World 9s in Europe this year?

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World 9s in Europe this year?

Tuesday, April 01 2008 @ 09:00 am ACDT
Contributed by: Aaron Richard
Views: 3,242

Catalan footy pioneer Pere Moliner recently mentioned to WFN that he is president of a new "World Australian Football Federation" and that the WAFF is planning a 9-a-side World Cup for later this year. While no location or date has been announced officially, Paris in September-October has been mentioned.

Moliner tells us that in addition to Catalonia, Andorra and France, he has players in the LFAC (the Catalan league) interested in representing Senegal, Brazil and Argentina, who are currently searching for fellow countrymen to put together their teams.

In related news, the Catalans are now in discussions with the AFL about attending the International Cup in Melbourne this year, separate to the possible return of the Madrid-based Spain Bulls. This would be the first time a non-sovereign nation would take part at the IC, but would bring an extra traditional rivalry to the Cup, along with USA-Canada, Tonga-Samoa or PNG-NZ.

The LFAC is back at 4 teams this year, with the Picamuixons Birds replacing the Andorrans who were forced to withdraw from the league due to logistical reasons. Picamuixons is a town not far from Catalonia's footy capital Valls, with three teams now in the Alt Camp region.

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World 9s in Europe this year?

Authored by: Sean Finlayson
on Tuesday, April 01 2008 @ 10:52 am ACDT

It makes sense to admit the Catalan team. Afterall, the AFL would be hypocrites to refuse non-soveriegn teams now that it has set a precendent with the Peres Peace team for IC08 which also represents the unrecognized state of the Palestinian Territories. I wonder if the Japan Tsunami will also decide to "make waves" over this.

Can I ask, is this WAFF and its 9s tournament considered by WFN to be a "rogue" organisation like the International Australian Football Confederation, or something that the AFL endorses ? Or is it simply filling the void until the AFL forms its own governing body such as AFL Europe ? It would seem that the game is growing faster in Europe than the AFL as a world governing body can currently service.

World 9s in Europe this year?

Authored by: Brett Northey
on Tuesday, April 01 2008 @ 11:32 am ACDT

I don't think there's too many people that want to dig up the past regarding the various incarnations of the IAFC. People from all sides of that debate have said that it's better to move forward.

I don't believe we have many details yet of exactly what the WAFF's purpose or intent is, whether it wants to be world governing body, or a local development body, or what's behind the decision. WFN writers may have their own personal opinions, but I wouldn't claim it's the role of WFN as a whole to judge whether it is a "rogue" body or not, that's for the Australian Football playing nations to decide. As to whether it is AFL endorsed, I wouldn't be surprised if reading this is the first they've heard of it.

---
Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

World 9s in Europe this year?

Authored by: Michael Christiansen
on Wednesday, April 02 2008 @ 08:02 am ACDT

Question on 9's tournaments. Are there any held in Australia?

I've thought it'd be cool to have some held as pre-season lightning premiership style tournaments (esp for us at D4 VAFA where often the cricketers are still involved in finals or end of season trips and numbers aren't always that great)

I also figure there should effectively be a world 9's cross-promotion (via a local tournament) to further publicise the international element of footy to grass roots people in Australia.

Do you reckon it might be something worth looking in to?

---
Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

World 9s in Europe this year?

Authored by: Aaron Richard
on Wednesday, April 02 2008 @ 11:41 am ACDT

For the sake of some background:

In FIFA and UEFA-sanctioned competitions, Catalan (and Basque) players play
with the Spanish national team. The Catalan Soccer Federation do however
also maintain a national team, who play a fair few matches against national
teams, including Brazil just before the last World Cup and a game against
Argentina coming up next month.

They also play semi-regularly against the national team of the Basque
Country, Spain's other autonomous region - politically even more
independent than Catalonia is.

However, they have been turned down when requesting to join UEFA. For
the record, they cited Wales and Scotland as examples of why they should be
allowed, as politically they have more autonomy than Welsh or Scots.

The Faeroe Islands and Greenland I think also compete in UEFA, although
they are a dependency of Denmark.

In the Olympics, the entire UK competes as one team. In soccer and
numerous other team sports, they're separate.

You can pick precedents either way.

Personally, I'd love to see a Spain vs Catalonia rivalry match at the IC! It'd
get people talking... maybe even a hook for the mainstream media.

---
Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

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