Football International Cup in 2002, the Chiefs finished in 8th place, ranking Nauru the 9th strongest Aussie Rules nation in the world. Nauru withdrew from the 2005 International Cup. They successfully raised the money required to attend the 2008 event, partly through sponsorships. However, due to intense rivalry and violence in the National League, the NAFA placed strict conditions on player eligibility to encourage a sense of unity, meaning that only players under 23 years old with a clean record were able to represent Nauru in the cup. A number of members of the national team were placed with clubs in country Victoria to spend a few months developing their skills before the tournament. The team performed exceptionally, being beaten once in the opening pool round by the eventual winners Papua New Guinea to place 5th overall. Sponsorship The main sponsors of the NAFA are Capelle & Partner, M & M, OD N Aiwo Hotel, Menen Hotel, Digicel Nuru. The winning team of the top league is granted a free flight to Australia, courtesy of Our Airline, the second biggest financial supporter of the NAFA. See also Sport in Nauru Menen Stadium References External links Australian Football in Nauru Sport in Nauru Nauru