World Footy News

The AFL published an Official Souvenir Program for the 2002 International Cup. Here we re-produce the approximate content of the program to give readers a feel for the inaugural tournament.

The event was first proposed as a World Cup by the New Zealand AFL for 2008 and developed in conjunction with the small band of volunteers at the International Australian Football Council. With the AFL funding some of the development in several countries, and the obvious situation that an Australian side would be far too strong for the other nations and would thus not contest the event, the tournament was renamed the International Cup, brought forward to 2002, and the IAFC voted to dissolve in favour of an AFL International Development Committee (which has included past IAFC members). The Cup was staged by the AFL but with assistance from former members of the IAFC.