On the afternoon of May 14, the Australian Rules Football Association Regular Season Round 8 was held at Jiangwan Stadium, a historical sports landmark built in 1935, where nearly ten thousand spectators were present. They were excited about this top-level event in which the Adelaide Port Power Team competes against the Gold Coast Sun Team.
This is the first time when the regular season game of this event originated in 1897 was held outside Australia and New Zealand.
The Australian Football League (AFL) is a top professional event in Australian rules football. The connection between the AFL and Yangpu District has started as early as the Shanghai World Expo when the AFL exhibition game was held at the Jiangwan Stadium for the first time in China. At that time, Yangpu District was designated as one of the first batch of national innovation pilot district and a group of well-known innovative businesses were relocated near the Jiangwan Stadium. With the integration and cooperation among three areas, Yangpu has now become one of the first batch national dual demonstration centers and a key location of scientific innovation centers in Shanghai. The Australian rules football and Yangpu district reconnected after seven years.
To promote the Australian rules football, the Adelaide Port Australian Rules Football Club is going to set up a center in Shanghai to introduce this typical Australian sport through cooperation with schools and adjustment to the game system. “It's our hope that we can establish a long-term cooperation with China to convey the image of Australian rules football to the Chinese audience,” said Keith Thomas, chief executive officer of the Adelaide Port Australian Rules Football Club. Between 2017 and 2019, there will be an AFL game held in China, along with training camps, regional cooperation with schools and recruitment of Chinese players.