World Footy News

The Welsh Australian Rules Football League will expand to seven clubs in 2011, with the debut of the Bridgend Eagles and the admission of western England's Bristol Dockers to the competition.

The WARFL committee voted unanimously to admit the Dockers, with new WARFL secretary Josh Davey stating the league wants to maintain a healthy rate of expansion for the league, adding to an already competitive list of clubs. "Historically it was no problem, as in the first years of Aussie Rules in Wales the now defunct Swindon Devils from England were involved, even winning the League on occasions. It was unanimously agreed by all clubs to welcome the Dockers to the WARFL," Davey says.

The Bridgend Eagles will be making their competitive debut in the WARFL in 2011, bringing the number of teams in Wales up to six, and the number in the league to a total of seven. The Eagles played in friendlies last year, with some of their squad also playing for different clubs during the 2010 WARFL season, and even going on to represent Wales.

The WARFL have the long-term goal of Wales competing as a stand-alone side in test-level internationals, but Davey says that for the moment they are concentrating on domestic growth. "We currently have a very healthy relationship with the GB Bulldogs, having recently hosted a squad training session in Cardiff and three Welsh players, Mark Horsman, Andrew Atack (both South Cardiff Panthers) and Tom Gillard (Cardiff Double Blues) going out to Denmark with the Squad for the European Championships last year. We’ve also had a number of Welsh players and WARFL-based English and Scottish players make the preliminary squad for the International Cup."

The WARFL's new committee consists of James Gibson as president, Josh Davey as secretary, Michael Martella as treasurer and Aled Morris as communications officer. Josh Davey is also one of two Welshmen to be honoured with selection for the European Legion squad, the other being Rhys Morgan from the Cardiff Double Blues.

Further growth for Australian Rules is being targeted in Welsh universities, with inter-university matches on the cards. "At the moment we are looking at helping set up University teams in Cardiff and Swansea. The way University sports is run will help the growth of the game in Wales tremendously and there are already a good number of university teams in the UK already. We hope to have Cardiff-Swansea varsity matches in the near future," Davey says.

Some junior development has been conducted through 5x60, an extra-curricular activities organisation funded by the Welsh Assembly, and the WARFL are investigating further expansion of Auskick-style sessions.

BELOW: Welsh national rep squad, the Cymru Red Dragons in late 2010