| Welsh Australian Rules Football League | |
| Sport: | Australian rules football |
| Formerly: | Welsh Australian Football League (Aussie Rules Wales) |
| Headquarters: | Cardiff, Wales |
| Inaugural: | 2007 |
| Teams: | 4 |
| Champion: | South Cardiff Panthers |
| Most Champs: | South Cardiff Panthers (3) |
| Country: | Wales |
| Website: | warfl.org.uk |
Australian rules football has been played on an organised basis in Wales since 2007.[1] The sport is played by both men and women and there are clubs in Cardiff, Swansea, Bridgend, Cwmbran and Penarth. The main competition is the Welsh and England Australian Rules Football League (WARFL, Welsh: Cynghrair Pêl-droed Rheolau Awstralaidd Cymru) who is also the controlling body of the sport in the country. The WARFL runs a senior men's competition and a 3 team women's WWEAFL 9-a-side competition.
The original six WARFL teams were named after clubs in the South Australian National Football League. Prior to 2007 some clubs played in the BARFL though the proximity of these English clubs to the Welsh clubs helped facilitate the Welsh league.
Internationally Wales has fielded a standalone team at the Euro Cup achieving its best results for the women's with 4th place in 2022 and runners up in the men's in 2023 for all other international tournaments Wales is represented by composite the Great Britain team.
The earliest recorded match in Wales was in 1944 when the 462 Squadron played against the second Sunderland Squadron formed teams based on State of Origin (Victoria vs Western Australia) to play a match at Pembroke Dock.[2] [3]
Regular competition in Wales began with the formation of Aussie Rules Wales in September 2006. Thereafter three teams were formed in 2007 being Cardiff Double Blues, South Cardiff Panthers and Swansea Magpies and competed in a 9-a-side format with modified rules in the Welsh division (WAFL) of the ARUK National league. Also the Swindon Devils from England's West Country competed as a guest fourth side. The season concluded with the Swindon Devils defeating South Cardiff by 71 points to win the inaugural (and only) WAFL Premiership.
Aussie Rules Wales then ceased trading in January 2008 and was replaced by the independently run WARFL, which seeks to become the national governing body of the sport in Wales.
The inaugural WARFL Premiership season kicked off in May 2008, with the Cardiff Double Blues, South Cardiff Panthers and Swansea Magpies competing in 9 rounds in 9-a-side format with full AFL rules. The Cardiff Double Blues eventually defeated South Cardiff Panthers by 94 points to win the inaugural 2008 WARFL Premiership. South Cardiff Panthers' David James was awarded best on ground.
In 2009 Gwent Tigers based in Newport joined the league in a 12 round competition with the 9-a-side format unchanged. Also that year the WARFL introduced a pre-season competition known as the Cymru Clwb Cup played at Waunarlwydd RFC in Swansea where the three foundation clubs competed. The Cardiff Double Blues won the tournament winning both of their round robin matches.
At the end of the Premiership South Cardiff Panthers played Swansea Magpies at Llandaff Fields in Cardiff where South Cardiff won by two points to win their first Premiership after being runners up in 2007 and 2008. Swansea Magpies' Matthew Hopkins was awarded best on ground.
2010 saw further expansion of the league with the Vale Warriors based at Barry RFC entering. The second Cymru Clwb Challenge was played at Llandaff Fields with all WARFL clubs playing except for Gwent Tigers who did not field a team due to player unavailability. South Cardiff Panthers won all their matches winning the competition with Cardiff Doubles Blues player Rhys Morgan awarded player of the tournament.
That year the league ran as a 10 round competition with each team playing 8 matches and having 2 byes and continuing in the 9-a-side format. On 24 July the top of the league South Cardiff Panthers played against Swansea Magpies at Barry RFC where South Cardiff won by 71 points to be the first club in WARFL history to win consecutive Premierships. South Cardiff Panthers' ruckman Chris James was awarded best on ground.
The Bridgend Eagles and Bristol Dockers joined the league in 2011 with Gwent Tigers not fielding a team that year.
The league is organised in a similar fashion to the SANFL, with the top two teams at the end of the "home and away" season playing off in the Grand Final for the Premiership Cup.
| Club | Year established | Home Ground | Website | Cymru Clwb Cup winners | League winners | League Premiership winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Facebook page | 0 | 1 (2012) | 0 | ||
| 2007 | Facebook page | 4 (2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013) | 4 (2009, 2010, 2011 & 2013) | 4 (2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012) | ||
| Vale Vikings (formerly Cardiff Double Blues) | 2007 | Facebook page | 1 (2009) | 1 (2008) | 1 (2008) | |
| Chippenham Redbacks (formerly Bath and Wiltshire) | 2007 | Facebook page |
| Club | Year established | Home Ground | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgend Eagles | 2010[4] | Heol-y-Cyw RFC, Bridgend | ||
| Gwent Tigers | 2008 | Facebook page | ||
| 2007 | Facebook page | |||
| Vale Warriors | 2009 |
| Year | League winners | Premiers | Grand Final venue | Grand Final score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Swindon Devils | Swindon Devils | St Peters RFC, Cardiff | Swindon Devils 20.8 (128) def South Cardiff Panthers 7.15 (57) | |
| 2008 | Cardiff Double Blues | Cardiff Double Blues | St Peters RFC, Cardiff | Cardiff Double Blues 18.18 (126) def South Cardiff Panthers 2.20 (32) | |
| 2009 | South Cardiff Panthers | South Cardiff Panthers | Llandaff Fields, Cardiff | South Cardiff Panthers 8.10 (58) def Swansea Magpies 8.8 (56) | |
| 2010 | South Cardiff Panthers | South Cardiff Panthers | Barry RFC, Barry | South Cardiff Panthers 17.20 (121) def Swansea Magpies 8.3 (51) | |
| 2011 | South Cardiff Panthers | South Cardiff Panthers | Pontcanna Pitch, Sport Wales National Centre | South Cardiff Panthers def Bristol Dockers | |
| 2012 | Bristol Dockers | South Cardiff Panthers | Dings Crusaders RFC | Bristol Dockers 6.7 (43) def South Cardiff Panthers 23.23 (161) | |
| 2013 | South Cardiff Panthers | South Cardiff Panthers | Pontcanna Pitch, Sport Wales National Centre | South Cardiff Panthers (0) drew Chippenham Redbacks (0) | |
| 2014 | South Cardiff Panthers | ||||
| 2015 | Bristol Dockers | ||||
| 2016 | South Cardiff Panthers | ||||
| 2017 | Bristol Dockers | ||||
| 2018 | Bristol Dockers | Bristol Dockers 14.14 (98) def South Cardiff Panthers 5.17 (47) | |||
| 2019 | South Cardiff Panthers | ||||
| 2020 | Not contested | ||||
| 2021 | Not contested | ||||
| 2022 | South Cardiff Panthers | South Cardiff Panthers | Llandaff Fields | South Cardiff Panthers (96) def Bristol Dockers (30) |
| Year | Best & Faires | Top Goal Scorer | Rookie of the Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Daniel Morgan-Kane South Cardiff Panthers | Gareth Jones South Cardiff Panthers | Ed Doe South Cardiff Panthers | |
| 2008 | David Saunders Cardiff Double Blues | Tom Judson Cardiff Double Blues | Gareth Llewellyn South Cardiff Panthers | |
| 2009 | Rhys Jones Swansea Magpies | Andrew Atack South Cardiff Panthers | Gareth Sturge Cardiff Double Blues | |
| 2010 | David GambleSouth Cardiff Panthers | Leigh MerringtonSouth Cardiff Panthers | Joshua DaveySouth Cardiff Panthers |
| Wales | |
| Badge: | Flag of Wales.svg |
| Nickname: | Red Dragons |
| Union: | AFL Wales |
| Ic Apps: | 0 |
Two representative sides are organised by the WARFL, one to represent the national league which is an all-stars side known as the "WARFL Red Devils" drawn solely from the WARFL regardless of nationality.
The other representative team organised by the WARFL is the Welsh national team known as the "Cymru Red Dragons". The Red Dragons is primarily made up of players from the WARFL, however does include Welsh players from other leagues around the world.
WARFL Red Devils
The Red Devils first played in the 2007 AFL Britain National Championships known as the Brit Cup, representing the first Welsh side in the tournament's history. Thereafter the Red Devils have played in every Brit Cup including the 2010 tournament but 2012 was the year the Brit Cup made Wales its home for next 12 months as the Devils made the Grand Final that year beating the Favourites the Midland Tigers taking top spot and making history. The Red Devils have also appeared at the 2008 "Haggis Cup" the first time a Welsh team had played in Scotland and again in 2009 but did not field a team in 2010.
Cymru Red Dragons
In November 2007, the Red Dragons became the first all-Welsh representative team when they hosted the England Dragonslayers in Cardiff for the "Dragon Cup", England winning by 30 points.
In the second series of the Dragon Cup, the Cymru Red Dragons defeated 2008 EU Cup champions England Dragonslayers in Reading and Newport by 92 points (aggregate score over two tests) to win the Dragon Cup for the first time. However in September 2009 England defeated Wales in Cardiff and London to regain the Dragon Cup.
The inaugural "Bute Series" for the Crichton-Stuart Cup with Scotland Clansmen (which was also Scotland's first ever Australian Rules football international) was played in Glasgow and Cardiff over two tests in October 2009. The Cymru Red Dragons won the series on aggregate of 30 points with Scotland winning the first test and Wales winning at home in Cardiff the following week.
| Date | Competitor | Tournament | Venue | Score | Series winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov 2007 | England | Dragon Cup | St Peters RFC, Cardiff, Wales | Cymru Red Dragons 9.7 (61)England Dragonslayers 12.19 (91) | England won by 30 points | |
| 18 Oct 2008 | England | Dragon Cup - 1st Test | Kings Park, Reading, England | England Dragonslayers 7.7 (49) Cymru Red Dragons 11.13 (79) | ||
| 25 Oct 2008 | England | Dragon Cup - 2nd Test | Tredegar Park, Newport, Wales | Cymru Red Dragons 15.16 (106) England Dragonslayers (44) | Wales 2-0 | |
| 12 Sep 2009 | England | Dragon Cup - 1st Test | St Colmcilles GAA, Cardiff, Wales | Cymru Red Dragons 6.13 (49) England Dragonslayers 6.18 (54) | ||
| 19 Sep 2009 | England | Dragon Cup - 2nd Test | London, England | England Dragonslayers 13.10 (88) Cymru Red Dragons 3.3 (21) | England 2-0 | |
| 17 Oct 2009 | Scotland | Bute Series - 1st Test | Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, Scotland | Scotland Clansmen 8.12 (60) Cymru Red Dragons 7.2 (44) | ||
| 24 Oct 2009 | Scotland | Bute Series - 2nd Test | St Colmcilles GAA, Cardiff, Wales | Cymru Red Dragons (66) Scotland Clansmen (36) | Wales 1-1 (30 points on aggregate) | |
| 7 Aug 2010 | Scotland | Bute Series - 1st Test | St Colmcilles GAA, Cardiff, Wales | Cymru Red Dragons 9.8 (62)Scotland Clansmen 26.28 (184) | ||
| 21 Aug 2010 | Scotland | Bute Series - 2nd Test | Victoria Park, Glasgow, Scotland | Scotland Clansmen 12.11 (83)Cymru Red Dragons 5.6 (36) | Scotland 2-0 | |
| 18 Sep 2010 | England | Dragon Cup - 1st Test | Chippenham RFC, England | England Dragonslayers 6.14 (48) Cymru Red Dragons 4.12 (36) | ||
| 26 Sep 2010 | England | Dragon Cup - 2nd Test | St Colmcilles GAA, Cardiff, Wales | Cymru Red Dragons 4.4 (28) England Dragonslayers 15.12 (102) | England 2-0 | |
| 2 Oct 2010 | Austria | Euro Cup - 1st Round | Parabiago, Milan, Italy | Cymru Red Dragons 5.10 (40) Austria Kangaroos 0.4 (4) | ||
| 2 Oct 2010 | Croatia | Euro Cup - 2nd Round | Parabiago, Milan, Italy | Croatia Knights 7.9 (51) Cymru Red Dragons 4.0 (24) | ||
| 2 Oct 2010 | Spain | Euro Cup – Plate Round | Parabiago, Milan, Italy | Spain Bulls 5.1 (31) Cymru Red Dragons 3.6 (24) | Wales (7th place) Croatia winners | |
| 1 Oct 2011 | Northern Ireland | Euro Cup – Plate Round | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Spain Bulls (Unknown) Cymru Red Dragons (Unknown) | Wales (5th place) Ireland winners | |
| Aug 2012 | England | Home Nations Cup | Cardiff, Wales | England Dragonslayers (Unknown) Cymru Red Dragons (Unknown) | Wales (2nd place) England winners |
| Year | Best & Fairest | Top Goal Scorer | Rookie of the Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Tom CaseSwindon Devils | Ed DoeSouth Cardiff Panthers | N/A | |
| 2008 | David James South Cardiff Panthers | Ed DoeSouth Cardiff Panthers | N/A | |
| 2009 | David Saunders South Cardiff Panthers | Gareth SturgeCardiff Double Blues | N/A | |
| 2010 | Gareth Griffiths Vale Warriors | Andrew AtackSouth Cardiff Panthers | George LlewellynPortsmouth Pirates |
As of 2013, 15 players from the WARFL have been selected to represent the Great Britain Bulldogs, these being:
Andrew Atack (Cardiff Panthers), Tim Atkins (Swansea Magpies), David Carpenter (Cardiff Double Blues), Liam Corbett (Cardiff Panthers), Joshua Davey (Cardiff Panthers), Ed Doe (Cardiff Panthers), Tom Gillard (Cardiff Double Blues), Mark Horsman (Cardiff Panthers), Chris James (Cardiff Panthers) David James (Cardiff Panthers), Tom Judson (Cardiff Double Blues), David Saunders (Cardiff Panthers), Gareth Sturge (Cardiff Double Blues), Jon Saunders (South Cardiff Panthers), Owain Ryland (South Cardiff Panthers) & Eliot Rich (South Cardiff Panthers).
| Currently on an AFL senior list |
| Player | Club/s | AFL Years* | AFL Matches* | AFL Goals* | Connections to Wales, References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-2018 | - | - | Mother[5] | |||
| , | 2008-2020 | 169 | 60 | Mother[6] | ||
| , | 2005-2016 | 152 | 25 | Father[7] [8] | ||
| , | 1986-1996 | 163 | 178 | Born, Parents[9] | ||
| 1897 | 1 | 0 | Born Bedwellty.[10] |
| Currently on an AFLW senior list |
| Player | Club/s | AFLW Years* | AFLW Matches* | AFLW Goals* | Connections to Wales, References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast | 2023- | 9 | 1 | Born.[11] Father represented Wales in rugby union.[12] | ||
| Carlton, Richmond | 2017- | 55 | 7 | Parent[13] | ||
| Carlton, Richmond | 2017- | 50 | 2 | Parent[14] |
