International Rules Series

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2005 Official tournament logo

International Rules Football match at the Telstra Dome - Australia vs Ireland. Melbourne, Australia

The Cormac McAnallen Cup presented to the International Rules Series winners

The International Rules Series is a senior men's competition in International rules football played each October, after the completion of the Australian Football League Grand Final and All-Ireland Football Final which are both played on the last weekend of September.

The Irish team is selected by the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Australian team is selected by the Australian Football League.

The series alternates host countries each year between Ireland and Australia. Since the resumption of the senior international series in 1998, the average attendance up to the conclusion of the 2006 series has been 48,199. Ireland has won seven matches, Australia has won five with a further two being drawn.

In 2004, the Series trophy was renamed the Cormac McAnallen Cup, after a Tyrone Gaelic Footballer Cormac McAnallen who died in 2004 from a heart condition. He also represented Ireland at this level in 2002.

Australian tests are sponsored by Foster's, while Irish tests are sponsored by Coca-Cola. The logos of the two brands are apparent on each team's uniform (Foster's for Australia and Coca-Cola for Ireland). The competition is run by the AFL and the GAA.

The best player in the Australian side each year is awarded the Jim Stynes Medal.

The test has sold out once in Australia in Perth in 2003, and the first series to sell out was in Ireland in 2006 when a record of 82,127 was set, making the test the largest crowd for an International sports fixture in Ireland.

The tests were indefinitely postponed by the GAA in 2007 following the 2006 International Rules Series, citing a series of violent on-field incidents. However, the games look set to resume in October 2008, following discussions between the GAA and AFL.

1 All-time standings (1984-2006)
2 Test results
3 Audience
- 3.1 Television
4 Future of the series
5 Venues
6 References
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] All-time standings (1984-2006)

Country	Series won	Test matches won ¹
Australia	7	14
Ireland	6	14

¹ Two draws (second test 1999, second test 2002).

[edit] Test results

Australia is the current holder of the Cormac McAnallen Cup, after winning the 2006 Series with both teams winning a match, but Australia won with an aggregate margin of 30 points. The series took place in Ireland, with tests played at Pearse Stadium in Galway (on October 28 2006) and Croke Park in Dublin (on November 5 2006).

**Results of International Rules Series since 1998**
Year	Host Country	First Test	Stadium/Location	Crowd	Second Test	Stadium/Location	Crowd	Aggregate Margin	Series Winner
2006	Ireland	IE 1.12.6 (48) def. AU 1.9.7 (40)	Pearse Stadium, Galway	35,000*	AU 3.15.6 (69) def. IE 0.7.10 (31)	Croke Park, Dublin	82,127*	AU 109 def. IE 79 (30)	Australia
2005	Australia	AU 2.27.7 (100) def. IE 3.11.13 (64)	Subiaco Oval, Perth	39,098	AU 0.18.9 (63) def. IE 0.11.9 (42)	Telstra Dome, Melbourne	45,428	AU:163; IE:106 (57)	Australia
2004	Ireland	IE 3.17.8 (77) def. AU 1.9.8 (41)	Croke Park, Dublin	46,370	IE 1.15.4 (55) def. AU 0.12.5 (41)	Croke Park, Dublin	60,515	IE:132; AU:82 (50)	Ireland
2003	Australia	AU 3.10.8 (56) def. IE 1.10.10 (46)	Subiaco Oval, Perth	41,228*	IE 2.9.9 (48) def. AU 1.10.9 (45)	MCG, Melbourne	60,235	AU:101; IE:94 (7)	Australia
2002	Ireland	AU 2.13.8 (59) def. IE 1.13.8 (53)	Croke Park, Dublin	44,421	Draw: IE 1.8.12 (42) AU 1.11.3 (42)	Croke Park, Dublin	71,532	AU:101; IE:95 (6)	Australia
2001	Australia	IE 2.13.8 (59) def. AU 1.13.8 (53)	MCG, Melbourne	48,121	IE 2.17.8 (71) def. AU 1.13.7 (52)	Football Park, Adelaide	31,713	IE:130; AU:105 (25)	Ireland
2000	Ireland	AU 0.14.13 (55) def. IE 1.11.8 (47)	Croke Park, Dublin	38,000	AU 2.15.11 (68) def. IE 1.12.9 (51)	Croke Park, Dublin	57,289	AU:123; IE:98 (25)	Australia
1999	Australia	IE 2.16.10 (70) def. AU 0.15.17 (62)	MCG, Melbourne	64,326	Draw: AU 2.12.4 (52) IE 1.11.13 (52)	Football Park, Adelaide	45,187	IE:122; AU:114 (8)	Ireland
1998	Ireland	AU 2.12.14 (62) def. IE 2.12.13 (61)	Croke Park, Dublin	22,000	IE 4.12.7 (67) def. AU 2.10.14 (56)	Croke Park, Dublin	35,000	IE:128; AU:118 (10)	Ireland

*=Sold out / Maximum Capacity

**Earlier Tests (1984-1990)**
Year	Host Country	Results	Stadium	Location	Crowd
Nov. 17 1990	Australia	Australia 50 d. Ireland 44	WACA	Perth	7,700
Nov. 10 1990	Australia	Ireland 52 d. Australia 31	Canberra Stadium	Canberra	7,000
Nov. 2 1990	Australia	Ireland 47 d. Australia 38	Waverley Park	Melbourne	18,332
Nov. 1 1987	Ireland	Australia 59 d. Ireland 55	Croke Park	Dublin	27,023
Oct. 25 1987	Ireland	Australia 72 d. Ireland 47	Croke Park	Dublin	15,485
Oct. 18 1987	Ireland	Ireland 53 d. Australia 51	Croke Park	Dublin	15,532
Oct. 24 1986	Australia	Ireland 55 d. Australia 32	Football Park	Adelaide	10,000
Oct. 19 1986	Australia	Ireland 62 d. Australia 46	Waverley Park	Melbourne	10,883
Oct. 10 1986	Australia	Australia 64 d. Ireland 57	WACA	Perth	24,000
Oct. 28 1984	Ireland	Australia 76 d. Ireland 71	Croke Park	Dublin	32,318
Oct. 28 1984	Ireland	Ireland 80 d. Australia 76	Croke Park	Dublin	12,500
Oct. 21 1984	Ireland	Australia 70 d. Ireland 57	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	Cork	8,000

[edit] Audience

[edit] Television

The International Rules Series has been broadcast on television in Australia and Ireland since the late 1990s. In 2006, it was broadcast by Network Ten (delayed) in Australia and RTÉ Two (live) in Ireland. In 2005, it was broadcast by the Nine Network.

Apart from Australia and Ireland, the international focus of the series has seen a growing international audience. From 2005, broadcasting extended its reach to the United States via Setanta Sports North America and in Hong Kong via the Australia Network. The 2006 series was also broadcast to the United Kingdom on Setanta Sports 2.

[edit] Future of the series

The future of the series was brought into doubt through the on-field actions of Australian co-captain Chris Johnson, with high contact against at least 3 Irish players. Many Australians raised the argument that the actions of Johnson and other players such as Trent Croad was in response to low contact by the Irish players unaccustomed to tackling. As Johnson's penalties applied only to future International tests and not to AFL home and away matches, the AFL and GAA were forced to negotiate suitable penalties for similar future indiscretions. The harsh reaction of the Irish media and calls amongst various officials threatened to cancel the series and labelled the Australian side a bunch of thugs.

Brendan Fevola's assault of an Irish barman which resulted in his being sent home from the Australian tour in the 2006 International Rules Series brought the series into question for the behaviour and laid-back attitude which the professional Australian players have towards the series.^[1]

In 2006, following the Under 19 series, the GAA raised the possibility of making it a biennial event to reduce cost of travel.

Also in 2006, the AFL's international development department, with interests in the development of South African talent, announced its intentions to include South Africa as part of an international tri-series in 2010.

Following controversies in the 2006 series, the Irish team coach and GAA president again cast doubts on the future of the series. The AFL's chief, however expressed optimism. The GAA stated that it intended to scrap the 2007 series altogether if the AFL did not abide by a set of laws that they intended to set out. Under the new rules, tackling limitations could be imposed by the GAA to minimise incidents such as the tackle laid by Australia's Danyle Pearce that knocked out Irish player Graham Geraghty in the 2006 series.^[2]

In December 2006, the GAA decided to abandon the 2007 series.

"On the recommendation of the Management Committee, it was agreed that there would be no Junior or Senior Series of games in 2007. It was agreed that a document would be prepared by the Gaelic Athletic Association, which would put on record the basis of structure, rules, their implementation and penalties on which the future of any Series must be considered. This document will be brought back to Central Council for decision after which it will be forwarded to the AFL for their consideration. If the Gaelic Athletic Association’s terms, as outlined in this document, are acceptable to the AFL, then discussions on the future of the Series could take place. Dessie Farrell, the player’s representative stated that while there would be some disappointment amongst players that the 2007 Series will not take place, the decision was, in his view, probably a wise one."^[3]