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ANZAC Cup 2017 Review

The ANZAC Cup was played in Northern France over the weekend with the Australian Spirit claiming victory in both the men’s and women’s games on Sunday. Players spent 4 days with host families, with the event culminating in a moving dawn service at the Australian National War Memorial on ANZAC Day.

Saturday 22nd April

The Australian and French players arrived in Villers-Bretonneux to be greeted by their host families in the early afternoon. Many were treated with a traditional French lunch by their hosts before a combined training session at Stadium Timmerman.

Players from all four sides mingled and trained together for over an hour, with drills being led by the French coach, Andrew Unsworth and Australia’s Ash Walsh.

 

Following the training session players convoyed to Le Hamel for a welcome dinner hosted by the Association Bretonvilloise Animation (ABA). Prior to the dinner commencing respects were paid to the policeman killed in the Paris terror attacks two days earlier, with commemorations being led by the Mayor of Villers-Bretonneux.

The coaches from both sides presented the players with their jumpers before the team captains spoke of what it meant to represent their countries, in what is such an important time for both Australia and France.

Once the formalities were over, the ABA served the aperitif before serving a traditional French meal for the 100 people in attendance. Players and support staff of both teams openly shared their favourite football stories as the teams began forming relationships ahead of their big match.

 

Sunday 23rd April

Players and officials had a nice early start on Sunday morning with a visit to the Australian National War Memorial. This provided the opportunity for reflection at what is a beautiful and very special memorial.

Walking amongst the gravestones, players read the names of fallen soldiers engraved on the walls of the memorial, which was an incredibly moving and humbling experience for all the players.

Soon it was time to head back into Villers-Bretonneux for the parade through the town, another unique element of the ANZAC Cup. Players followed a local bagpiper and local children bearing the Australian and French flags through the streets of Villers with locals waving and cheering from their houses as the parade moved past.

Shortly after the conclusion of the march, the women’s match was underway. In the second official women’s ANZAC Cup game, it was the French who started stronger and looked dangerous early.

The Australian’s ferocity at the contest and tackling pressure proved too much for the French, as they failed to register a goal in the second and third terms.

In what was a great game of footy, Australia claimed victory 9.15.69 to 3.8.26. Stephanie Filbay and Camille Portal were awarded best on ground honours for their respective sides.

The men’s match followed immediately after the women’s match, but not before a rousing rendition of the French national anthem, which had many in the crowd believing that this could be the year to break their 3 ANZAC Cup drought.

It was a fast-paced start with both sides registering early goals. A massive third term gave Australia the advantage, and despite a strong final quarter the deficit proved too much for the French to overcome.

The final score read 13.12.90 to 6.15.51, with Michael ‘le lapin’ Curcio and Pierre Leschales rightfully chosen as the best players afield.

A moving presentation ceremony was hosted by the ABA, a presentation that was made even more special with trophies and medals presented by Harriet O’Malley, Cultural Attache at the Australian Embassy in Paris, and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Honourable Dan Tehan MP.

A special thanks to umpires Tobias Siegel and Cai Davies for officiating the matches doing a splendid job.

On what was a beautiful day in Villers, players and officials enjoyed some well-earned post-game refreshments generously provided by Pirate Life Brewery Company.

For full match reports click here.

With the French players departing on the Sunday evening, the Australian’s were hosted by one of the local families at their home to enjoy a mix of French and Australian cuisines.  Celebrations carried on into the night with some classic Aussie rock ballads being belted out by all who attended.

 

Monday 24th April

The Monday gave players a chance to explore the surrounds of VB with many enjoying the sights of nearby town, Amiens.

In the afternoon, the players delivered an Auskick clinic for the children of Le Hamel, which has a population of only 500. Forty local children had their first AFL experience and took part in the session, which taught the students some basic AFL skills such as kicking, handballing and marking.

The hour-long session was one to remember with neither the kids nor the players wanting it to end. Players were presented gifts by the children and were surprised when the young students sung the Australian national anthem in what was a very touching moment.

Whilst in the area, several players took the time to visit the Le Hamel Memorial. A timeline of events leads visitors out to the memorial proper. The vast landscape and trenches surrounding the memorial created an eerie sense of the conditions those fighting would have encountered close to 100 years ago.

The day finished with a quiet drink at the Le Melbourne pub in Villers. This time was used to share stories of the past few days, before players returned to spend their final evening with their host families.

 

Tuesday 25th April

Players met at 3:30am to begin the 40 minute walk from the town centre out to the Australian National War Memorial. An incredible Dawn Service, in icy cold conditions, was delivered with dignitaries and armed servicemen and women delivering stories and letters from those who gave up their lives on the battlefields of the Somme.

Following the service, it was time for players to go their separate ways with the Australian squad returning to all the different parts of Europe that they now call home.

It was the 9th time AFL Europe has had the privilege to deliver the ANZAC Cup. The event wouldn’t be possible without the huge efforts of the ABA led out by Xavier Graux, the host families, O’Neills Sportwear for supplying a fantastic playing uniform for the Australian team, BarTV Sports for capturing the event, the French national men’s and women’s sides, the locals of Villers-Bretonneux, Le Hamel and surrounds, the umpires, and the Australian players who put in so much effort with their applications.

2018 is the 10th edition of the ANZAC Cup, but more importantly the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. AFL Europe looks forward to working together with the ABA and local families of Villers-Bretonneux to create another fantastic ANZAC Cup.

Click here to see the video highlights of the Anzac Cup, courtesy of BarTV.

ANZAC Cup 2017 – Match Reports

The 9th Annual ANZAC Cup, contested between the Australian Spirit and France, was played in picturesque conditions yesterday at Stadium Timmerman, Villers-Bretonneux. The beaming sun resulted in a nice crowd growing for the 12pm women’s game.

Following a minute’s silence and the national anthems the women’s game was under-way. It was played at a frantic pace from the opening bounce with Coline Duquet of France working well in the ruck to give her midfielders first use of the football.

Two goals to one had the French in front at the first change with Camille and Berengere Portal having strong opening quarters.

Wayward kicking in front of goal was hurting the Australian’s as they started winning the football out of the middle and holding deep in their forward line.

The Australian’s went into halftime with an 8-point lead after trailing the French at the quarter time break.

The second half went all the Australian’s way but they couldn’t convert in front of goal kicking 5 goals, 13 behinds to the end of the third quarter.

They got their radars straight in the final term with an extra 4 goals sealing victory in a great game of football. Final scorecard reading 9.15. 69 to 3.8. 26 in favour of the Australian’s.

Best on ground honours went to Steph Filbay of Australia and Camille Portal of France.

The men’s match followed immediately after the women with both sides taking part in the pre-game ceremonies of a minute silence and national anthems. A stirring rendition of the French national anthem had the local crowd excited at the prospect of knocking off the Australian side for the first since 2013.

Harriet O’Malley, Cultural Attache at the Australian Embassy in Paris, tossed the coin with Australian skipper, Tony Fulton choosing to run towards Le Melbourne Pub end of the ground in the first quarter.

Both sides started out strong with French full-forward, Pierre Boscart, looking dangerous coming out the goal square.

It didn’t take long for the Australian’s spiritual leader, Jay Treloar, to make an impact in the game with a strong double fist whilst 15 metres clear of an opponent.

Two goals apiece had both sides even at the quarter time break with the French looking very dangerous in the 9-a-side format.

It was much of the same in the second term with both sides struggling to convert with the immense tackling pressure. Australia edged in front late to take a 9-point lead into the main break.

Coaches, Jason Cameron and Tom Rischbieth got the boys firing in the third term as the Australian’s kicked five goals in quick succession to set up a comfortable lead going into the final quarter.

A strong finish by the French kept the Australian’s honest in the final term but it was too little, too late. Final scorecard reading 13.12. 90 to 6.15. 51 in favour of the Australian Spirit.

The trophies and medals were presented by Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Honourable Dan Tehan MP, who was in Villers-Bretonneux for the ANZAC commemorations.

Best on ground honours went to Michael Curcio of Australia and Pierre Leschales of France.

A special mention to Tobias Siegel and Cai Davies for their stellar performances umpiring both games as well as all the volunteers led by the ABA for putting together another amazing ANZAC Cup.

With the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux next year, the 2018 ANZAC Cup is set to be extra special.

ANZAC Cup Applications Closing Soon!

AFL Europe is excited to announce that applications are now open for the Australian Spirit team to compete in the 9th Annual ANZAC Cup in Villers-Bretonneux, France.

The small town of Villers-Bretonneux in Northern France has a strong connection with Australian Armed Forces. On 24th April 1918, the town was captured by German forces. Overnight the Australian troops retaliated and by dawn on the 25th April 1918 the town had be retaken.

The ANZAC Cup is played between the Australian Spirit team and French National side for both men and women and is part of the ‘Australia Week’ celebrations held in Villers-Bretonneux in the lead up to ANZAC Day.

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Players are expected to arrive in VB on the afternoon of Saturday the 22nd of April, with matches being played on the Sunday. Participants are expected to stay until the Dawn Service on ANZAC Day.

The ANZAC Cup costs £100 per player and includes; full playing kit, jacket, 3-nights billeted accommodation, dinner on the Saturday evening and lunch on the Sunday.

Applications are welcome from any Australian or New Zealander with selection for the weekend emphasised on a player’s personal connection to WW1 and the Armed Forces and not purely footballing ability.

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Players interested in applying for the 9th Annual ANZAC Cup should express interest to ben.durance@afleurope.org to receive an application form. Application forms need to be returned by Friday 10th February to be considered.

Check out some of the footage from last year’s ANZAC Cup as shot by Channel 7 below.

http://snpy.tv/2jx42iN

Player of the Week – Coline Duquet

Each week AFL Europe is profiling a European player and finding out how they got into the great game of Aussie Rules and a bit about themselves. If you’d like a profile or know of someone who would, then email admin@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.

This week’s player profile is on French ruck, Coline Duquet. Coline first fell in love with the game of AFL on a study exchange in Sydney, Australia, where she played for the University side. She has been a member of the French national side for the past few years and this year represented France in both the AFL Europe Champions League and ANZAC Day clash in Villers-Bretonneux.

Coline picked up the nickname ‘Emu’ during her time in Australia and loves singing the French national anthem before her games for her country.

Well done Coline, best of luck for the rest of the season.

 

Name:

Coline Duquet

Club:

Paris Cockerels

Nationality:

French

What position do you play?

Ruck

AFL team you support:

GWS Giants

Favourite AFL player:

Jeremy Cameron

How did you find out about AFL?

I studied in Sydney, Australia for a year and played a season with UTS

How long have you been playing for?

3 years

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

It was a preseason game in Sydney, really warm weather. They put me in the midfield and I didn’t know what I was doing but I felt really welcomed in the team and knew I would love it.

Best AFL moment?

Singing the French anthem with the French national team

Any other interesting information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself?

At a training session in Sydney, the coach said “don’t bend over like emu” which made me laugh very hard because it sounded so Australian. My nickname there was emu.

 

The Slater + Gordon ANZAC Cup 2015

This weekend will see the 7th annual ANZAC Cup take place in Villers-Bretonneux in France, this Saturday 25th April at 12pm at Stade Timmerman.

The Australian team, coming from all around Europe as well as Australia, will take on the French team led by Andrew Unsworth and Stevo Ryan. Both teams will attend the Dawn Service at the Australian National Memorial, followed by a march, undertaken by both teams, through Villers-Bretonneux to Stade Timmerman, making the event even more special.

AFL Europe CEO, Ben MacCormack has, “personally found extra significance in the event this year, listening to the boys stories over the past two years it has prompted me to research my own family history. This has led to discoveries that my great uncle and also my wife’s great grandfather are buried, in a similar vicinity, only 30km north of VB. We will visit their graves on this trip, which has added an emotion for us personally, and all of our extended families. This to me is the meaning of the event.”

With players for the Australian team being chosen by their personal connection and interest in the history that surrounds the ANZACs the two teams promise to deliver a memorable match for both the players and the spectators.

Assistant Coach of the French team, Stevo Ryan, on behalf of the French Team says, “We are all really excited about the match on Saturday.  To be in Villers Bretonneaux 100 years to the day, from when our ANZACS put our country onto the world stage in WW1 with the landings at Gallipoli, making this an emotionally charged event.  It’s fitting that in the spirit of the ANZACS, a game of AFL unites our two nations.”

Not only will an event like this unify our two nations but Stevo Ryan also believes, “that a lot of exciting things can and will happen here in France.  We’ve seen the interest for this game grow exponentially at our domestic club this year back in Paris. Saturday’s game represents an opportunity for many of our French players to gauge where they are in this game and hopefully to where they want to go in the future.”

Most French clubs will be represented in the French team:

ALFA Lions (Lyon): Thomas DEPONDT, Thibault PICARD

Bordeaux Bombers: Cyril DEBET

Bristol Dockers: Pierre-etienne DANDALEIX

Coyotes de Cergy-Pontoise: Herve DESJARDIN

Montpellier Firesharks: Jerome CANONICI

Paris Cokerels: Yvan BARBARIA, Pierre BOSCART, Julien DAGOIS, Baudoin GERMOND, Francois DANIEL, Thomas HEDLEY

Toulouse Hawks: Julien GIL, Simon MONDIN, Fabien FLOCH

As for the Australian team, they will come from England, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Australia, all sharing a connection to Villers-Bretonneux and/or the ANZACs:

Craig, BANKES, Trent GEORGIOUS, James GOTTSCHALK, Dale HOUSDEN, Ruory KIRKBY, Matthias KLUSEMANN, Paul MCKECHNIE, Stuart NEWMAN, Troy NEWMAN, Tom PETERS, Tom RISCHBIETH, Gareth SMITH and Rob YOUNG.

The match will commence at 12pm at Stade Timmerman and will be followed by a women’s match at 2.30pm. Entry is free and food and drink are available at the ground.

Map of Stadium Timmerman

 

Sarah Ongarello

ANZAC Cup Sponsor Announcement

AFL Europe is excited to announce this year’s sponsor for the 7th ANZAC Cup held in Villers-Bretonneux is Slater + Gordon.

The Slater + Gordon ANZAC Cup will be held on ANZAC Day this year, Saturday 25th April 2015 at Stadium Timmerman, Villers-Bretonneux France.

Coming into the 7th year running, the Slater + Gordon ANZAC Cup tally holds 3 wins to France and 3 wins to Australia, making this year an opportunity for a front runner. With the connection to the area and the history being just as, if not more, important than the quality of the football, the game is always played in high spirit and in reverence to fallen soldiers in mind.

The spirit of the day helps the town remember the history of nearly 100 years ago, with this year being the 97th anniversary of the battle that saw Australian troops help reclaim Villers-Bretonneux from the Germans. “This is a very special event on the AFL Europe calendar and should be an event that every Australian attends at some stage in their life,” states AFL Europe’s CEO Ben MacCormack.

This year will see the Australian team come from places such as Poland, Germany, Australia, England and Ireland. The men’s match kicks off at 12pm, followed by the women’s game and is free for anyone wishing to attend this special day.

 

 

Sarah Ongarello