Australasia GAA

Australasia GAA

Irish:	Australasia CLG
County colours:	Green and Gold
Dominant sport:	Gaelic football

The Australasia County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), or Australasian GAA, or Gaelic Football & Hurling Association of Australasia is one of the county boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games all across Australasia. It is also responsible for Australasian inter-state matches, primarily conducted in an annual weeklong tournament. The association is made up of the Australian state associations of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia, and the New Zealand associations of Auckland and Wellington.

History

The first reported games of Gaelic football in Australasia were played in South Australia in the 1840s, and this begins the recorded history of Australasian GAA. Official associations, however, were not formed until the twentieth century.

The first Australasian GAA was formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1953. Victoria's GAA was formed in 1956, followed by New South Wales. This was followed in 1963 by the formation of a South Australian association and associations in Western Australia and Queensland soon after.

The first interstate championships in both codes were played between NSW, Victoria and South Australia in 1971.

In Sydney in 1974 representatives of state associations met and agreed to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia to administer and promote Gaelic football and hurling on a national level. Subsequently, the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia joined with the New Zealand associations of Auckland and Wellington to form the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australasia.

The last few years have been a time of expansion in the Association. New initiatives and developments, combined with GAA funding, have seen the number of teams competing in Gaelic football more than double.. The current Australasian secretary is Gerard Roe.

The Australasian championships

The Australasian Championships, commonly referred to as the Australasian Games, are a weeklong tournament staged annually in September/October each year and hosted by one of the member state associations. Tournaments feature Men's football (both Senior and Minor) and Women's football, with Hurling typically only played when the tournament is in Australia. In most circumstances there is only one side per state per code, but when numbers are low in a code (typically hurling) or in the number of states entered (usually when the tournament is in Western Australia or New Zealand) exceptions to this are made.

The tournament is usually played in a round-robin format with the top-4 teams proceeding to the semi-finals (1v4 and 2v3), with the two winners of those matches contesting the championship final.

States may name a squad of up to 25 players for the championships. For each match teams then name a panel of 21 players with unlimited player interchange used. In recent years a 'Visa' rule has been introduced to encourage states to develop their own players. This rule limits the number of players any state may select in any code who are not either Australians or New Zealanders, or have obtained residency in either country. It was initially introduced at 12 players and has been reduced to 10 players more recently.

Hurling

The current Australasian champions are New South Wales, who defeated Queensland by a score of 1–16 to 1–07 at the 2009 Australasian Championships in Melbourne. Hurling was not played at the 2010 tournament in Auckland.

Recent years winners are:

• 2008 Victoria 2-09 def Western Australia 1–10
• 2007 NSW City 2–12 def NSW Country 1–07
• 2006 NSW 3–17 def Western Australia 3–08
• 2005 NSW City 2–14 def NSW Coast 2–06
• 2004 NSW 3–10 def Victoria 1–10
• 2003 NSW Coast 4–14 def NSW City 0–08
• 2002 Not played

Men's Gaelic football

The current Australasian champions are Queensland, who defeated Wellington by a score of 0–22 to 4–06 at the 2010 Championships in Auckland. This match is notable as being the first time the final has gone to a second period of extra-time as the teams were tied 0–14 to 3–05 at the end of regulation time and 0–18 to 4–06 at the conclusion of the first period of extra-time. This was Queensland's first title and Wellington's first final appearance.

Recent years winners are:

• 2009 Victoria 2–12 def Western Australia 2–10
• 2008 Victoria 3–15 def South Australia 2–04
• 2007 NSW 3–12 def Victoria 2–12
• 2006 Western Australia 1–13 def Victoria 0–14
• 2005 NSW 4–12 def South Australia 0–07
• 2004 NSW 1–13 def Victoria 0–06
• 2003 NSW 0–14 def South Australia 0–06
• 2002 Victoria 2–14 def NSW 1–14 (after extra time)

Minor Gaelic football

The current Australasian champions are Victoria, who defeated Auckland 1–18 to 3–03 at the 2010 championship in Auckland

Recent years winners are:

• 2009 Victoria 3–10 def Western Australia 1–07
• 2008 Western Australia 1–13 def Victoria 0–06
• 2007 Victoria 5–12 def South Australia 1–06
• 2006 WA Gold 2–10 def WA Black 1–08
• 2005 South Australia 2-05 def Western Australia 1–03
• 2004 South Australia 1–11 def NSW 1–04
• 2003 South Australia 3-07 def Auckland 2–05
• 2002 Auckland 3–11 def Western Australia 2–08

Ladies' Gaelic football

The current Australasian champions are Western Australia, who defeated South Australia by 5–09 to 2–01.

Recent years winners are:

• 2009 Western Australia 3-08 def South Australia 1–08
• 2008 South Australia 2-08 def Western Australia 2–07
• 2007 Western Australia 4–11 def Queensland 0–03
• 2006 Western Australia 3–07 def Queensland 0–04
• 2005 Western Australia 3–07 def Queensland 2–07
• 2004 Queensland 5–07 def Western Australia 1–02
• 2003 NSW 1–07 def Queensland 1–06 (after extra time)
• 2002 Queensland 2–03 def NSW 1–04

Camogie

Camogie has not yet been played at the Australasian championships as a competitive event; however exhibition matches have been held at several recent championships.

International honours

The Australasia Ladies' football team have won three Women's World Cup competitions (the tournament does not include Irish sides) in 2000, 2002 and 2005.

External links

• Australasia GAA site
• Australasia GAA on Facebook
• Young Irelands Gaelic Football Club Sydney
• St. Finbarr's GAA Perth is one of Western Australia's longest established GAA clubs.