Editing Australian rules football (section)

==Global reach==
{{Main|Geography of Australian rules football}}
[[File:Linkbelt1999-Finalspiel.jpg|thumb|Australian football match at [[Linkbelt Oval]] in [[Australian rules football in Nauru|Nauru]], where Australian football is the [[national sport]]]]
[[File:Australian Rules Football International Cup World Map.png|thumb|Countries in red have participated in the [[Australian Football International Cup|International Cup]], held triennially in Australia.]]
During the colonial period, Australian rules was sometimes referred to as Australasian rules, reflecting its popularity in [[Australian rules football in New Zealand|New Zealand]]. The game was played outside Australasia as early as 1888 when Australians studying at [[Edinburgh University]] and [[London University]] formed teams and competed in London.{{sfn|Williamson|2003|pp=138–140}} By the early 20th century, it had spread with the [[Australian diaspora]] to [[Australian rules football in South Africa|South Africa]], the [[Australian rules football in the United States|United States]] and other parts of the Anglosphere; however this growth went into rapid decline during and after World War I, leading also to a decades long hiatus in New Zealand. After World War II, it experienced growth in the Pacific region, particularly in [[Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]] and [[Australian rules football in Nauru|Nauru]], where Australian football is now the [[national sport]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=64399 |title=Team Profile: Nauru Chiefs |first=Chelsea |last=Roffey |author-link=Chelsea Roffey |publisher=Afl.com.au |date=30 July 2008 |access-date=19 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125142626/http://afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=64399 |archive-date=25 January 2009}}</ref>

Today, the sport is played at an amateur level in [[Countries playing Australian rules football|various countries]] throughout the world. Twenty-three countries have participated in the [[Australian Football International Cup|International Cup]], the highest level of international competition, held triennially in Australia since 2002. Nine countries have also participated in the [[AFL Europe Championship]] with both competitions prohibiting Australian players. A fan of the sport since attending school in Victoria, [[Charles III|King Charles]] is the Patron of [[AFL Europe]]. In 2013, participation across AFL Europe's 21 member nations was more than 5,000 players, the majority of which are European nationals rather than Australian expats.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/media/press-releases/the-prince-of-wales-becomes-patron-of-afl-europe |title=The Prince of Wales becomes Patron of AFL Europe |date=25 October 2013 |publisher=princeofwales.gov.uk |access-date=3 November 2012 |archive-date=4 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104183003/http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/media/press-releases/the-prince-of-wales-becomes-patron-of-afl-europe |url-status=live }}</ref> The sport also has a growing presence in India.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rith Basu|first1=Ayan Paul|title=Soccer city gets a taste of Aussie football|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151102/jsp/calcutta/story_50958.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106202859/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151102/jsp/calcutta/story_50958.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2015|access-date=3 November 2015|date=2 November 2015}}</ref> Over 20 countries have either affiliation or working agreements with the AFL.<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/GameDevelopment/International/tabid/285/Default.aspx AFL International Development] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121141159/http://www.afl.com.au/GameDevelopment/International/tabid/285/Default.aspx |date=21 November 2008 }}</ref>

Most present-day international amateur clubs and leagues are based in [[Australian rules football in the Americas|North America]], [[Australian rules football in Europe|Europe]] and [[Australian rules football in Asia|Asia]], with the oldest typically having originated in the 1980s. That decade, the sport developed a cult following in the United States when matches were broadcast on the fledgling [[ESPN]] network.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Delaney|first1=Tim|last2=Madigan|first2=Tim|title=The Sociology of Sports: An Introduction|publisher=McFarland|year=2009|pages=284–285|isbn=978-0786453153}}</ref> Growing international interest has been assisted by [[Australian rules football exhibition matches|exhibition matches]], [[players who have converted from one football code to another|players switching between football codes]], and [[multiculturalism in Australia|Australia's multicultural makeup]]. Many [[List of overseas-born AFL players|VFL/AFL players were born overseas]], with a growing number recruited through various initiatives. One notable example is the [[Irish experiment]], which, since the 1980s, has seen many [[Gaelic football]]ers leave the amateur [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] to play Australian rules professionally. This has expanded to the [[AFL Women's|AFLW]], where it has grown from one Irish player in the debut [[2017 AFL Women's season|2017 season]], to 36 in [[2024 AFL Women's season|2024]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vinall|first1=Marnie|title=Attacking flair, speed and a knack for scoring: How the Irish influx is shaping the AFLW|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-28/aflw-irish-players-eilish-odowd/104513648|access-date=11 November 2024|date=28 October 2024}}</ref>

Although Australian rules football is not an Olympic sport, it was [[Australian football at the 1956 Summer Olympics|showcased at the MCG]] as part of the [[1956 Summer Olympics]], held in Melbourne. In addition, when Brisbane hosted the [[1982 Commonwealth Games]], an exhibition match was held at the Gabba.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenberg |first1=Tony |title=When the Tigers won Games gold |url=https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/269610/when-the-tigers-won-games-gold |website=RichmondFC.com.au |publisher=Richmond Football Club |date=4 April 2018 |access-date=31 July 2022 |archive-date=31 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731163644/https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/269610/when-the-tigers-won-games-gold |url-status=live }}</ref>