Spain

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football_in_Europe

Australian rules football in Spain is currently played in two regions, with an emerging local league in the Autonomous Community of Madrid and the LFAC in the region of Catalonia. Spain’s national Australian rules football team is nicknamed the Bulls, their guernsey showing a Bull, the national symbol of Spain, in the national colours of red and yellow. The Spanish national team entered a team into the 2005 Australian Football International Cup, successfully raising the money to travel to Melbourne, Australia. The team failed to win a game and finished last, but was widely commended for its spirited performance. This team was drawn exclusively from players from the Madrid Bears and Spanish nationals resident in Melbourne, the Catalan league not taking part in the squad for various reasons.

Two separate sides from Spain appeared at the 2007 EU Cup, one drawn from Madrid under the banner of ‘Spain’ and another representing Catalonia.

Madrid

site: http://www.madridbears.com/

format: Eurofooty (9-a-side)

EU Cup results:

Australian rules was first played in Madrid at a social level in 1997. In 2003, the Madrid Bears club formed and quickly grew in player numbers. In a minor international championship in 2003 hosted by Spain and with Germany and England also involved, Spain defeated Germany in the final.

In October 2003 the Australian Convicts played their second match of their European tour against the Bears in Madrid, Spain.

The Bears’ level of activity dropped off in the season following the 2005 International Cup, although the creation of a second team known as the Kangaroos in the town of Móstoles near Madrid and the commencement of a championship series between the Bears and Kangaroos has seen a resurgence in playing numbers.

Catalonia

Site: http://www.lfac.cat/

Format: Eurofooty (9-aisde)

EU Cup results:

Australian rules football in Catalonia is currently played by two teams in Barcelona and Valls organised as the Lliga de Futbol Australià de Catalunya (Catalan Australian Football League). The sport began in Catalonia in 2000, when a group of people begun to play in Valls. The LFAC was officially created in 2005, teams that have competed in this league include Belfry Valls, Barcelona Stars, Gabas Tarragona, Lleida Coiots, and Wendells Salou. Salou marged with Tarragona for the 2006 season, then in 2007 the teams from Lleida and Tarragona elected to withdraw from the league, hoping to rebuild.

A French team from Northern Catalonia, the Saint Esteve Saints, considered joining the LFAC for their 2007 season, but this club has since folded.

The Catalan team played at the 2005 EU Cup in London and also appeared at the EU Cup in 2007.

In 2008 the league kicked off the season with four teams; Belfry Valls, Cornella Bocs (previously the Barcelona Stars), Valls Fire and Picamuixons Birds. A team from Andorra had planned to compete, but were forced to withdraw due to problems with the stadium they had planned to use. The Andorrans competed in other matches outside the LFAC season.

In 2009, the league spread to cover teams from the Catalan regions of Andorra and France, with the inclusion of the Andorra Crows and the Perpignan Tigers