Gridiron Australia will select its junior national team roster during a training camp to be held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, which begins on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The players chosen for the final roster will compete in an International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship qualifying game against New Zealand at the West Belconnen Leagues Club in the nation's capital on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, kickoff 5 p.m.
The 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship will feature the world's eight best high school-aged (19 and under) national teams from four continents. Games will be played at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, home of the NFL's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, from June 27 to July 5.
More than 90 of Australia's best players were originally invited to camp, with only 75 final spots available to attend the selection at the country's peak training facility. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is widely acknowledged in Australia and internationally as one of the best practice models for elite athlete development and boasts 35 sports programs in 26 different sports. The training camp will give head coach John Ludvigson and his staff an opportunity to whittle the numbers down to a final 45-man roster before kickoff against New Zealand on Saturday, Jan. 24.
American Football has been played in Australia since 1983 and currently has teams in each of the country's six states - New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania - with a total of 73 teams. The game is commonly known as Gridiron in Oceania.
The Australian junior national team traveled to the United States in the summer of 2008 when the Outback squad visited Arizona and California to scrimmage and practice under head coach Ludvigson in preparation for this qualifier. The Aussies gained valuable experience by playing against Arizona Western College.
"We don't start playing football until the age of 14 and so most of my boys have only been playing for a couple of years," Ludvigson said. "They gave up 47 points to Arizona Western, but they were so excited when we came off the field that you would think they had won the game."
Australia and New Zealand have met previously at the senior level, but never in junior competition with a spot at the world championships at stake. Australia Outback faced the New Zealand national team AFNZ Iron Blacks in the Oceania Bowl in 2005, winning 47-2, adding to an 8-0 defeat of the All Blacks in 2003.
Six other nations have already qualified for the eight-team 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship. The United States qualified as hosts, while Canada earned its berth based on previous junior accomplishments. The three representatives from Europe - Germany, Sweden and France - earned spots as they claimed the top three places at the 2008 European Junior Championship held in Spain in July. Japan will represent Asia, while Mexico will face the winners of a Panama vs. Bahamas Jan. 24 qualifier on Feb. 14, 2009 for the final remaining place.
Visit the official 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship website at http://www.jwcfootball.com/
About IFAF
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) unites more than 50 countries on five continents through a burgeoning international sport. With national football federations in existence for more than 70 years, IFAF was created in 1998 to organize and further develop the game through international cooperation and global competition. Having conducted Senior World Championships (players aged 20 and older) since 1999 in Europe and Asia, Summer 2009 in Canton, Ohio, represents the first IFAF Junior World Championship (19 years and younger). The IFAF office is located near Paris, France. For more, visit www.ifaf.info.
About USA Football
USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, hosts more than 100 football training events annually offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent non-profit manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and has provided more than $1.5 million in equipment grants and volunteer background check subsidies for youth football leagues since 2006. USA Football was started by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund and is chaired by former U.S. Congressman and professional quarterback Jack Kemp.