ON THE 24th April, 1918, the small town of Villers-Bretonneux in Northern France was captured by German forces.

Australian troops retaliated overnight and by dawn (on the 25th April, 1918) the town had been retaken.

To mark the strong connection with Australian Armed Forces and Villers-Bretonneux, two games of Australian Rules football are played (a men and women's) annually between the Australian Spirit and France.

This year was the ninth occasion the teams had played for what is called the Anzac Cup.

The Anzac Cup plays part of the greater 'Australia Week' celebrations held in Villers-Bretonneux, and culminates with the Dawn Service at the Australian National War Memorial, attracting thousands to pay their respects.

Players are selected for the Australian Spirit sides based on their personal connection to the Armed Forces, not their footballing ability.

On Sunday, the teams came together to visit the National War Memorial. The teams then marched through the streets of Villers-Bretonneux meeting and greeting locals. The march concluded at Stadium Timmerman and soon after the women's match started, followed by the men's.

The matches were played in picturesque conditions, with the Australian women winning 9.15.69 to 3.8.26. Best-on-ground honours went to Steph Filbay of Australia and Camille Portal of France.

Following a stirring rendition of the French national anthem that had the local crowd excited at the prospect of knocking off the Australians for the first time since 2013, the men's match started.

However, an upset didn't eventuate, with the Australian Spirit winning 13.12.90 to 6.15.51.

The trophies and medals were presented by Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Honourable Dan Tehan MP, who was in Villers-Bretonneux for the Anzac commemorations.

With the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux next year, the 2018 Anzac Cup is set to be extra special.