Austria turns down 2019 IFAF Worlds

According to Football-Austria.com, and the Austrian sports website, laola1.at, the American Football Federation of Austria, (American Football Bund Österreich – AFBÖ)  has apparently decided that they will not be sending a team to the compete in the 2019 IFAF Men’s World Championships to be held in Wollongong, Australia

Citing a scheduling conflict with Austrian Bowl XXXV and the high costs of sending a team to Australia, Austria has decided to opt out of the World Championships in 2019.

This would mark the second straight world championship tournament that the Austrians have turned down. Following their pull out from the 2015 World Championships held in Canton, Ohio after cancellation of the tournament in Stockholm, Sweden, the Austrians have only participated in the 2018 IFAF European Championships. where they finished second. This means the Austrian national team has played in just one tournament for a total of three games since finishing second in the 2014 IFAF European Championships which they hosted.

The IFAF World Championships are held every four years as are the IFAF European Championships.

The last IFAF world championships Austria competed in was the 2011 edition which they also hosted, They finished seventh in that tournament.

John Leijten, head coach of the Australian national team, Team Outback:

“For me as the Outback HC It’s very disappointing to hear that we, Australia, don’t get a chance for a rematch with Austria. In 2011 the Outback started their program and as a result we have been improving as a team. We have come a long way. We still have some developing to do before we arrive where we want to be and playing great teams at the WC is part of this process. We were looking forward to play Austria on home soil to show them what we can do in 2019.”