Australian rules football may be expanding internationally at an ever increasing rate, yet in most countries where amateur clubs and leagues exist, footy is still struggling to get a foothold at university level.

At universities in the United Kingdom if a student wants there to be a new sports team, it is up to the student to create it. With this in mind, Tim Smith has penned the following article, based on his experiences founding the Birmingham University Sharks with some tips and pointers for others in the same position.

One Australian Football enthusiast behind a stall at the University of Birmingham Sports Fair last September has led to the establishment of the United Kingdom's fourth active university-based club. The University of Birmingham Sharks now boast a squad of 22 players, ready to take on the other university sides and local senior UK teams in fixtures throughout the spring.

Aussie Rules players the world over have a reputation for being a rugged breed, taking no prisoners on the pitch and accepting the hits that life and the opposition dish out. So early in December, a group of players from across England decided to test themselves against the elements in the final date of the 2009 GRIM calender - the original GRIM Challenge - combining off-season training with charity and squad fundraising.

An 8-mile cross country on Ministry of Defence tank and vehicle test land in Aldershot, the course features gravel tracks, mud slopes, thigh-deep puddles, shin deep mud and several thousand enthusiastic competitors. With torrential rain the night before, the course was even more daunting and 'running' largely turned into 'wading' for significant stretches, sapping the muscles and weighing down the feet right from the start.

Five Irishmen have been picked up by AFL clubs in the pre-season rookie draft but Brian Moran was left disappointed after St Kilda decided against offering him a deal after a three week trial. All the signings were expected and have previously been reported by worldfootynews.com with Tommy Walsh joining the Saints, Chris McKaigue singing with the Sydney Swans, Carlton and the Brisbane Lions supplementing their Irish talent by signing Zac Tuohy and Niall McKeever respectively; and James O’Reilly becoming the first Irish recruit to join Richmond.

One of the fantastic benefits of an enduring sports club is an active social scene - the chance to make new friends, catch up with past players and celebrate another year of enjoying sport. Few are the clubs in any sport which do not take the chance to get together annually and enjoy an evening of banter and reminiscence.

The Wandsworth Demons are no exception and, at the 20th anniversary of the club's beginnings, it was decided that this should be something special - a celebration of two decades of footy in the English capital - held in the Crown Casino, on the other side of the world in Melbourne at the end of October.

Despite being unable to secure a rookie contract with the Western Bulldogs for Season 2010, Gaelic footballer Aidan O’Shea still believes he can forge a career for himself in the AFL. O’Shea who plays for County Mayo, will return to Ireland over the weekend and Senior Coach Rodney Eade says the Bulldogs will keep an eye on the key position prospect.

“Aidan will follow a fitness and skills program set out by the Football Department over the next twelve months and we will be monitoring his progress,” Eade said. The 19 year old says he is looking forward to working hard throughout 2010 to give himself every chance of being offered a contract with the Western Bulldogs.

“I have been given a fitness program by the Club and some skill drills that I will be doing at home, so if I stick to it hopefully I will be able to make the transition next year,” O’Shea said. O’Shea says that his two week trial at the Whitten Oval provided him with a valuable insight into the demands of AFL football. “It was enjoyable but tough at the same time. There was a lot of sleeping after training so I did not see too much of Melbourne after the first week but it was fantastic,” O’Shea said.

Stephen Alomes, an Australian academic and occasional contributor to World Footy News, recently concluded one of many trips to Europe. Below he discusses some thoughts on how Australian football is developing and what is needed to push it forward.

Village and Uni to Continent and World – the View from the Far North and how Aussies can help

A glimpse from local footy stories – Turku, Finland and south western France to the continental and intercontinental map.

Stories of local recruiting, Euro competition, Aussie expertise, the need for links

Sunday the 15th November 2009 saw reigning ARUK Central Premiers the Huddersfield Rams head to Gateshead for an off-season friendly match against the North-East All Stars, a side drawn from the five clubs in the region in and around Newcastle.

The Rams have been one of regional England's fastest-growing clubs over the past twelve months, winning their local premiership, taking the road for tour matches as far away as Wales, and lending a hand to other start-up clubs in nearby cities. The 2010 season will hopefully see the current clubs in the north-west joined by sides in cities such as Sheffield, Doncaster, Bradford, York and a team at Leeds Metropolitan University, with the Rams travelling the area to assist in training sessions with members of sides under formation. Furthermore, there are currently footy programs at five local schools, with an additional twelve to come onboard in February next year.

This weekend's game against the All Stars was the result of a challenge issued by Gateshead Miners captain Sean Bulmer, who invited the Rams to make the trip north and take on the best of the North-East Premiership.

The first round of the 2009-10 French League took place on the 14th of November, with Paris, Montpellier and Andorra travelling to Perpignan for the first round, While Bordeaux challenged Toulouse on their own ground.

The Montpellier Firesharks took on last year French Cup finalists, the Perpignan Tigers. Both team were mainly formed of new players. The more experienced Firesharks showed their superiority in the first two quarters, quickly taking the lead. The Tigers made a lot of beginner mistakes, letting the Firesharks taking control of the game. Perpignan were never able to get back in the game. Final Score: Perpignan Tigers 42 - 168 Montpellier Fire Sharks

The second game of the day saw the newly formed Andorra Crows take on French powerhouse, the Paris Cockerels. Despite a promising result in the EU Cup the Crows were never able to match the technical skills of the Parisians. The Cockerels got their first win in this year season with a stunning 263 points margin, Andorra Crows 23 - 286 Paris Cockerels, and remaining undefeated since 2008.

The third game of the round was organised in Toulouse between the Bordeaux Bombers and the Toulouse Crocodiles. After a summer of intensive training the Bombers were eager to prove that they will not get the wooden spoon two years in a row. After a close first quarter, the Crocodiles only leading by a few points, the Bombers were off to a massive second quarter to claim back the lead at half time. The Toulouse players did not give up and came back in the third quarter, but the cool-headed Bombers were too good for the Crocs and eventually won the game 155 to 93.

The Sydney Swans confirm that overnight Tadhg Kennelly informed the Club of his decision to return to Australia and accept a two-year contract. Kennelly arrived at the Swans in 1999, made his debut in 2001, played in the 2005 premiership, earned Life Membership and played 158 games before returning to Ireland at the start of this season to fulfil a lifelong dream to win an All-Ireland premiership.

The All-Ireland premiership was achieved for Kennelly and his side Kerry in September and the 28 year-old was then left weighing up the possibility of resuming an AFL career. After spending a considerable time making that decision, Kennelly will return to Australia next week to officially launch his autobiography ‘Unfinished Business’ and at that time, commence training with the Swans.