A senior Irish official has called into question the future of the international rules concept, saying the hybrid game is at the crossroads.
Pat Daly, the games development manager at the Gaelic Athletic Association, said Ireland had been affronted by Australia sending an indigenous team to last year's series, which Ireland won convincingly.
But he said rule changes announced last week, which are aimed at making Australia more competitive, were a positive measure.
The changes include a rule requiring goalkeepers to kick out over the 45-metre line after every over, behind and wide, an increase from four to six in the allowance for consecutive handballs, a lift in the interchange cap from 10 to 15 a quarter, and the removal of marks from backwards kicks.
"The laws of international rules are somewhat unique in that one of the key underpinning principles has been to achieve the best possible balance between two indigenous codes that have some unique differences,'' Daly said.
"The tweaks ... are an ongoing part of this process.''
The AFL has undertaken some initiatives this year to revive the sport, including recruiting AFL coaches Alastair Clarkson, Ross Lyon and Chris Scott to lead the team, along with Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who will have an ambassadorial role.
And only players who have won selection in an All-Australian team will be eligible to play in the one-off Test in Perth on November 22 - a move supported by the GAA.
"This year's series is important if the level of significance attaching to it as a meaningful contest is to be restored,'' Daly said.
"Having a vigorously contested game is a key requirement and it will be a further bonus if the contest goes down to the wire. From a credibility point of view, it is essential that the stars from both codes are on display, as anything less will culminate in people furthering questioning the basis for the entire concept.
"Last year, Irish people found it difficult to understand why Australia chose to sent a team with diminished prospects of success.
"While it is difficult to generalise and more difficulty again when one has to factor in a diverse range of stakeholders, I thing that the prevailing Irish attitude towards international rules is ... the entire project is at a crossroad."
McGuire recently flagged the prospect of an international rules Test being played in New York. The idea received tentative backing from Daly.
"In recent years there has been phenomenal growth in Gaelic games throughout the world,'' he said. This weekend 250 Youth teams congregated in New York for the [Continental Youth Championships] - the biggest international festival of indigenous sport anywhere in the world. T
"The question that will increasingly arise is, how can international rules complement this process, thereby accentuating the local in a more globalised and multicultural world?
"Playing games in the international rules series could be part of an overarching global vision, but it is essential that the game is restored ... to its future stature if it is to to become a credible future option."
