2005 International Rules series

2005 International Rules Series

Event	International Rules Series
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)

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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