The Nauru national Australian rules football team, nicknamed the Chiefs, represents Nauru in Australian rules football. Despite its small size and population, Nauru, which is the only country with AFL as its national sport, consistently ranks among the top eight teams in the world. History Australian rules had been played on Pleasant Island as early as 1916 with regular competition between local teams from 1921. As an Australian trustee, Nauru was the only overseas league recognised and supported by the Australian National Football Council in 1929. By 1954 its popularity had grown such that it became the only football code that children played on the island. Following Nauru’s independence in 1968 and the independence of the Australian territory of Papua New Guinea in 1975, an opportunity presented itself for a Nauruan national team to compete. The nation's first internationals occurred when the team toured Papua New Guinea a year later in 1976. Among the better players in the squad were Royong Itsimaera, Ali Iwagia, Johaness Itsimaera, Richardo Solomon, Vinson Detenamo, Manfred Depaune and Pres Nimes. Papua New Guinea went on to win the match by 129 points. Until sometime after 1999, the team went by the nickname the Frigatebirds. In 2000, Nauru travelled to Queensland to compete in the inaugural Web Sports Cup. The side played against a team from Samoa and the Robina Roos of the AFL Queensland. Nauru won both matches. The team returned to Australia for the competition again the following year, this time defeating another two teams, including the Gold Coast Old Boys. In November 2012 Nauru travelled to Suva to take on Fiji in a three-match test series. Nauru won the first two matches by a combined 140 points. The team re-asserted its dominance in the final match, securing the sweep with a 103 to 31 win. This test series was the first official AFL international ever held outside of Australia. Players Despite the sport's popularity and the national team's success, as of 2017 no Nauruan international has played in the Australian Football League. However, in 2008 seventeen Nauruan players competed in the Victorian Football League in preparation for the 2008 Australian Football International Cup. In 2012 Yoshi Harris played a few matches for Greater Western Sydney Giants's reserve squad and in the AFL Sydney. Though shorter in stature than the average AFL player, Nauruans are fast and athletic. Not a single player in the