IRS deferred for 12 Months

Ireland celebrate their International Rules Series win in 2008

The GAA and the AFL have announced that this year's planned International Rules Series, due to take place in Limerick and Croke Park on the 24th and 31st of October 2009, has been deferred for 12 months at the request of the Australian Football League (A.F.L).

GAA President Christy Cooney explained that the world economic situation had caused a major re-think for the AFL, prompting it to seek to defer the series for 12 months, a request the GAA had reluctantly agreed to. He said the GAA had been most anxious for the Series to proceed as planned, particularly in view of the huge amount of work that had already been carried out by Team management, officials and the organising committees on both sides of the world. However, he said he also appreciated the financial realities being faced by the AFL and the shortfalls in their budgetary projections due to the global economic downturn and associated losses in sponsorship, corporate hospitality, television and other revenues.

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou said the decision to seek a deferral of the series for 12 months had been a difficult decision to make as the AFL valued the GAA relationship very strongly.

"The relationship with the GAA and the exchange of information over the last decade has been extremely important to us for the growth of the AFL as an organisation," Mr Demetriou said. "The current global situation has severely impacted on the sponsorship and support opportunities available for sporting organisations around the world and we needed to make a responsible decision and wait for 12 months. I'd like to thank the GAA for their professionalism and understanding in working through this decision, which indicates how strong our relationship continues to be."

The GAA President added that the deferral of the Series was a huge disappointment for everyone involved, but that he had received a guarantee from the AFL that Australia will travel to Ireland in October 2010 for a resumption of the Series. He said the GAA had been ready to announce Team and Series sponsorships and media rights arrangements. He said the Ireland team management under the guidance of Sean Boylan had also been preparing diligently for the games in recent months and that he knew the postponement of the Series would constitute a huge disappointment to the Irish players and management.

However, he said he was most sorry for the GAA community in Limerick, who had put in an enormous amount of work in preparing for the visit of the Australians in October. He said it was the intention of the GAA to ensure that the commitment made to Limerick GAA in respect of the 2009 Series would be honoured in 2010 and that all things being equal the Gaelic Grounds would host the 1st Test in 2010.

Since competition between Australia and Ireland resumed in 1999, the two countries have played 10 series with both teams winning five apiece. Ireland holds a 10-8 advantage, with two draws, from the 20 Test matches played.