The women playing Australia's biggest sport - in London

**The women playing Australia's biggest sport - in London**

Iona was born in Greenwich, but she regularly plays Aussie Rules Football for her team in west London.

London-born Iona Williams has only been to Australia a few times, yet that has not stopped her becoming a regular player of one of the country’s most-watched sports.

The 29-year-old first came across Australian Rules Football in her home city after a friend encouraged her to give it a go. She had never played before and did not know the rules, but five years later she is now an important part 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 reflects a wider rise in interest in the sport among women and beyond Australia.

Although women only began playing the sport professionally in Australia for the first time in 2017, it has since spread internationally - the League estimates that about 75,000 women and girls take part outside the country.

London has its own Australian Football League, with teams competing across two divisions.

The West London Wildcats formed their first women's team in 2017

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

Also known as Australian Rules Football (AFL), Aussie Rules or Footy, the sport began in Australia and has been played there for more than 150 years.

It is played on an oval field, where two teams aim to score more points than the other by kicking goals or behinds. Unlike in other sports, players can use both hands and feet as they move, by punching the ball, running with it, or kicking it.

Footy has a reputation for being brutal - in 2022 an American went viral for describing it as: "These guys are angry all the time, probably because they're running a marathon during a fistfight".

But Iona says Londoners who feel intimidated by the sport should still give it a try: "Don't be scared to get involved.

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

Playing Aussie Rules in London has helped British Iona and Australian Jamie meet people from different countries.

As the most watched sport in Australia, AFL London clubs offer a familiar home for the city’s long-established Australian community.

"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.

Even so, the league takes care to stop Australians from dominating the clubs. In the Women's Prem, the top division, there must be four non-Aussie players on the field, which could include 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 with Iona at the West London Wildcats, and both have embraced the sporting and social chances it brings.

From pub crawls and barbecues to a ladies' day, where the women of the club are celebrated, footy has given them the chance to mix with people from many different backgrounds.

"Whenever I ask for a sausage sandwich, it's now called a snag", says Iona, referring to the Australian expressions she has learned.

Kate Shierlaw played footy in London before she was recruited to play in Australia

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

Kate Shierlaw, like Jamie, looked for AFL while 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 pleased to hear that women around 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 equivalent, which was founded in 1989 and had its first season in 1990.

Despite that decades-long gap, the AFL says women's football in London has experienced "significant growth" over the past 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 that growth will continue.

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