THE AFL will play its first ever match in China between Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions this Sunday October 17.
The
Kaspersky Cup, AFL Shanghai Showdown, will be played at the Jiangwan
Sports Centre in Shanghai, starting at 2.10pm local time.
The
stadium at the Jiangwan Sports Centre in Yangpu District has a capacity
of up to 10,000 spectators. Teams from Japan and China will feature in
a curtain raiser to the main game.
On Saturday October 16, 12
Australian football teams from across Asia will also compete in the
Asian championships at Jiangwan Stadium. The Kaspersky Cup coincides
with World Expo in Shanghai, at which Australia has a significant
presence.
AFL General Manager National and International
Development David Matthews said the match was a wonderful opportunity
to showcase Australian football.
“Australian football is more
than 150 years old but this is our first ever AFL match in China. We
are extremely excited to be able to bring Australia’s indigenous game
and all its unique skills to Shanghai as we continue to develop the
code internationally,” he said.
In another first, the match will
broadcast live into the Shanghai region on the Chinese language Great
Sports Channel and on International Channel Shanghai (ICS).
The
AFL recently signed a landmark agreement to broadcast matches live into
Shanghai, including the 2010 Toyota AFL Final Series and Toyota AFL
Grand Final. In 2011 one AFL match per week will be televised live in
Shanghai on ICS through Australia Network.
In 2010 the AFL also
conducted a development program in schools across Shanghai to introduce
children to the game and set up a Mandarin language website www.51AFL.com.
The
AFL’s venture into China followed a suggestion by then Federal Trade
Minister Simon Crean to take Australian football to Shanghai for World
Expo.
Melbourne chief executive, Cameron Schwab, said the
Kaspersky Cup, AFL Shanghai Showdown would be a pivotal moment for
Melbourne.
“Our time in China is about growing and building
trust. The key to any form of development is openness, which in itself
is a learned skill and is one of the key outcomes we are seeking from
our time away,” he said.
“The timing could not be better. The
core of this group will be together for at least the next ten years.
Our future together, representing a tradition that is as old as the
game itself, in one of the oldest cultures in the world. It is indeed
one of those moments.”
Brisbane Lions Chief Executive Michael
Bowers said it was a wonderful opportunity to develop and promote the
code to a massive international market. "The Brisbane Lions are
certainly honoured to be part of showcasing the best of Australian
football and culture to the rest of the world," he said.
"The
travelling players and staff will get to share in a once-in-a-lifetime
experience which can only help to further unite our group."
Kaspersky
Lab Asia Pacific Managing Director, Harry Cheung said it was delighted
to partner the AFL as it played the first ever match in China.
“The
Kaspersky Cup will create new cultural connections between the Chinese
community in Shanghai and Australia. We are committed to building long
term relationships in Australia and China and this is a great way to
strengthen our cultural connections in both markets.”
Australian
football contributes $3.4 billion annually to the Australian economy,
with 7 million people attending AFL matches each year.
There are
more than 733,000 registered participants across Australia and 53,000
players across 38 senior leagues around the world.
The Kaspersky Cup is also supported by Woodside Energy, the Victorian Government and La Trobe University.
