which took place in 1967 and 1968. The tour saw a collection of Australian footballers from the VFL, SANFL and WAFL competitions travel to Ireland for an itinerary of matches played under modified Gaelic football rules. [2] [3]
The first proper series took place in Ireland in 1984 under a three-match format, whereby the team accumulating the most wins from the series were victors. Following poor Australian crowds and a relative lack of interest in 1990, the series was revived in 1998 under a two-match aggregate points format. [4] The popularity of the series saw it continue over the next eight years until violent on-field brawling in the mid-2000s saw it cancelled in 2007.
A women's series was staged in Ireland in 2006, which to this date remains the only women's series to have taken place between the nations. [5] An under-17 boys series was held each year between 1999 and 2006 before it was abandoned.
The series returned in 2008, although it featured randomly on the calendar over the next decade, going unscheduled in 2009, 2012, 2016, and in 2018–2019. Since 2014, the Australian team has endeavoured to pick players who have been selected in an All-Australian team on at least one occasion in their careers. This followed the 2013 series, which was notable for the inclusion of an Australian team made up of exclusively Indigenous players, known as the Indigenous All-Stars. Ireland inflicted the largest victory in the history of the series, scoring a record-breaking 79-point win in the second Test that resulted in a record-breaking 101-point cumulative victory. The most recent series (2017) was won by Australia.
A series was scheduled in Ireland in 2020, with a return series in Australia scheduled for 2022, [6] but the 2020 series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [7]
Series results, up to and including the 2017 series.
Flag | Icon | Country | Series won | Series lost | Test wins | Test draws* | Test losses |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland | 10 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 19 | ||
Australia | 10 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 21 | ||
*Two draws (second Test, 1999; second Test, 2002) | |||||||
The following are lists of International Rules Series venues and their locations, ordered by amount of Test matches hosted:
Venue | City/Town | County | Number of tests hosted and Year/s |
---|---|---|---|
Croke Park | Dublin | County Dublin | 17 [a] |
Páirc Uí Chaoimh | Ballintemple | County Cork | 1 (1st Test 1984) |
Pearse Stadium | Salthill | County Galway | 1 (1st Test 2006) |
Gaelic Grounds | Limerick | County Limerick | 1 (1st Test 2010) |
Breffni Park | Cavan | County Cavan | 1 (1st Test 2013) |
Venue | City/Town | State/Territory | Number of tests hosted and Year/s |
---|---|---|---|
Subiaco Oval | Perth | Western Australia | 5 [b] |
Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne | Victoria | 4 [c] |
Football Park (SANFL Park) | Adelaide | South Australia | 3 (3rd Test 1986, 2nd Test 1999, 1st Test 2001) |
WACA Ground | Perth | Western Australia | 2 (1st Test 1986 & 3rd Test 1990) |
Waverley Park (VFL Park) | Melbourne | Victoria | 2 (2nd Test 1986 & 1st Test 1990) |
Docklands Stadium | Melbourne | Victoria | 2 (2nd Test 2005 & 1st Test 2011) |
Canberra Stadium | Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | 1 (2nd Test 1990) |
Carrara Stadium | Gold Coast | Queensland | 1 (2nd Test 2011) |
Adelaide Oval | Adelaide | South Australia | 1 (1st Test 2017) |
The Jim Stynes Medal is awarded to the best player of the Australian team for each series. It was first awarded in 1998 and named after Jim Stynes, who won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship with Dublin before joining Melbourne. With the Demons, he won the 1991 Brownlow Medal, set the record for most VFL or AFL consecutive games played (with 244), was named in Melbourne's Team of the Century, and was elected into the Australian Football Hall of Fame while also playing for both Ireland and Australia in the series. He was also honoured with a state funeral in Melbourne when he died in 2012.
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The GAA Medal (also known as the Irish Player of the Series) is awarded in similar circumstances to the Australian award, whereby the Irish player adjudged as the best performed from each series wins the medal. It has been awarded since 2004. [8]
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The Harry Beitzel Medal was awarded to players adjudged "fairest and best" on the field during the 1984 to 1990 series. [9] Beitzel was honoured for his pioneering of the sport and the fact that he arranged the first ever official contact between the two sports of Gaelic football and Australian rules football.
The Australian team were sponsored until 2006 by Foster's, which also sponsored series held in Australia. Toyota took over both roles for the 2008 series. Australian plastic manufacturer Nylex sponsored the Australian team in 2010, whilst Toyota and Carlton Draught were guernsey sponsors for the 2011 series. Supermarket chain Coles and community health group National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) were guernsey sponsors for the 2013 series. Airline company Virgin Australia and Gatorade have sponsored the Australian teams since 2014.
The Irish team, and all series held in Ireland, were sponsored by Coca-Cola until 2008. The 2010 and 2013 series in Ireland was sponsored by the Irish Daily Mail , while Irish language television station TG4 sponsored the Irish team in 2010, 2011 and 2013. [10] [11] Gaelic games online streaming service GAAGO.ie were sponsors of the Irish team in 2014 and 2015, whilst electric power transmission company EirGrid were the title sponsors of the 2015 series in Ireland.
The International Rules Series has been broadcast on television in Australia and Ireland since the late 1990s. In Ireland it has usually been broadcast on RTÉ Two; from 2010 to 2014 the series was broadcast live by Irish-language channel TG4. RTÉ reclaimed the rights to the series in 2015. [12] In Australia, the Seven Network broadcast the 1998–2001 series, whilst the Nine Network broadcast the 2002–2005 series. In Australia the 2006 and 2011 series were broadcast on Network Ten, though all other series have been broadcast on the Seven Network and simulcast on Fox Sports. [13]
The series has had reach into global markets. From 2005, broadcasting extended its reach to the United States via Setanta Sports North America and to Hong Kong via the Australia Network. The 2006 series was broadcast to the United Kingdom via Setanta Sports 2. Defunct New Zealand free-to-air sports network Sommet Sports broadcast the 2013 and 2014 series. [14] The 2014 Test match was broadcast live in the United States and parts of Europe and Asia. [15]
The series alternates host countries each appropriate year between Ireland and Australia. Since the commencement of the modern era series in 1998, the average attendance up to the conclusion of the 2017 series was 34,337. On two occasions, Test matches have sold out in Australia, both in Perth in 2003 and 2014. The first entire series to sell out was in Ireland in 2006 when a combined crowd record of 112,127 was set. The attendance at the second Test of 82,127 at Croke Park was the largest for an international sports fixture in the country. [16]
Total attendance | ||
---|---|---|
1,442,161 | ||
Average attendance | ||
34,337 | ||
Average Australian attendance | ||
31,504 | ||
Average Irish attendance | ||
37,171 | ||
Highest attendance | ||
82,127 11 May 2006 |
Up to date as of 2017 Series
The series has sustained criticism from several high-profile figures in its parent sports. Three-time All-Ireland-winning Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has repeatedly called for the series to be disbanded. He stated in 2008 that the tours to Australia are simply a free holiday for the players involved, before repeating the claim in 2011 and calling on the GAA to withdraw from the Series because it does a "total disservice to the development of Gaelic games on the international stage". [17] Australian journalists such as Mike Sheahan have argued that the relevance of the series diminished once the Australian side was no longer made up primarily of All-Australian players, although the team returned to exclusively using All-Australians in 2014. [18] Ex-Kerry footballer Tomás Ó Sé panned the GAA in 2019 for continuing to maintain friendly relations with the AFL, arguing that the series was primarily responsible for AFL clubs scouting emerging Irish talent and leaving clubs and counties with no compensation for their efforts. [19]
The future of the series was brought into doubt in 2005 and 2006, mostly through the on-field actions of some Australian players and excessive physicality by both teams. In December 2006, the GAA decided to abandon the 2007 series, issuing a public statement: "On the recommendation of the Management Committee, it was agreed that there would be no Junior or Senior Series of games in 2007 ... Dessie Farrell, the player's representative[,] stated that while there would be some disappointment amongst players that the 2007 Series will not take place, the decision was, in his view, probably a wise one." [20]
Talks between the two organisations resumed in 2007, and the 2008 series went ahead without incident. Since then, despite an Australian withdrawal from the 2009 series due to "economic concerns", the series appeared to have a strong future. [21] However, following the 2011 series, concerns were raised over relatively small crowd attendances. The small crowds were blamed on a lack of high-profile AFL players being selected in the Australian team as well as a longer AFL season. The series' temporary future was assured by GAA director general Paraic Duffy. [22] During the 2013 series, the possibility of expanding future International Rules games into a tri-series was mooted, in such a way that the series would incorporate the Indigenous All-Stars team that participated in 2013, possibly against an AFL All-Star team for the right to play off against the Irish. [23] Though this idea never eventuated, the AFL has expressed interest in staging an exhibition Test match in the United States, likely in Boston or New York City. [24]
Whilst an extremely lopsided result occurred in the 2013 series and the Australians were accused of demonstrating apathy to the concept, [25] a 2014 series featuring current and former All-Australian players occurred, one that was nevertheless regarded as a demonstrable success. [26] During a successful training camp in New York City ahead of the 2015 series, Australian coach Alastair Clarkson gave his strongest pitch yet for the expansion of the series to include a Test match in America and even an actual American international rules team, to facilitate a tri-nations format. [27] In May 2016, the GAA and AFL announced an agreement to not have a Test match in 2016 and instead renew the 2-match aggregate series in 2017 (in Australia), with a view to conducting further series in the following years in both Ireland and the United States. [24]
The associations agreed to series in 2020 and 2022, [6] but the 2020 series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and, via announcement on 25 December 2022, the 2022 series was delayed, with Mick Malthouse expected to be re-appointed coach of the Australian team. [28]
In May 2023, GAA president Larry McCarthy ruled out a return of the International Rules Series for the foreseeable future, citing that the current GAA calendar would ask players to choose between their local club and representing their country. [29]
A masters series featuring teams made up of players aged 40 and above and Ladies' series, selected from the respective AFL and GAA Masters leagues, have sporadically been played. In 2024, an over-40 men's, over-50 men's and over-40 women's series was played in and won comprehensively by Ireland in each division; it featured former AFL player Jason Akermanis as head coach of one of the Australian teams. [30] [31] [32] [ clarification needed ]
In October 2024, it was announced that AFL and GAA officials were exploring the return of the International Rules series. [33]
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players.
Breffni Park, known for sponsorship reasons as Kingspan Breffni, is a GAA stadium in Cavan, Ireland. It is the home of Cavan GAA. The ground has an overall capacity of about 25,030 with a 5,030 seated capacity. Breffni is the historic name for the area of counties Cavan and Leitrim. Cavan is often referred to as the Breffni County. Kingspan Breffni is located on Park Lane to the south of Cavan town. Breffni Park hosted the first test in the 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series between Ireland and Australia. It also hosted the first test during the 2013 International Rules Series.
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.
Ladies' Gaelic football is an Irish team sport for women. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a round ball towards goals at each end of a grass pitch. The sport is an all island sport played in all 4 provinces of Ireland, where the two main competitions are the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Football League. Both competitions feature teams representing the traditional Gaelic games counties. The 2017 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final was the best attended women's sports final of 2017. The 2019 final, after the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, was the second largest attendance at any women's sporting final during 2019. Historically Cork and Kerry have been the sport's most successful counties. Waterford, Monaghan and Mayo have also experienced spells of success. In more recent years, 2017 to 2020, Dublin have been the dominant team.
In Ireland, Australian rules football began in 1999 when clubs were simultaneously formed in Dublin and Belfast, however awareness of it dates back to the 20th century due to similarities with Gaelic football and hyrbid matches played between Irish and Australian teams. It has subsequently becoming a source of players for professional leagues in Australia, particularly the Australian Football League (AFL) and later the AFL Women's (AFLW) through the Irish Experiment which is ongoing. It attracts a television audience, particularly the AFLW competition through TG4. There are two governing bodies, AFL Ireland and AFL Northern Ireland, with teams and competitions in Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Galway and Killarney. The game in Ireland is typically played in a modified 9-a-side footy format on rectangular fields.
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 Australia women's international rules football team was organised by Women's Football Australia and represented Australia in the 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series against Ireland. As of 2019, this is the only series the team has played. Ireland won the series, winning the first test at Breffni Park by 134–15 and the second test at Parnell Park by 39–18.
The Ireland women's international rules football team was organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association and represented Ireland in the 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series against Australia. As of 2019, this is the only series the team has played. Ireland won the series, prevailing in the first test at Breffni Park by 134–15 and the second test at Parnell Park by 39–18.
The 1998 International Rules Series was the fifth annual series between Gaelic footballers from the Gaelic Athletic Association and Australian rules footballers from the Australian Football League and the first since it was cancelled in 1990. It was part of a four-year agreement. Ireland and Australia both won a game however Ireland won the overall series by 10 points in aggregate.
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.
Paul Earley is a former Irish sportsman who played Australian rules football for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Gaelic football for the Roscommon county team.
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.
The 2011 International Rules Series was the 16th International Rules Series contested between Gaelic footballers from Ireland and Australian rules footballers from Australia. The series was played over two test matches, with Ireland winning the series by 130-65 points on aggregate. In doing so, Ireland achieved its best winning test margin and greatest ever series victory, whilst Australia had its lowest ever test score in the second test. The Australian Football League (AFL) announced part of the schedule for the series in June 2011, with the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne chosen for the first test match. In July, the AFL announced that Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast would be the venue for the second test. This was the first time that any stadium in the state of Queensland hosted an international rules game. The first test was played on 28 October with the second test played a week later on 4 November.
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.
The 2014 International Rules Series was contested between Gaelic footballers from Ireland and Australian footballers from Australia. The 18th series of international rules football since the concept's inception in 1984, Ireland entered as defending champions, with Australia seeking their first series win since 2010. The match was played at Perth's Patersons Stadium on Saturday 22 November.
The 2015 International Rules Series was contested between Gaelic footballers from Ireland and Australian footballers from Australia. The 19th series of International rules football since the concept's inception in 1984, Australia entered the test as defending champions, following their 10-point victory in the solitary test match in 2014. The match was played at Croke Park, the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association, on Saturday, 21 November.
The 2017 International Rules Series was the 20th International Rules Series contested by Gaelic footballers from Ireland and Australian footballers from Australia. The series was hosted by Australia and was the first in four years to revert to an aggregate points format. The two test matches were played on 12 and 18 November 2017 at the Adelaide Oval and Domain Stadium.
Caroline O'Hanlon is a Northern Ireland netball international and an Armagh ladies' Gaelic footballer. She has also represented Ireland at international rules. She was a member of the Northern Ireland teams at the 2003, 2011 and 2019 Netball World Cups and at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was also a member of the Northern Ireland teams that were silver medallists at the 2012 and 2017 European Netball Championships. She captained Northern Ireland at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 Netball World Cup. She carried the flag of Northern Ireland during the 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. She has played in the Netball Superleague for Team Northumbria, UWS Sirens and Manchester Thunder. She was a member of the Manchester Thunder team that won the 2019 Netball Superleague. As a Ladies' Gaelic footballer she played for Armagh in the 2006 All-Ireland final. She has also been an All Star on three occasions and was named as the 2014 TG4 Senior Player's Player of the Year. In 2010 she was named Northern Ireland Sportswoman of the Year.
The 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series was the first and, as of 2019, the only ladies' International rules football series played between Ireland and Australia. The series was played at the same time as the men's 2006 International Rules Series. Ireland won the series, claiming the first test at Breffni Park by 134–15 and the second test at Parnell Park by 39–18. The series was broadcast live by TG4 and Setanta Sports.
The 2020 International Rules Series was to have been 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 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.