World Footy News

After re-establishing itself in the 1970s, Australian Rules football has become a fast growing sport in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

An Australian Youth Ambassador has helped develop Australian football in the Kingdom of Tonga, and there are plans for the Solomon Islands too

The large Australian expatriate community ensures footy has a foothold in the UK, but the recent Brit Cup indicated that the number of locals playing has increased.

Footy development in South Africa is set to receive a boost, courtesy of Australian Volunteers International and the AFL. Working together, the organisations have called for applicants wishing to fill the role of footy development officer working with South African clubs, schools and communities.

Many believe the Mid American Australian Football League (MAAFL) is fast becoming the benchmark league in the United States. The following report is from eastern USA correspondent Wayne Kraska. He reviews the history of the MAAFL and gives us a season wrap to date. Although the MAAFL spans what is described as the American mid-west, it still falls in the eastern half of the country.

In only four months of existence, the Brussels Saints have defeated Paris both home and away, taken first place at the Central European AFL championships and assembled a playing list of almost 30 players, of which only around half are ex-pat Australians.

AFL Queensland is working with AFL PNG to give talented young Papuan's a pathway through to senior AFL level in Australia. The following is an edited version of an update on junior Australian football in Papua New Guinea, by Jaive Smare.

World Footy News recently did a short interview with Brian Clarke (pictured), regarding the touring Convicts concept.

After the initial disappointment that the AFL will be unable to play their usual exhibition game at the Oval in London, there is some good news.

Setanta O'hAilpin is unlikely to play football at the top level this year.

From the British Australian Rules Football League (BARFL) website, comes disappointing news.

Last weekend the US national side, the Revolution, took on the pride of Canada, the Northwind, in the 49th Parallel Cup, named after the latitude that marks much of the border between the countries. The US continued it's winning run. The following report is from US Footy and gives the American perspective