The possibility of an International Rules Series revival taking place in 2026 appears to be diminishing, with no immediate talks planned between the GAA and AFL on the matter.
The hybrid game involving Ireland and Australia was last played in 2017, but efforts were afoot in recent months to try resurrect the series this October.
GAA president Jarlath Burns and AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon held what were deemed to be productive talks in Australia around the AFL Grand Final weekend last September, with both sides open to removing the International Rules Series from cold storage.
Croke Park and Páirc Uí Chaoimh had even been earmarked to host Tests this year but concerns around the impact the series would have on the GAA’s split-season model sucked the wind out of the sails of the revival and a decision was ultimately made not to proceed in 2025.
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Burns was in Australia in September last year to mark the 50-year anniversary of Australasia Gaelic games, during which time he spoke with AFL chiefs.
This year’s AFL Grand Final will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 27th, but there are currently no plans for an official GAA delegation to be in attendance.
“There are no talks in the pipeline right now. That doesn’t mean the chances of a return of the series are dead in the water, but there are a lot of areas that would need to be considered first before bringing it back,” a GAA spokesperson said.
The never-ending debate on the structure of the GAA season continues to hold the association hostage in terms of what the calendar can accommodate.
The split-season provides more certainty for players, but within that framework there is an understanding that from August to the end of the year, club is king. Therefore, any competitions shoehorned in around October or November would have significant implications on the club season.
It is an issue Burns acknowledged during the summer when the possibility of a 2025 series was still alive.
“We have to be mindful of lots of things because that’s coming in the middle of a closed season, which we are very protective about, and that’s why we did away with the preseason competitions last year, because we wanted our county players to have a genuine closed season,” Burns stated at the time.
“If we are going to start now with International Rules at that time, we know that would compromise that principle that we have brought in, giving our players that rest period.
“So it’s something that we have to do a little bit deeper thinking on, to be honest, before we make an actual decision on it.
“Personally, I would love to see the International Rules back, the players would love to see it back, but we have to be very careful about the consequences of bringing it back.”
Within weeks, the GAA had parked all plans for a 2025 series.
Still, as recently as March of this year, Dillon was hopeful some arrangement could be reached between the two organisations in the future.
“It’s looking at the calendars of both our competition and the GAA competitions and how they can be put together to find a window, if possible, for that game to be played. But there’s absolutely a will and a want on both sides to explore that to see whether we can revive that,” said the AFL chief.
It is one of the issues likely to be raised during the Gaelic Players Association’s pre-budget submission media briefing in Dublin on Thursday.
Previously, GPA chief executive Tom Parsons signalled his support for the International Rules Series returning.
The possibility of a dual series involving both men and women’s teams has also been suggested.
The only previous women’s International Rules Series was in 2006, when Ireland beat Australia in both Tests. The games were played at Breffni Park and Parnell Park, with Burns serving as manager of the Ireland team.
The growth of the AFL’s women’s league – the AFLW – in recent years has seen many Irish players join clubs in Australia, with up to 40 involved this season.
The last iteration of the men’s International Rules Series was in 2017 when Ireland, managed by Joe Kernan, travelled to play an Australian side under the tutelage of Chris Scott.
Australia won the series 2-0, beating Ireland 63-53 in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval before edging the second Test 53-50 in Perth.
Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea captained Ireland for the series, with Monaghan’s Conor McManus as his vice-captain. The squad included Donegal’s Michael Murphy, Tyrone’s Niall Morgan, Kerry’s Paul Geaney and Galway’s Shane Walsh.
Ireland last won the Cormac McAnallen Cup in 2015, when Kernan managed a Bernard Brogan-captained side to a 56-52 victory in a one-Test series at Croke Park.
