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Why Aussie Rules Football Is So Popular

Sebastian Langer 0

Why Aussie Rules Football Is So Popular

Despite many people having never heard of it, Aussie Rules football is a truly word wide phenomenon. During the annual Euro Cup players from twenty countries take part while 23 countries take part in the International Cup.

Ironically however both of these events prohibit Australian players due to their severe and aggressive play styles. This brings up probably one of the main things Aussie Rules football is known for, the violence.

A Strong American Fan Base

The biggest international exposure the game received post World War 2 was during the 80’s when America’s ESPN started broadcasting Aussie rules matches. This quickly built up a fan base for the game, which played out like a cross between football and rugby, making it easily digestible for the average American sports fan that probably didn’t know much about either game.

Combine this with the fact that most matches are played on modified cricket ovals and you have a perfect piece of unique sporting action for American fans. Aussie Rules matches are also played in a similar way to American Football, Hockey and Basketball matches. Each game is divided in quarters of 20 minutes which also happens to make this sport ideally set up to fit into American sports betting frameworks.

A Cross Gender Sport

What has further expanded the Aussie Rules fan base across the world is the introduction of Women’s Aussie Rules football.  Today there are over 380 000 active female Aussie rules players and there is the AFL Women’s National Championships to compete in in Australia.

That said the game has always been popular with women even since its inception in 19th Century Australia. It is said to stem from the game’s origins in parks and on sports grounds that has kept the game open for players of all colours, creeds and sexes.

A One Of A Kind Game

In the information age we are getting swamped by the more common western sports, online pokies, and practices. This has played a major role in pushing the popularity of Aussie Rules football as it is a truly one of a kind sport. Even with its uniqueness, the game still features elements that should be instantly familiar to any sports fan like goal kicks, dribbling, passing, but presented in a totally unfamiliar fashion.

Today its originality stands out like a sore thumb. Even though the sport is not as violent as it once was, in today’s sanitised sporting environment the role of the hard-hitting nature of the game cannot be understated.

Aussie Rules football originally started spreading from Australia in the 19th century, notably to New Zealand and South Africa. World War one curtailed any further expansion until post World War 2 international relations when the game started spreading throughout the Pacific.

This was most notably at Nauru where Aussie Rules football is the national sport. Prince Charles acted as a patron for the sport throughout Europe after receiving his education in Geelong. Today the sport is seeing growth in India where the popular sports betting community quickly embraced the game.

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