Milwaukee to Host the 2005 USAFL National Championships!

October 10, 2004

Get ready Milwaukee to host the 8^th annual USAFL National Championships in the fall of 2005!  The announcement was made during this year's Nationals Banquet in Atlanta.  The games will be played over two days (dates TBA) at the Milwaukee Polo Fields. The tournament will feature three divisions pitting clubs according to their national rankings and league titles. The event also will include booths featuring Australian foods and beverages, Australian merchandise, as well as USAFL club and tournament gear. In addition, clinics will be held for those who would like to learn more about the game, and try their hand.

Australian Rules Football (“footy”) is one of the most spectacular, physically demanding and quickest team sports in the world. Its roots are traceable to early forms of rugby and Gaelic football, but it is uniquely Australian. Its rules were codified in 1858, and probably predate all other modern forms of football. Faster than rugby and American football, more physical than soccer, this national sport of Australia now is played across the United States and all over the world. For years, Americans have observed the game on ESPN and Fox Sports World. The wild, action-packed game immediately caught on with Americans, who now make up the bulk of most clubs’ rosters. The league has grown steadily to include more than 40 clubs nationwide, with over 2000 registered players.

About the United States Australian Football League (USAFL)

The United States Australian Football League, founded in 1997, is an amateur, grassroots sports organization dedicated to the development of Australian football in the United States. The USAFL, which comprises more than 40 member clubs, promotes participation by emphasizing awareness and a sense of community within its member clubs, by setting standards by which member clubs agree to abide and by fostering youth programs across the United States.

About the Aussie Rules Club at UWM

This student organization dedicated to generating interest in Australian Rules Football ("Footy") among the UWM student body.  This organization provides a great opportunity for both male and female students to participate in athletic competition and get involved in a different sport.

The Milwaukee Bombers participate in the Mid American Australian Football League (MAAFL), a division of the United States Australian Football League (USAFL).  The Aussie Rules Club at UWM is affiliated with the Milwaukee Bombers.