Little movement on International Rules front, for now...

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Little movement on International Rules front, for now...

Authored by: Ash Nugent
on Friday, January 11 2008 @ 09:15 pm ACDT

Sorry Peter but I think we're taking a huge risk promoting International Rules in the USA (and to a degree, the UK). These feature matches have the ability to attract mainstream American support (not just Aussie/Irish expats) and there is no guarantee that these fans will then have an interest in Aussie Rules. With IR's similarity to Gaelic football they may opt for the Irish game or worse yet we might see IR leagues develop.

As I've said before, I like IR but see it as a game in its own right and one that could challenge football's inroads overseas. It is similar to soccer (therefore soccer fans might see it as a compromise between Aussie Rules and soccer and want to be involved with IR not Aussie Rules) and it is more like Gaelic football than Aussie Rules (so if they do indeed pick up one of the two parent codes, I'm not sure it'll be us).

However minimal the money currently put into the series by AFL, it could be used to promote our own game in the USA. Even a State of Origin match between Vic/SA/WA in LA or NY or anywhere for that matter might generate some news in the States, whilst attracting a decent television audience back in Australia (both from the states involved, and those just hungry for a football fix).

Little movement on International Rules front, for now...

Authored by: Brett Northey
on Saturday, January 12 2008 @ 02:07 pm ACDT

Definitely a controversial topic. But just one correction there, I'm pretty sure the AFL didn't put money into the IR, with the good crowds and sponsorship, I think it makes money.

I won't delve into the reasons for my opinion again (given that often enough), but basically I'm ambivalent towards IR - has its uses and its risks. The one area I am clear is in the juniors - I'd much prefer to see our under 17s playing South African youth sides (or PNG for that matter) at footy rather than IR against them or Ireland, so in that respect, the youth IR hiatus has been a good thing which you'd have to think is very unlikely to return as GAA clubs see that as too much of an AFL recruiting event.

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

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