Presse

Article du 09 octobre 2014

There have been whispers of new clubs in France for some time now. The ALFA Lions and Nancy Bobcats have arrived, but interest remains over the teams from Toulon and Pau. There has been some talk of a club starting in Zenica (Bosnia & Herzegovina), and there have been overtures in Bergen (Norway) for a possible club to start, though that is not much past conversational stage at the moment. But this short list (and there are others, without doubt, that I have not mentioned) could potentially be the candidates for SCP grants for 2015.

Article du 27 novembre 2013

Russian teams are in their infancy in Yaroslavl and Novokuznetsk, and France has already seen the addition to the CNFA of the ALFA Lions, with the possibility of future teams from Pau, St Nazaire and Toulon having been discussed in the past year. Even in Austria the Styrian DownUnderDogs have given birth to a litter of small nine per side clubs named the Murtal Mountain Goats, Gradec Earthmovers and Castle Rock Mammoths.

Article du 01 avril 2013

Un groupe s'est constitué sur Toulon et ont eu leur premier entraînement le 19 mars. Le CNFA travaille en étroite collaboration avec Jonathan Martin, initiateur du projet, pour la fondation et le développement de notre sport sur cette ville.

Article du 03 mars 2013

Australian Rules football has continued to show positive growth in many ways throughout Europe, one of which is the development of new clubs in leagues in France, Finland and Ireland. Over coming weeks, World Footy News will bring more detailed stories of these clubs to readers. But this small overview will still be of interest to those keen to see continued development and growth in Europe.  

Finland - Lappeenranta Wildmen

Just 19 miles from the Russian border in south-eastern Finland lies the city of Lappeenranta. It has a population of around 70,000, and will be home to the newest Finnish Australian Rules team. With the assistance of a start-up grant from AFL Europe, the Lappeenranta Wildmen are on their way. They will soon join with the Helsinki Heatseekers, Turku Dockers, Salo Juggernauts and Vaasa Wombats to strengthen the development of Finland AFL.

France - St Nazaire, Toulon and Pau Bears

Further south in France the Australian Rules football landscape is set to change quite dramatically with the proposed arrival of three new clubs. As a sign that the code is being embraced by more and more interested people, teams will be forming in Pau, Toulon and St Nazaire.Pau is in the far south of France, close to the Spanish border, not too far from the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees Mountains. It will be the home of the newly formed Pau Bears club. Toulon is a large town in the far south east of France on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea along the Cote d’Azur (Azure Coast) not far from Marseilles. St Nazaire sits on the estuary of the Loire River where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean to the south west of Paris. It will be interesting to see if the Australian Rules loving public in France can sustain 10 teams, but success would be very welcome.

Ireland - UCC Bombers

In the south of Ireland, the UCC Bombers (University College Cork) will join with the Leeside Lions to give prospective Australian Rules players a second team in the city of Cork, located in the south of the country. Another start-up grant from AFL Europe and full support from ARFLI has given rise to this club and it must be hoped that they will one day become the 7th major Australian Rules football club in Ireland.Anything new is exciting, and it should be no different when it comes to new football teams. This is especially true in Europe where Australian Rules football must compete for its market share against other more developed codes and sporting options. It remains to be seen whether or not each of these clubs is successful. But there is no reason why this should not be so provided the support remains and grows. There will also be other embryonic clubs elsewhere watching closely the success of these teams. We say a hearty “Good Luck!” to you all. As a final word, AFL Europe has pointed out the large costs associated with setting up new clubs. They have asked that if there are any clubs or leagues in Australia (or elsewhere) that has spare sets of jumpers they could donate, it would help ensure the growth and sustained success of the new clubs. Please contact Ben MacCormack at AFL Europe by email ben.maccormack@afleurope.org and they will arrange shipping and meet the costs.

Article du 28 février 2013

Looking at French Aussie Rules from a distance has been exciting. From a non-political view (ie: spectator only) it is so good to see 7 teams on the roster. Even though Perpignon have not been involved this season, they are still part of the image of the French scene. I have to admit also that of the 7 clubs, Perpignon, Strasbourg, Aix-Marseille, Montpellier and Bordeaux have all accepted our own club's invitations to be a brother club. That is 5 out of 7 clubs in one country or 71% of French clubs linking with us, meaning that French clubs have our highest proportion of contacts of ANY country, which makes them special to us. It would be tremendous to see three new clubs, though Perpignon's struggles are a warning sign I guess that the success of any new club is not guaranteed. But I truly hope we see a day where Pau, Lyon (or Toulon) and St Nazaire can compete on a regular basis. The upcoming Euro Cup in Bordeaux will add to the following, and I believe that the Villers-Bretonneux ANZAC Day clash could gather more interest over time, further adding to the overall mosaic of French footy. I, for one, am highly ecxited about the possibilities of Australian Rules football in France.

Article du 25 janvier 2013

Bordeaux Bombers were one of the first European clubs to accept   our club's Brother Club invitation, and as a result we have followed  their progress more closely than many other teams (also,  being Bombers, I was always taken with them). We have witnessed the way the French clubs have embraced the game, and with Montpellier, Strasbourg, Perpignon, Aix-Marseilles having since become our brothers, we have a higher porportion of French clubs as our brothers than any other nation. It will become even more exciting when the Pau Bears, Toulon and St Nazaire join the competition. We also wish Bordeaux well when they host the Euro Cup later this year. Vive La (AFL) France.