Tourism Australia backs AFL’s China game

Tourism Australia has agreed a deal to sponsor the AFL Aussie rules football league’s upcoming game in China.

The May 14 game between Port Adelaide and the Gold Coast Suns at the Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai will mark the first AFL Premiership game to be played in China.

Tourism Australia’s branding will appear above the playing numbers on the teams’ guernseys as part of the agreement.

“With Tourism Australia’s support, we have the ability to showcase Australia and Australia’s game to our friends here in China,” Mark Evans, the AFL’s general manager of football operations, said. “This important friendship is worth investing in and we see our game as a great way in bringing Australia and China closer together.”

The Jiangwan Stadium will be reconfigured to hold 15,000 fans for the game, with the AFL set to become the first major sports league to stage a regular-season encounter in China.