London-born Iona Williams has only visited Australia a handful of times, but that hasn't stopped her becoming a regular player of one of the nation's most-viewed sports.

The 29-year-old discovered Australian Rules Football in her home city after a friend suggested she try it out. She had never played before, and didn't know the rules, but five years on she's a key feature of her club, the West London Wildcats.

"The team were really welcoming," she told the BBC, "Everyone's really together and always so keen to help each other and kind of make each other better at the sport."

Iona is emblematic of a growing appreciation for the sport both amongst women and outside of Australia.

Although women only started playing the sport professionally in Australia for the first time in 2017, the sport has spread internationally - the League estimates that about 75,000 women and girls participate outside of the country.

London boasts its own Australian Football League, with teams playing across two divisions.

"I would say it's like Gaelic football, regular football - like soccer - and rugby all kind of combined", explains Iona.

Known as Australian Rules Football (AFL), Aussie Rules or Footy, it originated in Australia and has been played there for more than 150 years.

The game takes place on an oval-shaped field, where two teams try to get more points than the other by kicking goals or behinds. Unlike in other sports, players can use both their hands and feet as they move by punching the ball, running with the ball, or kicking it.

Footy has a reputation for being ferocious - in 2022 an American went viral for his description of the game: "These guys are angry all the time, probably because they're running a marathon during a fistfight".

But Iona says any Londoners intimidated by the sport should try out regardless: "Don't be scared to get involved.

"There's so many girls that start that have never played before - me included."

Being the most watched sport in Australia, AFL London's clubs provide a familiar comfort for the well-established community of Australians in the city.

"I played back in Australia for a fair few years so it's just such an easy jump. You know you're going to meet Aussies and walk into a new brand new bunch of friends," says Jamie Symons, 27, who moved from Tasmania to London two years ago.

However, the league is careful to prevent Australians dominating the clubs. In the Women's Prem (top division), there needs to be four non-Aussie players on the field (which could comprise of two on the interchange bench).

"It is awesome to see these British people embracing the game, especially playing in their country. It's really exciting," Jamie says.

"It's nice to make British friends as well, not just have all these Aussies in an AFL club."

Jamie plays alongside Iona at the West London Wildcats, and the pair have embraced both the sporting and social opportunities it offers.

From pub crawls, barbecues, and a ladies' day (where they celebrate the women of the club), playing footy has meant getting to mingle with people from different backgrounds.

"Whenever I ask for a sausage sandwich, it's now called a snag", says Iona, referencing the Australian colloquialisms she's learnt.

Playing Aussie rules in London can also be a pipeline to a professional career in Australia.

Kate Shierlaw, like Jamie, sought out AFL while she was living in London.

She played for the Wimbledon Hawks before being recruited to play professionally in Australia.

Kate, who now plays for North Melbourne, was happy to hear that women across the world continue to enjoy the sport she loves.

"It's super special. I think because I started there, being able to see so many people playing over there, playing the best sport in the world, it's really exciting," she said.

Women only officially joined the AFL London league 26 years after its male counterpart which was established in 1989 and enjoyed its inaugural season in 1990.

Despite the decades-long delay, the AFL claim women's football in London has seen "significant growth" within the last decade.

"The inaugural AFL London women's competition commenced in 2015, featuring four founding teams. In 2026, the competition comprised ten teams across two divisions," wrote Kaitlyn Blanchard, media manager at AFLW in a statement to the BBC.

"Female participation in Australian Football programs and competitions outside Australia grew by approximately 35% between 2023 and 2025," she wrote noting strong female participation in Papua New Guinea, South Africa, and Fiji.

Kate Shierlaw hopes to see this growth continue.

"We should be sharing the sport all over the world so it's so good to see so many girls playing."

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