This year’s AFL Asia 2019 Shanghai Cup has been significantly rejuvenated with the scheduling of the Port Adelaide vs. St. Kilda game on the Sunday, which has directly boosted the number of participating teams, including 5 Open Division Teams, 3 Masters Division Teams, as well as 11 Junior Division Teams (5 x Under 12, 4 x Under 10 & 2 x Under 8).
From dusk to dawn the 2019 AFL Asia Shanghai Cup promises to be a HUGE day of footy across all ages!
Open Men’s Division
There is a strong Chinese presence (Beijing Bombers, Guangzhou Scorpions & Shanghai Tigers) amongst the participating Open Division teams, as well as two of AFL Asia’s traditional heavyweights in the Hong Kong Dragons and the Singapore Wombats. It promises to be an entertaining division, with all of the visiting teams eager to knock off the hosting Shanghai Tigers, who have won the previous two Shanghai Cups.
The Beerfish won’t be back in 2019 but there’s plenty of teams vying for the Shanghai Cup.
Men’s Masters Division
The AFL Asia Lions will headline the Masters Division as they prepare for their Curtain Closer Clash on Sunday against the Team AFL China Dragons, whilst the local China Reds and Hong Kong Dragons will be gunning for glory in a tri-series tussle, whereby each team play each other twice, with the overall winner being the team with the most wins and the highest percentage.
The 2017 Shanghai Cup remains one of the biggest and best ever footy tournaments in Asia, 2019, with friendly scheduling from the Port Adelaide vs St Kilda match is tipped to return to those heights.
Junior Divisions
The Power Footy Program has introduced the game of AFL to hundreds of local Chinese children, with today’s Junior Division being a fantastic by-product of Port Adelaide’s grassroots investment in China. Each team within the Under 12’s Junior Division (Foshan Tigers, Foshan Power, Hong Kong Dragons, Qixiu ES & Yanhe MS) will play three games with the top two teams playing off in the Grand Final. The Under 10’s Junior Division teams (Foshan Seagulls, Foshan Lightning Wolves, Guangzhou Scorpions & Hong Kong Dragons) will play 3 exhibition games each, whilst the two team Under 8 teams (Guangdong Tigers & Hong Kong Dragons) will play each other twice also in an exhibition format.
Shanghai Cup Partners & Supporters
AFL Asia would like to sincerely thank the Shanghai Tigers Football Club for their superb efforts and logistical preparations as hosts, in particularly Club President David Trethewey. We are also very thankful for the wonderful contributions and ongoing support that we have received from Andrew Hughes, AFL International & Community Football Manager and Shane Smith, Port Adelaide Football Club Chief Financial Officer & Head of Operations – China Engagement. Their work behind the scenes has been tremendously helpful over the past six months preparing for this tournament and the Shanghai weekend in general.
AFL Asia has an enormous amount of appreciation for our sponsors and proud partners including ANS, Tribal Sport, ATPI, the Wellington College International Shanghai and as previously mentioned the AFL and the Port Adelaide Football Club. AFL Asia are also very thankful that the AFL’s CEO Gillon McLachlan has made himself available to check out the Shanghai Cup action throughout the day and also to the Shanghai Rugby Football Association Chairman Mr. Gui Guojie, JoySun (Shanghai) Sports Culture Entertainment Co Ltd. President Mr. Raymond Wei and Chinese Rugby Football Association Representative Mr. Jack Liu, who will be presenting awards during the Shanghai Cup presentations.
