The AFL has announced the 2017 AFL International Cup (IC17) will be held in Melbourne, from August 5-19.

It will be the sixth International Cup and will include both men’s and women’s competitions.

The AFL’s head of community and international development Grant Williams said he expects the 2017 carnival to be the biggest yet. 

“The popularity of Australian football overseas continues to grow with more players and fans taking up and supporting our game,” he said.

“Following the success of the AFL International Cup in 2014, we will again conduct a round of matches in IC17 at suburban and country grounds to give participants an authentic Australian Football experience.

“We look forward to welcoming players from North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific.” 

The AFL International Cup is played every three years. No expatriate Australians are eligible to play. Teams comprise solely of amateurs who must be nationals of the country they represent.

In 2014 there were 25 teams (18 men’s and seven women’s) representing 18 nations. Papua New Guinea won the men’s event, while Canada was victorious in the women’s.

Visit http://aflic17.com.au