About 100,000 “Aussie rules” football fans descend on the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday for this year’s grand final, while next weekend the National Rugby League’s season culminates in Sydney. The culmination comes as both codes look beyond Australia’s shores for new fans. The “code wars” between the two sports have helped keep soccer and rugby union at bay in a sports-mad country.

The AFL had revenue of A$1.2bn last year and a A$66mn net profit. Some 1.4mn Australians are paying members of an AFL club. The NRL signed a A$5.3bn broadcasting deal in July, trumping a record A$4.5bn AFL agreement.

In 2025, the NRL said its revenue grew to A$846mn, with a record profit of A$65mn.\n\nPeter V’Landys, executive chair of the NRL, told the FT the push into the Pacific, UK and US represents a concerted effort to globalise the league. “Any sport should have a global ambition — sports that are successful have a global strategy,” he said. V’Landys highlighted the UK as an immediate growth market for the NRL. The Australian body has also made an offer to invest in the Super League in Britain.

The NRL is looking at adding a second team in New Zealand after the success of the Warriors. A new Papua New Guinea NRL team, the Chiefs, is set to join in 2028, bankrolled by the Australian government as part of a A$600mn package. \n\nPat Conroy, Australia’s minister for Pacific Island affairs, said “Rugby League has made Australia a safer place.” EQT acquired a majority stake in NRL team the Melbourne Storm in a deal valuing the club at A$150mn.