MORE than 500 participants representing teams from across the Pacific region are putting in place final preparations for the 2024 AFL Pacific Cup, a showcase of international Australian Rules Football which starts next week on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, to be played from November 14-23.
Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex, which boasts four full-size footy ovals and is home to the Maroochydore Roos, will host the action featuring six nations (five from the Pacific region, as well as South Africa), with the 10-day carnival comprising male and female Open and Under-17 divisions.
The AFL Pacific Cup is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland's Major Event Program, and the Sunshine Coast Council, who have partnered with the AFL and thrown their support behind the event.
2024 AFL Pacific Cup – Participating nations:
- Fiji (Open Male, U17 Male, U17 Female)
- Nauru (Open Male, Open Female, U17 Male, U17 Female)
- New Zealand (Open Male, Open Female)
- Papua New Guinea (Open Male, Open Female, U17 Male, U17 Female)
- Tonga (Open Male, Open Female, U17 Male, U17 Female)
- South Africa (U17 Male)
The Under-17 divisions will start playing on Thursday, November 14, with the final day of competition to be contested on Sunday, November 17, while the senior competitions will run from Monday, November 18 and conclude on Saturday, November 23. Squads will be confirmed closer to the event.
A highlight of the event will be the Pasifika cultural afternoon on Sunday, November 17, starting at 3pm. The event will also feature the opening ceremony for the open male and female competitions and coincide with the final day of Under-17 action.
There will be market stalls for players, families and the local community to enjoy.
Head of AFL Queensland and International, Trisha Squires, said: "The 2024 AFL Pacific Cup promises to be a vibrant and colourful celebration of the game. It is very exciting for representatives of the six competing nations to be back involved in an international event of this scale, after a long period without being able to compete against each other.
"A huge amount of work has gone into staging the Pacific Cup and I want to thank the competing countries, including their officials and players, as well as Tourism and Events Queensland and the Sunshine Coast Council for supporting the event to be staged at the magnificent Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex.
"The Pacific has been one of the strongest international regions for Australian Rules Football and the footy on show in Maroochydore is sure to be highly entertaining."
Player selection is based on performance in domestic competitions. Each team manages their own selection process, with AFL-mandated criteria being that each player must be a citizen of the country they are representing.
The AFL International Cup was first staged in 2002 and held every three years through to 2017. The 2020 event was cancelled because of the pandemic and then the AFL announced that the 2023 edition would not be held as the game continued its recovery from two years of disruption.
The focus shifted to the best and most appropriate way to get international competition going again and last year the AFL announced plans for three international regional championships in 2024, being the Transatlantic Cup (held in Toronto in August), the Asia Cup (to be played in Vietnam in December) and Pacific Cup.
Two Pacific Cup teams - Papua New Guinea and New Zealand – faced off in the 2017 International Cup men’s final, which was won narrowly by PNG, a competition contested by teams from across the globe, while PNG is expected to be strong in the women’s competition also. In a sign of how far the game for women and girls has progressed internationally, Nauru and New Zealand are sending national women’s sides to an international competition for the first time.
Live streaming - watch every game
Every game of the 2024 Pacific Cup will be streamed live and free via the AFL Play YouTube channel (youtube.com/@AFLPlay)
AFL furthers pathways for aspiring Australian Rules Football players across the Pacifi
Earlier this year, the AFL announced the extension and expansion of its partnership with the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports, to help identify, develop and grow the Australian Rules Football talent pool from the Pacific region. Find out more, here
