Australian rules football in New Zealand

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Australian rules football in New Zealand
Governing body New Zealand AFL
National team New Zealand
First played 1876, Dunedin
Registered players 16,000 (total)
600 (adult)
Clubs 19
Competitions
Club
 - Auckland AFL
 - Canterbury AFL
 - Wellington AFL
 - Waikato AFL
Audience records
Single match 11,666 - 2000 Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn Football Club. Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Flag of New Zealand

Australian rules football in New Zealand is currently a minority sport in a nation where rugby union is the national sport and predominant football code. Australian rules has a history in New Zealand dating back to 1876, however modern competition was commenced in 1974.

The game is primarily organised in four provinces - Auckland (Auckland Australian Football League), Canterbury, New Zealand (Canterbury Australian Football League), Wellington (Wellington AFL) and Waikato (Waikato AFL), although a new Otago league is currently in formation.

Contents

[edit] History of Australian rules football in New Zealand

[edit] Early Beginnings

The Christchurch Football club, founded in 1863[1] played football according to its own rules[2], one of which was to bounce the ball every 4 yards, very much similar to the modern game of Australian Football. The club adopted rugby rules in 1876.[3]

Australian Football was introduced to New Zealand in 1876. A hybrid match was played in Dunedin, New Zealand. The first half was played according to rugby rules, and the second half according to Victorian Rules.[4]

It quickly grew to a formidable league of 115 clubs.[5]

The 1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team matches saw a Māori team visit Victoria to play a program of Victorian Rules games. The team plays 13 games, winning six and losing seven.[citation needed] It defeated South Melbourne Football Club, [6] which at that stage was Victoria’s premier club.

By 1904, Wellington had a league of five clubs (City, Newtown, Petone, Wanderers and Federal) [7].

Auckland also had numerous clubs, and included the Eden Football Club, which recently discovered records show won back-to-back Auckland Australian Football League premierships in 1907 & 1908.

In 1905, two New Zealand representatives (one from the North Island and one from the South) attended the Australasian Football Conference where the Australasian Football Council was formed.[8]

In 1908, New Zealand defeated both New South Wales and Queensland at the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival an event held to celebrate 50 years of Australian Football.[9]

[edit] Hiatus

The outbreak of World War I and the popularity of rugby union signalled a hiatus in the game in New Zealand. No clubs survived after the war.

New Zealand was no longer represented and without any overseas delegates, the council reverted to the Australian Football Council.

Nevertheless, some efforts were made to rekindle interest in the code during these years.

In 1960, the Melbourne Football Club played some demonstration games in New Zealand.[citation needed]

From the 1970s, Australian Football League (then known as the VFL, or Victorian Football League) highlights began to be televised in New Zealand.[citation needed]

[edit] Modern Competition

In 1974 senior competitions began in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.[citation needed]

In 1995, the competition had grown sufficiently strong to field a national team, the Falcons.

The Arafura Games gave the side the first opportunity to compete at an international level. In 1995, 1997 and 1999, New Zealand took the silver medal in Australian Football at the event in Darwin, Northern Territory, running second to Papua New Guinea.

In 1997, the New Zealand Australian Football Development Foundation (NZAFDF) was formed.

1998 saw the debut of New Zealand born Trent Croad into the Australian Football League, the beginnings of what is a successful career at elite level.

In 1999, NZAFDF incorporated as governing body and was renamed New Zealand AFL.

[edit] Exhibition Matches

The years of 1991, 1998, 2000 and 2001 saw official Australian Football League exhibition matches staged in New Zealand so that the AFL could gauge local support.

[edit] International Success

In the inaugural Australian Football International Cup in 2002, New Zealand finished 3rd.

In 2003, local Aussie Rules convert Nick Evans debuted for the famous All Blacks rugby union side against England.[10]

2005 was a huge year for Australian Football in New Zealand. The national team, the Falcons defeated Papua New Guinea to win the International Cup and were later invited to send a team to the Australian Country Championships.

Since 2004, there were talks of a New Zealand Australian Football League franchise or club relocation as a possible expansion plan for the league. New Zealand fields teams in several international club competitions in other football codes including Super 14 rugby, the National Rugby League and A-League.

The country became considered as a 7th Australian state by the Australian Football League's international development department.

2006 saw the first ever live regular season Australian rules football matches on television (the AFL) were shown by SKY Network Television[11]. Previously only highlights packages and finals matches were shown by some pay TV channels.[citation needed]

In 2006, New Zealander Adam Campbell debuted for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL.

Khan Haretuku, born to New Zealand parents and with Maori heritage was drafted to St Kilda Football Club in the 2007 AFL Draft after being a NSW AFL scholarship recipient.[12]

[edit] Notable NZ Players

New Zealand leagues have not yet produced local talent, however the country has had some locally born and bred players find their way into the AFL.

[edit] Current Players

[edit] Past Players

[edit] Participation

Map of New Zealand showing regions where Australian rules football in 2007 was organised in green
Map of New Zealand showing regions where Australian rules football in 2007 was organised in green

The New Zealand AFL currently has around 600 senior players.[13] New Zealand, like Papua New Guinea and Queensland has experienced a boom in junior participation in recent years with reports of as many as 10,000 junior Auskick numbers in 2005 [14] growing the total participation to as many as 16,000 in 2006 [15].

[edit] Leagues & Competitions

[edit] Governing Body

The governing body for Aussie Rules in New Zealand is the New Zealand AFL.

[edit] National Team

The national team is the Falcons. The Falcons were Silver medallists in the Arafura Games in 1995 and 1997, runners up in the Australian Football International Cup in 2002, then became International Cup champions in 2005.

[edit] Audience

[edit] AFL Exhibition Matches

Date/Year Location Stadium Teams Crowd
5/10/1991 Auckland Geelong v. St Kilda 8,500
1/03/1998 Wellington Basin Reserve Melbourne v. Sydney 7,820
29/01/2000 Wellington Westpac Stadium Western Bulldogs v. Hawthorn 11,666
2001 Wellington Westpac Stadium Brisbane Lions v. Adelaide 7,500

[edit] Television

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.christchurchfootballclub.co.nz/pages/cfc.php?page=club_history
  2. ^ RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL - HISTORY - 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
  3. ^ http://www.christchurchfootballclub.co.nz/pages/cfc.php?page=club_history
  4. ^ When 'Rules' ruled Sydney. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (19 March 2008).
  5. ^ CAFL History
  6. ^ Ryan, Greg (1993). Forerunners of the All Blacks. Christchurch, New Zealand: Canterbury University Press, 144. ISBN 0-908812-30-2. 
  7. ^ Evening Post, 3 June 1904 and 22 June 1904
  8. ^ A False Dawn
  9. ^ A False Dawn
  10. ^ All Black almost a Swan fromm news.com.au
  11. ^ World Footy News - Live footy telecasts for New Zealand
  12. ^ Choice one bro - Khan you believe it! from worldfootynews.com
  13. ^ AFL International Census 2007
  14. ^ World Footy Census 2004
  15. ^ Aussie rules expands globally article from the National

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Australian rules football in New Zealand
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