The oldest and largest leagues are those in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, in each of these nations there are several established clubs, and organised men's, women's and juniors programs.

[3] As of the 2017 edition of the tournament, Ireland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, France, Germany, Croatia and Finland have sent national teams to the Australian Football International Cup.

[6] The Austrian national team was considering attending the 2011 Australian Football International Cup, but later set a debut at the 2014 tournament as a more realistic goal.

[9] The Galahs also travelled to Israel in 2023 to form the majority of a European Australian representative side to play in an ANZAC day memorial match.

The Brussels Saints have played matches against the Paris Cockerels and teams from around Europe, including winning the 2005 EU Cup, although since this era, the club has gone into recess and is not currently active.

So do the Styrian Downunder Dogs from the university town of Graz in Austria who also play in the Croatian Australian Football League.

[17] Croatia sent a men's team to the 2017 Australian Football International Cup, its campaign was successful, winning Division 2 of the competition on debut.

In 2012 CAAFL the Czech Lions expanded their international activities by participating in more European football matches, starting with Berlin in April 2012.

The national league commenced on 28 March 2009 with those four clubs, although new sides are also under formation in Perpignan, Toulouse and Aix en Provence.

In 2009, the Finland AFL saw a three team domestic competition kick off (as the Espoo Roos combined with the Helsinki heatseekers), with the creation of the Turku Dockers.

2010 saw three teams once again battle out for the season, with the once powerhouse Helsinki going winless for the year, the grand final was played between Salo and 2009 winners, Turku.

The Australian Football League Germany plays a home-and-away season featuring clubs based in Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Hamburg.

The club fields men's and women's teams in the Empire Cup against the Vienna Galahs, Styrian Downunderdogs, Prague Dragons and Fort Nysa.

Despite Irish players being recruited to the AFL, Aussie Rules was not officially played in Ireland until clubs were formed in Dublin and Belfast in 1999.

The Irish national Australian rules football team, first appeared at the Atlantic Alliance Cup in 2001, going through the tournament undefeated.

[citation needed] 2009 saw the beginning of rapid growth for the DAFA, with 6 scheduled home and away international games, plus plans for the establishment of 4 domestic teams, in Utrecht, The Hague, Eindhoven and Amsterdam.

The Netherlands National Australian Football Team, The Flying Dutchmen, compete regularly in international friendlies, and participate in the annual Eurocup tournament.

2007, Hamburg, Germany: Tenth Place In the 2007 EU Cup the Flying Dutchmen finished 10th, losing to Belgium in the plate final.

[30] Australian rules football started in Sweden with the creation of a club nicknamed the Saints in the southern city of Helsingborg to play in the Danish AFL.

The Swedish national team, the Elks, have become increasingly competitive in the last few years and appeared at the 2008 Australian Football International Cup.

The game of Australian rules football has grown steadily in Stockholm over the past few years with a marked increase in local Swedish players.

Södermalm Blues,Årsta Swans,Bromma Vikings, Solna Axemen, Falun Diggers and the newly formed Norrtälje Dockers, established in February 2012.

A 7-v-7 exhibition match in Winterthur in August 2018 helped increase interest and awareness of Australian Rules football in Switzerland.

The new league which also includes teams from Genoa and cross Switzerland border city Lugano was supported by prominent Australians Tim Fischer and Amanda Vanstone.

The Oslo Trolls formed in 2005 as Norway's first Australian rules football club, but didn't play their first match until hosting the Karlstad Dragons from Sweden in August 2008.

Prior to this, players from the Trolls had travelled to western Sweden to play in club matches with the teams in Karlstad and Gothenburg.

The first Australian rules football clubs in Russia were created in May 2011, with groups starting practice matches in Moscow and Krasnoyarsk within a few weeks of each other.

Spain entered a team into the 2005 Australian Football International Cup, successfully raising the money to travel to Melbourne, Australia.

This team was drawn exclusively from players from the Madrid Bears and Spanish nationals resident in Melbourne, the Catalan league not taking part in the squad for various reasons.

The LFAC was officially created in 2005, teams that have competed in this league include Belfry Valls, Barcelona Stars, Gabas Tarragona, Lleida Coiots, and Wendells Salou.