First-ever Wales vs Scotland test set for October 17
- Saturday, October 03 2009 @ 08:54 am ACST
- Contributed by: Aaron Richard
- Views: 2,984
The Cymru Red Dragons, the Welsh national Australian rules side, will this year hold a two-test series against the Scottish Puffins, both matches played 12-a-side with only nationals of the respective countries eligible to play.
The first match will be played on October 17th in Glasgow, with the second leg being held in Cardiff the following Saturday. The Red Dragons will be eager to record their first win for the year, after being defeated in both matches of the Dragon Cup challenge series against the England Dragonslayers in September. In the first leg played in Cardiff on September 12th, the English came away with a tight 54-49 victory, followed by a comfortable 67-point win the following week in London.
Scotland on the other hand will still be fresh from their EU Cup campaign and will be keen to win at home against the Welsh. Scottish footy is currently in a rebuilding phase, with the Scottish ARFL having restructured in 2009 to include a club in Aberdeen and consolidate the Edinburgh and Glasgow sides. Plans for the future of Australian rules in Scotland include possible clubs in Dundee and Stirling.
The Welsh Australian Rules Football League completed their first full four-team season in 2009, with strong growth in the clubs in South Wales seeing plans laid for a new club in the town of Barry, nicknamed the Vale Warriors and wearing the colours of former SANFL club Woodville.