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Summer, 1776. Philadelphia. History was changed with the scratching of a quill.
The Declaration of Independence – bold, unwavering, and unique in its way – signified the birth of the United States of America as a nation.
It was the first of many chapters of history that have been written about our country. There have been triumphs and setbacks, challenging times and moments of hope. But all unquestionably American.
250 years later, a group of American athletes who exhibit those same qualities – bold, unwavering, and unique in their own way – will take to the Aussie Rules oval in uniforms that pay homage to that historic summer and their own history, while writing the next chapter of their own story and Australian Football in the States.
The USAFL International Program is proud to partner with Aussie Sports USA to present the jumpers and kits to be worn by Team USA for 2026 49th Parallel Cup in Kelowna, British Columbia on August 29th. The USA Freedom women’s side will face the Canada Northern Lights, while the USA Revolution men take on the Canada Northwind. Development squads will also play matches against Canadian opponents in what should be a fantastic day of international Aussie Rules.
The International Program began in 1999 when the Revolution played its first game in the first ever 49th Parallel Cup, then called the Pan-Am Cup, with the Revolution defeating the Northwind in Chicago. The Freedom women’s program began in 2007 and they too tasted victory on debut, shutting out the Northern Lights in Vancouver at that year’s 49PC.
Now, a mix of veterans and newcomers – both to the sport of Aussie Rules and to Team USA – add another chapter to a historic rivalry and to a historic movement in the sport.
The primary look for our National Teams is a commemorative take on a classic design that has been used by the International Program for over two decades. A “Liberty Blue” top with red and white stripes across the bottom, and 250 cascading blue stars creating a gradient to join the two sections.
While the men’s and women’s sides have a unified first-choice kit, each program has its own distinct clash jumpers. Both the Freedom and Revos have white kits adorned on the front by figures representative of the Americans who contributed to our country’s independence two-and-a-half centuries ago. Of special significance on the women’s jumper is the Bennington Flag, in use during those years, and a rallying point for independence. The men’s jumper features a rosette, used for identification and signifying position.
Next to the figures in period wear on both uniforms are the words that provided that historical spark: the heading of the Declaration of Independence. On the back, the names of all fifty states – in the order they joined the union, connecting the beginning of our country to today – flank the team nicknames “Freedom” and “Revolution”. And, for the first time in program history, these uniforms introduce “Declaration Gold” as an accent color.
Three smaller but important identity marks across the set. “1776,” written as original scribe Timothy Matlack had on the Declaration vellum, sits between the neckline and player number on the back. On the left front chest, a quill sits in a stylized inkwell shaped like the four goal posts used in Aussie Rules, ready to scribe more history in the annals of the program. And another quote from the declaration appears on the shorts: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”, an ideal core to our identity as “united States of America”.
We’re excited to watch Team USA take to the ground in Kelowna, and we’ll hope you’ll be cheering along too. If you can’t make it up to Canada, you can watch along on Saturday, August 29th starting at 9am PDT on the AFL Canada YouTube Channel.
Interested in one of these kits? A great way to support the International Program is to get one of these limited run, commemorative jumpers of your own. Take a moment and fill out this Expression of Interest form. If there is enough demand, we will reach out to coordinate details and an order will be placed for pickup at the USAFL Nationals in Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida October 16-18.
The USAFL is proud to partner with
