How Aussie Rules football is just one of the sleeper sports on offer in Scotland
◆ Australian Rules football is being actively played right here in Scotland
Australian Rules football is highoctane – it can look chaotic, with a mixture of gut running, tackles, spectacular marks and goal kicking.
For those familiar with both Gaelic football and rugby league, try to imagine a crossover sport that includes some of the best elements of both. And most importantly, one that’s a lot of fun.
Here in Scotland, there is a wellestablished Australian Rules competition.
It involves six teams and boasts clubs from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife and West Lothian. There is even a team in Newcastle that travels up into Scotland to play every ‘away’ match.
Having emigrated from Australia to Scotland almost seven years ago, playing – and loving – this game may seem a natural fit for me. But over half of those players running out in the competition are born and bred in Scotland.
I’ve been involved heavily with the Kingdom Kangaroos – the club based out of Kirkcaldy – since 2018. Our team boasts players from all walks of life. There are some from a rugby background, and others who grew up on a diet of football.
There are players in their late teens and early twenties. There are also some – like me – who are the wrong side of 40, with our bodies just about holding up to an amateur-level sport played every two to three weeks over the warmer summer months.
Last year, the Kingdom Kangaroos – known affectionately as the ‘Roos’ – celebrated the club’s ten-year anniversary. It was a milestone many of us weren’t sure at points the club would reach. But having survived Covid-19 lockdowns and a major squad rebuild, the future is looking brighter than ever.
To borrow a slang Australian term, I’ve found there is a mateship that comes from being part of a sporting club that is good for the soul.
So if you’re still considering what you want to achieve in the new year, there are far worse things than joining a small, tight-knit sporting club. Have a look around and you might just be surprised by how many minority sports are being played right under your nose – and there may be one you fall in love with just as much.