As we all know, the AFL has been, for several decades engaging in limited overseas recruiting, the International Rules series, and the International Cup. Leagues, some affiliated, have sprung up in many countries. Of course, the game is on television in many countries including the USA and Canada. Last year, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast played a mid-season game in Shanghai, China. On the back of that the AFL has just come to an agreement to air one game per round, plus the finals and Grand Final, on three free to air stations in China. This will give (reportedly) millions of Chinese a chance to see the game. Port Adelaide will feature in 11 of the 23 games to be broadcast, including their Round Nine clash with Gold Coast. It remains to be seen what impact this will have.
The stations are Guangzhou TV, Shanghai TV and Shandong TV which service those provinces. Shandong Province alone has almost 92 million people, followed by Shanghai (over 24 million) and Guangzhou (over 14 million). There will also be a weekly highlights and preview show telecast in Mandarin. Last year's game was seen on Guangzhou TV as well as CCTV.
AFL general manager of clubs and broadcasting, Travis Auld, said the new deals demonstrated interest in football was growing in China, "We're in the privileged position to be able to host a premiership season match in China, and we feel that even more with our new television broadcast arrangements ... helping us to increase the AFL's footprint into an important market and to support our international strategy. Interest in our game in China is increasing, which is reflected with Guangzhou TV making a commitment to broadcast at least one game a week on top of a weekly highlights show. I'd like to thank Guangzhou TV, Shanghai TV and Shandong TV for their support in showcasing our exciting game to so many in mainland China."
Port Adelaide CEO Keith Thomas said the broadcast deal was a big win for the Power, "We believe that to grow the game in China, the AFL has to be front and center and be seen on commercial television consistently each weekend. We appreciate the support from both the AFL and Guangzhou TV in helping us ... ".
Elsewhere, AFL Europe has secured an agreement with telco company Telstra to be the official ball sponsor. The deal will help grow the game and supply clubs and schools with balls and equipment. The National Australia Bank (NAB) has expanded to become a sponsor of the 2018 ANZAC Cup, an annual game between the Australian Spirit and the French national team. The year, the game will be played the French town of Villers-Bretonneux.
As for the historic off-field happening, representatives from the Richmond Football Club have been invited to the United Nations in New York. It will be the first time a sporting body has been invited to the UN and the representatives will give a presentation before the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. They will be partnered by he National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples to present their Korin Gamadji Institute (based at Richmnond's Swinburne Center near the club's HQ) as well as their involvement in the annual "Dreamtime at the G" match against Essendon. The Dreamtime game is the marquee game of the AFL's Indigenous Round. Richmond and Essendon were chosen 14 years ago for the concept as their combined colors of red, black and yellow are the colors of the Aboriginal flag.
Korin Gamadji Institute (KGI) was set up ten years ago to help young indigenous boys and girls with programs designed to teach leadership, connect them to their culture and community as well as teach leadership and well- being and give them opportunities to close the .economic and health gaps that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The representatives will also explain how the Dreamtime game came about and its role in connecting the indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Richmond general manager of communications and marketing Simon Matthews said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to share our work on the world stage. “We are incredibly proud of what the club, and particularly the staff of the Korin Gamadji Institute, deliver every day to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities. It’s important that we also acknowledge the formal and informal partners across community, corporate and government who help shape, support and guide the work we do as a collective. What we do is unique, innovative and is creating genuine outcomes and we look forward to sharing our journey ... it will provide an invaluable opportunity for us to learn from other organizations and that can only improve what we already deliver.”
In December 2017, Richmond became the first sporting club signatory to a National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples Accord, reaffirming its commitment to supporting Indigenous Australians. As a signatory "...Richmond, along with the KGI, continue to promote measures that advance stronger relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians, Co-chairperson Jackie Huggins said, “National Congress is proud to lead this delegation ... with four outstanding representatives from the Korin Gamadji Institute ... Attending the United Nations ... is an important opportunity for these emerging leaders ... We believe that the story of KGI ... is a unique and worthy story; one certainly ready to be told on the world stage ... As a sporting nation, Australia in particular, knows that success in sport provides valuable lessons. Perhaps more importantly the more inclusive a team and a sport, the more valuable that lesson will be for individuals and their wider communities. Organisations that successfully unite and bring out the best in people from diverse backgrounds certainly deserve to be heard at the United Nations ... ".
Richmond Football Club is also the only sporting club in Australia to have its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) recognized as being in Elevate status for its demonstrated leadership.
Source: afl.com.au, Jaimee Damon, Richmond Media Release
Article last changed on Thursday, July 05, 2018 - 1:36 AM EDT
