Australian rules football in Oceania

Australian rules football in Oceania is the sport of Australian rules football as it is watched and played in the Oceanian continent. The regional governing and development body, AFL South Pacific (formerly AFL Oceania), is affiliated to the AFL Commission (but does not include Australia) and was formed in 2008.^[1]

Australian rules football in Nauru is the national sport.^[2] In Australia, the AFL is the most attended professional football competition.

There are currently organised open age leagues in seven nations (including Australia) around the Pacific, while in at least four other nations there have been participation in the sport. The sport is broadcast on television in most of these countries, particularly the AFL Grand Final, however outside of Australia (where it receives record breaking broadcast rights) and New Zealand it is only broadcast on satellite television or cable television.

Open age sides compete in the Australian Football International Cup. South Pacific Under 19s sides have a pathway through AFL Queensland known as the South Pacific High-Performance Pathway via affiliated Academy club sides (Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns Academies).^[3] Junior teams compete in the Oceania Cup (2009) in which eight pacific nations have participated. From 2010 a South Pacific representative team participated in Division 2 of the AFL Under 16 Championships.^[4]

Some players from the Pacific region have become notable for playing in the elite Australian Football League however to date Papua New Guinea and New Zealand are the only countries from which players have been directly recruited. Players from other countries have been offered scholarships.