to achieve success in their sports at home and along with the International Rules Series, increase the profile and awareness of the Australian game. Formation of the ARFLI and national team Two clubs, in Dublin and Belfast, recruited and trained through the winter of 1999 and played a number of British Aussie rules clubs in challenge matches in early spring 2000. The Australian Rules Football League of Ireland (ARFLI) was formed in October 2000 after the first ever Irish Grand Final was contested between them. The following year, players from the clubs were drawn to form the first national team. Growth and expansion In the 2010s, the women's game grew rapidly and the first national team was established and players began to make their way to women's leagues in Australia. By 2014, the league had grown to more than 200 players and expanded to six men's clubs and three women's clubs. National teams An Irish National Aussie rules team, drawn from all ARFLI affiliated clubs headed to London between 6–15 October to take part in the Atlantic Alliance Cup 2001 – a five nations International competition with United States, Canada, Great Britain and Denmark providing the opposition. A final panel of 24 players, whittled down from 60 over a three-month training period made the trip. Ireland, playing their first ever competitive International matches, won all their games in the round robin series and went on to record a win against Denmark (pre-tournament favourites) in the Grand Final. This was a huge achievement for such a young league against teams from leagues that had been established for ten years plus. Darren Fitzpatrick of Kilkenny, who previously played Aussie Rules at a professional level with the Western Bulldogs in Australia, coached the team. In August 2002, the National team attended the Australian Football International Cup (an Amateur World Cup for nations outside of Australia). The team went into the competition as third seeds behind Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. The competition was a success for Ireland as they beat Canada, Samoa, USA, South Africa and New Zealand in the group stage and went on to beat PNG in a televised final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The team which was again coached by Darren Fitzpatrick, and was captained by Michael Johnston. In 2005, the "Green Machine" again attended the Australian Football International Cup. With injuries and late withdrawals, the team managed