Ottawa To Host AFL Canada Women's Nationals

EMC sports - More than 100 of Canada's best women's Australian Rules Football players will be in the nation's capital to fight for the national championship title in October.

The Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club is excited to announce the club has won the bid to host the 2013 Women's Canadian National Championships Oct. 11 to 13.

Australian Rules Football, also known as the AFL or footy, is played widely in Australia through professional and recreational leagues. Internationally, especially on the women's side, the sport has been rapidly growing.

"To say the team is excited is an understatement," said Swans captain Lisa Dalla Rosa. "Knowing that this October we will be playing on our field, with our club, sponsors and city cheering us on will be great motivation not only for the tournament but for the up-coming season as well.

We cannot wait to host players from across Canada. This is fantastic for women's footy in the capital."

The Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club was formed in 2006 by a group of Australian expatriots, and became a member of the Ontario AFL and AFL Canada in 2007. The club has adopted the same name as the professional AFL club the Sydney Swans - who won the 2012 Grand Final, the AFL's Stanley Cup.

Both women's and men's teams play in the Ontario AFL, playing at home at the Rideau Carleton Raceway and travelling to Toronto to face competition. The Swans debuted their women's side in 2012. The team went on to finish second in the regular season league play, and have several members named to the national team, the Northern Lights. This will be an excellent chance for the best footy players in the country to play against one another, and duke it out to be the best women's side in Canada.

'The Ottawa Swans are extremely happy to be hosting the 2013 AFL Canada Women's Nationals," said club president Chris MacLean. "Hosting an event of this size, with teams represented from across Canada, is going to be fantastic for the development of the sport in the Ottawa region. Australian Rules Football has come a long way in the Ottawa region since our club's inception in 2006 and we hope this event encourages more men and women to learn this amazing game."

Teams from Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Hamilton will be traveling to Ottawa to compete in the national championship, sanctioned by AFL Canada. Visit www.ottawaswans.com for updates.