International Rules Football

International Rules Football is a mix of Australian Football and Gaelic Football. Both sports are very similar and were formerly played almost exclusively in Australia and Ireland. In order to enable countries games and games between the respective associations, the associations Australian Football League and Gaelic Athletic Association agreed on a compromise. Therefore, it is sometimes spoken of Compromise Rules.

Current

Since 1998, two annual games are played between national teams of both nations, with the host country changes annually.

Competition

In contrast to Gaelic football, the number of Australian football playing nations has increased dramatically in recent years, so in 2002 the unofficial World Association International Australian Football Council and the Australian Football League in and around Melbourne of the Australian Football International Cup, a sort of World Cup played for the first time, could be. In 2005 there was a new edition in 2008 and the third cup was held. The qualification is still by invitation. The Australian national team itself does not participate in AFIC, as the playful level of other nations is too low ( yet). In the future this could change as more and more foreigners playing in the AFL, which should be a good competition in AFIC. An Irish national team in the Australian Football there already; she won the 2002 title.