You should play Australian Rules Football. Women’s football is know as AFLW and it became an overnight success in Australia when it launched in 2017.
And now, you can play AFL football in Vietnam by joining the Lady Swans!
The Lady Swans
The Vietnam Swan’s first official AFLW team, the Lady Swans, were launched at the beginning of the 2018 season. By the end of their first season, they were the inaugural AFLW Asian Champions!
Under the direction of player-coach Chia Sabbatucci, the Lady Swans have quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. All players are welcome and the team has a healthy representation of expats, locals, experienced football players, complete novices and a range of gaelic and rugby-converts.
The AFLW division of AFL Asia is growing rapidly. You can find AFLW teams all across Asia, including the Hong Kong Dragons, the Malaysian Warrior Women and the Cambodian Apsaras. With an expanded schedule for the Lady Swans in 2019, it’s time to get involved with this growing international league!
Our mens and womens teams often play on combined tours. Its a great social event and a fantastic way to meet people in Vietnam. If you’re new to the country and want to settle right in, our Club has a lot to offer.
You can contact us by email to get involved, but the best way to contact us is to reach our to the Club’s Facebook page or the official Instagram for the Lady Swans. We’ll connect you to the right people based on which city you’re interested in.
Before AFLW: Ladies Saigon Gaels
The Lady Swans emerged from over 5 years of hard work. Way back in November 2013, two expat teachers – Siobhan and Laura – decided it was time for the girls in Saigon to have an excuse to run around in the hot sun kicking a ball. Both having played Gaelic football in other countries, they decided to put the word out to see if anyone would be interested in joining this relatively unknown (to non-Irish people!) sport. Initially, there was a solid band of around 8 girls that came down for a kick and a run, which grew to 15 in about 6 months. Fast-forward to 2015, and the Ladies Saigon Gaels has a regular training membership of around 30 girls.
Having trained (and partied) alongside the Vietnam Swans Saigon chapter for a year, the Ladies Saigon Gaels officially integrated with the Swans in November 2014, with fantastic support from then-Swans President, Josh Lee. A Saigon Gael representative joined the the Swans committee, and the two teams continue to train, tour and hold social functions together. In addition, the Swans and Gaels regularly held mixed AFL and international rules (hybrid AFL and Gaelic football) matches, as well as a mixed AFL 9’s tournament in Saigon from November to January.
In their first year as a team, the Gaels had some great wins against their northern counterparts, the Viet Celts, and their highlight was winning the Junior Plate against 10 other teams at their first ever Asian Gaelic Games.
The Swans and Gaels regularly hold mixed AFL and international rules (hybrid AFL and Gaelic football) matches
There was subsequently mixed modified Aussie Rules AFL tournament over several seasons, paving the way to the FIRST EVER women’s AFL match in Asia at the Asian Champs in Saigon in 2016. Mairead Scanlon had a huge influence through this phase of the game’s growth in Vietnam.
The momentus first-ever Women’s AFL Asian game at the 2016 Champs in Ho Chi Minh City saw follow-up success with many AFL Asia Clubs launching their sister clubs.
The Saigon Gaels continue to play gaelic and welcome players of all nationalities, sporting backgrounds and playing abilities, and accept new players year-round. For more information, see http://www.saigongaels.com/ or “like” them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ladies.saigon.gaels.
If you are interested in becoming involved with the Gaels, email ladies.saigon.gaels@gmail.com.
