Australian rules football in New Zealand
Australian rules football in New Zealand is notable as the first colony outside of Australia to take up the sport as early as the 1860s and was home to the first club formed outside Australia in 1876. The sport's official name was changed in 1890 to Australasian Football acknowledge New Zealand's participation and remained for some time even after the country was expelled from the Australasian Football Council. After a half century hiatus of organised competition, it has grown rapidly as an amateur sport. Today five of New Zealand's sixteen regions have organised competitions: Auckland (Auckland AFL); Canterbury (Canterbury AFL); Wellington (Wellington AFL); Waikato (Waikato AFL) and Otago (Otago AFL). A four-team national competition with a national draft has been contested at the North Harbour Stadium in Auckland since 2016 for men and 2019 for women. The national team were crowned International champions at the 2005 Australian Football International Cup and competed annually against the AFL Academy between 2012 and 2019. Since the 2010s the game has also grown at junior level among New Zealand schools as the "Hawks Cup".
| Australian rules football in New Zealand | |
|---|---|
New Zealand captain Andrew Congalton takes a mark in a 2008 International Cup match against India | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Governing body | New Zealand AFL |
| National team(s) | New Zealand |
| First played | 1871, Wellington |
| Registered players | 30,000 |
| Clubs | 19 |
Club competitions | |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 22,546 – 2013 St Kilda vs Sydney. Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
The first Australian Football League match in New Zealand was played in 1991 and the first AFL premiership match played outside of Australia was the April 25, 2013 match held in Wellington. The average attendance for AFL premiership matches is 16,027. New Zealand is now considered as having the potential to host a professional team. The sport's athletes from New Zealand have become a major talent pool for both professional Australian rules and rugby football competitions and an AFL New Zealand Combine has been held since 2012.
More than 25 players have been listed by clubs in both the AFL and the AFLW since 2010, including descendants of both Māori and European New Zealanders. Wayne Schwass played 282 matches and a premiership in the AFL, more than any other New Zealand born player, Trent Croad has kicked the most goals (189) while Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw holds similar honours (premiership, most games and goals) in the AFLW.