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G’day Mate: U.S. Footy Comes to Town
USAFL National Tournament in Mason, Oct. 10 - 11
10/6/2009
CONTACT:
Ben Huffman, Director of Sports Marketing
Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau
bhuffman@wccvb.org
(513) 204-7050
MASON, Ohio (Oct. 6, 2009) – The largest Australian Rules Football tournament in the world, the United States Australian Football League (USAFL) 2009 National Tournament will come to Mason's Heritage Oak Park during the weekend of Oct. 10-11.
Cincinnati’s own Australian Rules Football team, the Cincinnati Dockers, will host the event. Thirty-nine USAFL teams are scheduled to play, and more than 1,000 people including players, coaches and USAFL officials will begin arriving this week. The event is expected to generate an estimated economic impact of $800,000.
“We are thrilled to return to the birthplace of Aussie Rules football in the U.S.," USAFL President Rich Mann said. "The city of Mason and the Warren County Convention and Visitor Bureau have been great partners in helping to bring the 2009 National Tournament to Mason, Ohio. I want to thank the city again for everything they have done and will do to make this an awesome event.”
Australian Rules Football (also known by "Aussie Rules" or “footy") is a physical-contact sport. It is a form of football with roots traceable from early forms of Rugby and Gaelic football, but it is uniquely Australian. The rules were codified in 1858, and probably predate all other modern forms of football, such as American, Canadian, Rugby Union and League, Association (Soccer) and Gaelic football. Today it is a multi-million dollar business, with a national competition and numerous smaller leagues.
The USAFL or U.S. Footy as it is known to the players, was formed in 1997 with a few Midwestern Teams (including the Cincinnati Dockers) and has grown into a more than 30-team National Championship event that moves its national championship around the country. The first national championship was held in Cincinnati in 1998 and consisted of 15 teams, mostly from the Midwest.
The Cincinnati Dockers are one of the original members of the USAFL and will be the host club for the 2009 event. The excitement of the games and the desire of the Australian natives living in the country to continue the game they love has helped the USAFL become an organization of 47 clubs throughout the United States and Canada. The sport is beginning to take route in colleges across the country, and the youth version of the game is rapidly finding its way into cities across the country.
The Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with the City of Mason, began working with U.S. Footy to secure the National Championship bid in 2007. U.S. Footy chose Warren County and the city of Mason because of their willingness to work with U.S. Footy and for the diverse product mix and world-class attractions that present a perfect back-drop for these tournaments. Warren County is a drivable market and, with all there is to do, the athletes and families will have a great time before and after the tournament.
“We are so fortunate to have the city of Mason as the host for this national tournament; they were instrumental in securing this event,” said Shirley Bonekemper, executive director of the WCCVB. “Mason has already established itself as a place to see great sports both internationally and nationally as the home to the Western and Southern Masters and Women’s Open, the AVP Championship Series, the Duramed Futures Tournament – and now we welcome the U.S. Footy National Tournament.”
The tournament will be held at Heritage Oak Park in Mason, located just north of Cincinnati and south of Dayton.
About the USAFL
For more information on this world class event and the sport of Australian Rules Football in the USA, check out
www.usfooty.com and
www.usfootynews.com
About the Warren County and the WCCVB
Warren County is Ohio’s Largest Playground! With easy access from Interstates 71 and 75, visitors to Warren County can enjoy more activities within a 30-mile radius, than anywhere else in Ohio.
The Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau is a destination marketing organization whose mission is to drive tourism and overnight visitation to Warren County. Tourism is the leading industry in Warren County. The 6.4 million yearly visitors drive an economic impact of $917 million and 11,029 tourism-related jobs.
For additional information, visit
www.ohioslargestplayground.com or call (800) 433-1072.
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