In another sign of the fast growing numbers of footballers in Germany, the inaugural season of the three team Bavaria League (BL - Bayernliga in German) kicked off on April 1st.

The weather provided the April Fool’s joke, as intermittent snowfalls throughout the day and sub-zero temperatures greeted the players and officials in Munich’s Hirschgarten. However, neither the cold nor the discovery that day of a 500 kilogram World War Two bomb a couple of torpedo punts away could dampen the spirit and enthusiasm of the two competing teams, the Sendling Blues and the Pasing Hawks.

The new league, Germany's first regional league, has been set up by the Munich Kangaroos Football Club, which was founded in 1994 and has had some success in the national competition, the Australian Football League Germany (AFLG).

The Fremantle Dockers have added a new partner club in Europe, with an agreement between the Dockers and the AFL Italia's Genova Football Club.

Mr Marco Mari (pictured at left with Fremantle FC COO Mr Gary Walton) from the Italian Chamber of Commerce Perth accepted on behalf of the Genova Dockers the Club Jumpers and other items being donated by Fremantle.

The partnership between the Fremantle Dockers and the AFL Italia Genova Football Club, now the Genova Dockers, is the first official AFL partnership to be established in Italy, with further partnerships between AFL and Italian clubs being negotiated.

On the recently-released list of nations who've expressed an interest in attending the 2011 International Cup were a number of European newcomers, who've come through the ranks of tournaments such as the EU Cup and are mostly in the process of setting up their domestic leagues.

The exception to that was Portugal, where footy has not yet been played on an organised level beyond the occasional social kick-to-kick. Portuguese local David Valente is hoping to change all that, with a continuing search for players and supporters to kick off footy in the country, the immediate goal of making it to the 2010 EU Cup, and maybe even the ambitious task of having a full squad ready for next year's International Cup.

In beautiful conditions for football, Manchester Mozzies' annual pre-season tournament was played and won last Saturday April 10th, with the Wimbledon Hawks from the AFL London overcoming competition from around regional England and Ireland to take out the cup.

The Hawks finished top of the table, in a 5-team field including the Manchester Mozzies, Chippenham Redbacks, Sheffield Thunder and Ireland's Midland Tigers.

Player of the Tournament honours went to Garth Nevin, who this year has taken on the task of coordinating and coaching the Sheffield Thunder.

The next few weeks see British footy's pre-season tournament circuit continue, with the British "Clwb" Challenge in Cardiff on April 17th, and the Portsmouth National Club Championships and ANZAC Cup on April 24th.

The newly-renamed British "Clwb" Challenge will be kicking off at 12pm this Saturday April 17th, with the 2009 WARFL Grand Finalists South Cardiff Panthers vs Swansea Magpies at the Llandaff Fields in Cardiff's city centre.

In the tournament’s 3rd year, the WARFL are making their marquee tournament an invitational club event, hoping to draw the best clubs from across the isle - especially the teams that reached the 2009 Grand Final of their respective Scottish, English and Welsh regional leagues.

In the 2008 tournament the Manchester Mosquitoes defeated Bristol Dockers for the title, then known as the Cardiff "Clwb" Challenge. In 2009 however, the Mosquitoes couldn't quite defend their title, with Nottingham Scorpions losing one match for the day and finishing at the top of the table.

This year the tournament will be in a 9-a-side AFL GB format, playing 2x12 minute halves. The Birmingham Bears, Nottingham Scorpions, Portsmouth Pirates, South Cardiff Panthers, Swansea Magpies and West London Wildcats will fight it out in a tournament consisting of 8 rounds, each of the clubs playing each other over 5 matches each.

NOTE - We've received confirmation that the game has been called off due to all flights from Britain being cancelled after the volcanic eruptions in Iceland.

This weekend will see the first full-scale test match of the year, with the Great Britain Bulldogs traveling to Scandinavia to take on the Denmark Vikings.

Denmark coach Jim Campion is expecting a hard and physical match, with his squad looking to counter the height advantage the Bulldogs have over the Vikings. The Brits are fielding a squad with ten first-time Bulldogs representatives, including a large contingent from the England Dragonslayers squad that won the 2009 EU Cup in Croatia last October.

The rivalry between Great Britain and Denmark (or earlier Denmark-Sweden) is one of the oldest in international footy, with ten tests played between them, dating back to their first clash in 1994. The Danes hold the upper hand, with seven victories to the Bulldogs' three, although the Bulldogs defeated the Vikings in their last encounter, in London during 2009.

An incredible performance with seven goals in the final quarter saw the Italia Azzurris score a dramatic and unexpected come-from-behind win over the London Swans in Milano last Saturday, April 10th.

Eight goals from full-forward Bruno Nugnes helped the Italians to a 19-point win over the undermanned Swans. This represented the first victory for the Italians at home, who have also hosted the Frankfurt Redbacks since their formation last year.

Thanks to the AFL Italia for this report.

The Scottish Australian Rules Football League are proud to announce the competing teams in the 7th annual Haggis Cup competition, kicking off today, Saturday April 10th. The tournament will take place at Cartha Queens Park Rugby Club, 94-96 Dunbreck Road, Glasgow, G41 4NS. Each group will play in a ‘round robin’ format with each game consisting of 2 x 12 minute halves.

Group 1: Glasgow Sharks, Aberdeen Dingoes, Huddersfield Rams
Group 2: Edinburgh Bloods, Dublin Demons, Glasgow Hammerheads

This year sees a strong lineup, with SARFL champions Edinburgh Bloods (four time Haggis Cup winners), and ARFLI Champions and 2006 Haggis Cup winners Dublin Demons in Group 2. Defending champions Aberdeen Dingoes and England’s Central Division Champions Huddersfield Rams battle it out in Group 1. Host city Glasgow fields two teams, one in each group, and promises that after reaching the finals last year, this year will be the most exciting and hard fought yet.

Games will begin at 11.30am and SARFL are proud to announce that the scores will be on the website at the end of each half, so don’t worry if you can’t attend, you will be able to follow the scores as the tournament progresses. You can access the scores at www.sarfl.org.uk/sarfl2010, match reports and final results with best and fairest awards will also be on site after the tournament.

2010 will see Norway's oldest Australian Football club take the field as the Oslo Crows, following the announcement of a new partnership with AFL club Adelaide.

Previously known as the Trolls, the Oslo Crows will this year play a three-team regional league with western Swedish clubs the Karlstad Eagles and Göteborg Beserkers, as well as a few games against their local Norwegian rivals the Ås Battlers.

Norway now counts three clubs, with the Crows and Battlers in the Oslo metropolitan region and the world's most northerly club in Tromsø on Norway's Arctic northern coast.

David Stone from the Crows and Adam O'Toole from the Ås Battlers spoke to WFN about their plans for 2010.

Footy in Britain has seen steady growth for a number of years now, emerging from the traditional heartland of London, expanding now into leagues on the South coast, Wales, Scotland, Central and Northern England. With potentially another competition emerging in Cornwall as well, the foothold is well and truly there to establish the sport further and encourage a wider audience to give it a go.

The 2010 pre-season is a busy old time as well! Beginning this weekend with the Scottish ARFL's annual Haggis Cup and the Manchester Footy Carnival both on April 10, followed by the Welsh ARFL's Cardiff 'Clwb' Challenge on April 17th.

This year the Southampton-based Titanic Cup is replaced with the National Footy Carnival, courtesy of relative newcomers to the Southern League - the Portsmouth Pirates, to be held April 24th.