Cork dominate AFL teams
By Alex Redmond
No less than 30 Cork based players will be represented in the Irish men’s and women’s Australian Rules football teams in the inaugural Trans-Atlantic Cup.
This international Australian Rules Football tournament will be held in Toronto in Canada, from 2 to 12 August.
While the sport has grown substantially outside of Australia, there’s been a surge in the popularity of Australian Football League (AFL) in Cork. The Leeside Lions are the most successful team in the Irish men’s Premiership, having won seven titles, most recently in 2024. The Cork Vikings also enjoyed success recently, claiming their first women’s Premiership title in 2021 and winning again this year.
This success has resulted in 15 Cork-based players being represented in both the men’s and women’s national teams respectively. They will participate in the tournament in August.
Canada will play host to four other international opponents, including the US, Great Britain, Colombia and France. With Ireland men’s and women’s teams travelling off the back of consecutive European titles in 2022 and 2023, Ireland will be hoping to add to that success in August.
Speaking with the Cork Independent about his feelings ahead of the tournament, Ireland Head Coach Eoin O’Sullivan said: “Going into the competition as double European champions, you have to feel confident. But we're very aware that our men's team went 10 years without a trophy, and now we are at the top we are a target for others.
“We fully appreciate that some of the teams are very much an unknown quantity.
“We know the European teams well, and they have improved massively of late, but the American and Canadian teams will be new opposition and are expected to be very athletic and strong. But we have confidence in our ability, in the talent within our squads, and in the preparation and work put in the past 6 months.”
‘The Irish Experiment’ was the term coined for the expansion of the sport onto Irish shores in the early 1980s. Due to the similarities between Gaelic football and Australian Rules, the AFL in Australia saw the potential for Irish Gaelic football players to succeed in the sport and began a recruitment system. This has continued to this day.
From there, an interest in the sport sparked, prompting the foundation of the Australian Football League Ireland. Ireland now have their own women’s and men’s leagues, with teams from across the country, including Corks men’s team the Leeside Lions and the women’s side, Cork Vikings.
According to their coaches, their success can be attributed to the dedication and hard work put in by the players.
They have embarked on an eight month training programme in preparation for the Trans-Atlantic Cup, engaging in weekly skills sessions, as well as fitness sessions.
Both sides will be hoping their hard work pays off as Ireland will kick off their campaign to become the inaugural Trans-Atlantic Cup Champions on 2 August.
The women’s team open up their tournament by playing the US and the men will take on Colombia.