2005 International Rules Series

Event

Australia	Ireland

163	106

163–106 on aggregate, Australia win series 2–0

First test

Australia	Ireland
100	64

Date

21 October 2005

Venue

Subiaco Oval, Perth

Referee

Matthew James (Australia)

David Coldrick (Ireland)

Attendance

39,098 (Sell Out)

Second test

Ireland	Australia
42	63

Date

28 October 2005

Venue

Docklands Stadium, Melbourne

Referee

Matthew James (Australia)

Michael Collins (Ireland)

Attendance

45,428

← 2004

2006 →

Matthew James (Australia)

The 2005 International Rules Series was the 12th annual International Rules Series and the 14th time that a test series of international rules football was played between Ireland and Australia and was won by Australia.

The 2005 series involved two test matches in Australia, the first in Perth (which was a sell-out) and a second test in Melbourne which was controversial due to the on field actions of the Australian team.

Starting with the first official senior-level International Rules Series was played between players from the Australian rules football leagues and the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1984, the Irish had won 7 of the previous series to Australia's 6. Coming into the series, the Irish held the Cormac McAnallen Cup after their 2004 whitewash of the Australians at Croke Park in Dublin.

The Melbourne test was played at the Telstra Dome rather than the Melbourne Cricket Ground, unlike previous series in Australia, since the MCG was preparing to host the 2006 Commonwealth Games. By 1 August 2005, a vast majority of the tickets for the Perth test had been sold. When the matches were last played in Australia in 2003, over 100,000 people attended the two tests in Perth and Melbourne, underscoring the popularity of the series with Australian football fans.

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