Australian Sports
Sports are a huge part of the Australian lifestyle and most Australians pride themselves on being able to play one sport or another. Because Australia is so big and its landscape so varied, there are a huge variety of sports available here. From team sports such as rugby, soccer and cricket, to individual pursuits such as tennis, golf or surfing, there’s something for everyone.
Most Popular Sports
Listed below are the most popular sports in Australia according to media interest, attendance and participation.
Swimming
Because Australia is an island, and most Australians live on the coast, swimming is a major sport. Most Australian children learn to swim at school, and going to the beach in summer is a popular holiday and weekend activity.
Swimming is popular as a participant sport but also as a spectator sport. Swimming is one of the most watched events at the Commonwealth and Olympic games, and Australia prides itself on its swimming successes at both these events.
See also: Dawn Fraser, Ian Thorpe (‘Famous Australian Sportspeople’)
Australian Rules Football
Australian Rules Football is also known as ‘Australian Football’ ‘Aussie Rules’ ‘Football’ or ‘Footy’. It is one of the most popular games in Australia. Aussie Rules is played on an oval-shaped field with an oval shaped ball (similar to an American football – not a soccer ball!). The field has four posts (two goalposts and two points posts) at either end. Each team can have 18 players on the field at any time, and the main aim of the game is to kick the ball between the goalposts to score. Aussie Rules is a contact sport, so players can be tackled – which makes it even better as a spectator sport! Australian Rules Football is dominated by the Australian Football League (AFL), which is sometimes how the game is referred to. The Aussie Rules season starts in March and goes until August, encompassing most of autumn and winter.
See also: AFL Grand Final (‘Major Australian Sporting Events’)
Cricket
Cricket is a very important game in Australia, and one of the oldest sports that we have. Cricket has been played in England since 1744, and the first Australian Cricket team was assembled in 1868. One of the most significant elements of cricket in Australia is the healthy rivalry between Australia and England, embodied in The Ashes (see below), a series of matches held each year. The rules of cricket are quite complex, but the main principle is that there are two teams of eleven players each. One team bowls (throws the ball) and fields (catches the ball), while the other bats (tries to hit the ball thrown by the bowler). At each end of the pitch, there are three sticks in the ground, called wickets, with two smaller sticks (bails) balanced on the top of those three sticks. The aim of the batsman is to hit the ball as far as possible, without disturbing the wickets – if the bowler hits the wickets, or the batsman’s ball is caught, then the batsman is out. The batsman tries to hit the ball so that he has enough time (before it is caught by a fielder and returned to the pitch) to run from one end of the pitch to the other, and if possible, back again – thereby scoring ‘runs’. If the batsman hits the ball so that it reaches the boundary fence without being caught, by rolling or bouncing, he scores four runs automatically; if the ball hits the boundary fence on the full, then he scores six runs automatically. If this sounds complicated, keep in mind that the official rules of cricket run to a full 116 pages! Despite the fact that the rules seem complex, watching the cricket is a national pastime and on most beaches around Australia during summer you will see a group of people playing ‘beach cricket’ with a plastic bat, a tennis ball, and whatever else they can find. Cricket is primarily played in summer.
See also: The Ashes (‘Major Sporting Events’); Sir Donald Bradman (‘Famous Australian Sportspeople’)
Tennis
Tennis has been a popular sport in Australia since the 19th century. Like cricket, it was an import from England. Many Australian children learn to play tennis at an early age and it is popular with all ages. Australia is now a serious contender in most major tennis tournaments, having won 28 Davis Cup titles, seven Federation Cup titles, and 94 Australian Open titles. Most Australian tennis players are household names, such as Pat Rafter, Pat Cash, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, and Lleyton Hewitt (see ‘Famous Australian Sportspeople’).
See also: The Australian Open (‘Major Sporting Events’)
Football (Soccer)
Soccer in Australia has been growing in popularity ever since the Australian soccer team, the Socceroos, qualified for the World Cup in 2006. This inspired many Australians to get involved in the World Cup spirit and to support the Australian team. Soccer at this level is more of a spectator sport than anything else, although it is growing in popularity in schools and at an amateur level. The soccer season goes from April to September.
Rugby League
Ruby League is yet another sport from England that Australians have adopted as their own. Rugby League is played on an oval shaped field with an oval shaped ball. Each team has 17 players, 13 of which can be on the field at any given time. The aim of the game is to get the ball up to the end of the field, and ‘ground’ it – put it on the ground – to score a try, and win four points. If a try is scored, the team can try to kick a goal in order to get two more points. Rugby League is a contact sport, so players can be tackled in order to try and get possession of the ball. The Rugby League season lasts from March to November.
See also: Rugby League Tri-Nations (‘Major Sporting Events’)
Rugby Union
Rugby Union is sometimes referred to just as ‘rugby’ or ‘union’. Again, this game was adopted from England. Like Aussie Rules and Rugby League, the game is played with an oval shaped ball. The game is played by two teams, each of 15 players, although there may be up to 7 reserves in the team as well. The aim of the game is to score points by kicking a goal through the goalposts which are at either end of the field. Union is a contact sport, so tackling is allowed – due to the rules which allow players to handle and throw the ball, tackling is a major part of the game and so it can be quite violent. Rugby Union is very popular as a spectator sport. The season goes from June to September. The Rugby World Cup has been held every four years since 1987. Australia has won the World Cup twice.
Major Sporting Events
Major Sporting Events are truly major in Australia. Because we are such a sport-obsessed country, grand finals, tournaments, cups, etc, can bring the nation to a standstill as everyone retires to the pub to watch with friends, to a game to watch the action live, or to their own living room to contemplate the game in (relative, depending on how enthusiastic they are) peace and quiet, with a cold beer in hand.
The AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is the biggest event in Australian Rules Football. It is held annually in Melbourne to determine the premiers for that year. The AFL Grand Final has the greatest attendance and interest of all annual Australian sporting events – the 2005 final was watched by 3.3 million people all over Australia and the 2006 final was attended by 97 431 people, making it the biggest domestic championship in the world. The winning club collects AU$1 million, but the main reason to participate is for the glory – especially as this amount rarely covers the cost of competing.
See also: Australian Rules Football (‘Most Popular Sports’)
The Australian Open
The Australian Open is held every January in Melbourne. It is the first of the four Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments, and the only one to offer indoor play, which, considering the extreme heat which often accompanies January days in Melbourne, is a very good thing.
See also: Tennis (‘Most Popular Sports’)
The Ashes
The Ashes is a great example of sporting rivalry between Australia and England. It has been played every 18 or 30 months, due to the seasonal discrepancy between the two nations. The Ashes date back to 1882, when Australia beat England for the first time on English soil. A newspaper published an ironic obituary, saying that English cricket had died, and ‘the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia’ – England’s pride led them to subtitle their next tour to Australia as ‘the quest to reclaim The Ashes.’ The trophy for the test series is a small urn said to contain the remains of a piece of cricket equipment, such as a ball, although the real contents remain a mystery. In 2005, England won the Ashes for the first time in 18 years, although Australia recently won them back in 2006.
See also: Cricket (‘Most Popular Sports’); Sir Donald Bradman (‘Famous Australian Sportspeople’)
The Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games, previously known as the British Empire Games, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and the British Commonwealth Games, are a multinational, multi-sport event similar to the Olympic Games. The Commonwealth Games are attended by the best athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations – usually about 5 000 athletes attend. Australia is one of the few nations to have attended every Commonwealth Games. Australia typically dominates the Commonwealth Games in terms of medal tallies – at the 2006 Games, held in Melbourne, Australia won 223 medals. The second place winner, England, won 112 medals.
The Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup, otherwise known as ‘The Race that Stops a Nation’ is an annual horserace held in Melbourne on the first Tuesday of November. The Melbourne Cup is one of the biggest spectator events of the year, as many people love the opportunity not only to watch the horses, but to dress up, to take part in an office sweep (a kind of bet where you pick a name of a horse out of a hat, rather than choosing one), or, if they’re lucky, to have the afternoon off work. The Melbourne Cup is regarded as the most esteemed ‘two mile’ handicap worldwide.
The Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations is a tournament held every three years between the three best nations in Rugby League – Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. It has only been played since 1999, so the details regarding how many matches are played, where it is held, etc., are still changingSee also: Rugby League (‘Most Popular Sports’)
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
This race is held every year and, as the name suggests, it is a race from Sydney to Hobart (Tasmania), in yachts. It can be a very dangerous race, as the waters between Sydney and Hobart are dangerous and the conditions can be very nasty depending on the weather. It has been held for the last 61 years, always starting from Sydney Harbour at 1.00pm on Boxing Day, the 26th of December, and is a high point in the Sydney sporting calendar.
See also: Sailing (‘Team Sports’)
Team Sports
Australian Rules Football
See ‘Most Popular Sports’
Basketball
Basketball is a growing sport in Australia. Although it is not as popular here as it is in the United States, it is still widely played widely – most parks have a basketball hoop installed, for example. Australia’s men’s basketball team is called the Boomers, and the women’s team the Opals.
Cricket
See ‘Most Popular Sports’
Soccer
See ‘Most Popular Sports’
Hockey
Hockey is a game in which two teams attempt to manoeuvre a small disc, called a puck, into the opponents’ net, using a hockey stick. The most common form of the game in Australia is field hockey. Hockey is popular with both males and females all over Australia and is often played at school. The Australian Women’s Hockey Team is known as the Hockeyroos and they have won the Olympic gold medal in 1988, 1996 and 2000. The Men’s Hockey Team is the Kookaburras and they have won 3 bronze, 3 silver and 1 gold Olympic medals.
Netball
Netball is an extremely popular game played in Australia, predominantly by women, although there is a minority of men who also play. It is very similar to basketball, except that the hoops are lower, there is no backboard, and dribbling is not allowed – that is, each player may not take more than one step while holding the ball. Netball is not a contact sport. Netball is the most popular sport among women in Australia. The Australian Women’s Netball Team is regarded as the best women’s netball team in the world.
See also: Liz Ellis (‘Famous Australian Sportspeople’)
Rugby League
See ‘Most Popular Sports’
Rugby Union
See ‘Most Popular Sports’
Sailing
Sailing is a very popular sport in Australia, particularly in cities that are close to the water or have a harbour, such as Sydney. On a clear day the harbour and all the surrounding bays are filled with boats of all shapes and sizes, hoping to take advantage of the wind and to enjoy the sun.
See also: The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race (‘Major Sporting Events’)
Individual Sports
Golf
Golf is a very popular game in Australia. Australia has many beautiful golf courses in all parts of the country, and hosts internationally recognized tournaments. Golf is also a relatively inexpensive sport to play in Australia as we have so many public courses where you can rent golf clubs as well.
See also: Greg Norman (‘Famous Australian Sportspeople’)
Surfing
Australia has many amazing surf beaches and a great surfing culture. Some of the best names in surfing, like Billabong and Rip Curl are Australian. Australia has some of the best surf beaches in the world, including Bells Beach in Victoria; Avalon, Manly, Bronte and Bondi in New South Wales; Middleton Bay and Newport Reef in South Australia; and Kirra, Burleigh and Noosa in Queensland. Boogieboarding, a variation on surfing is also popular – the only difference is that a smaller, wider board is used.
See also: Layne Beachley (‘Famous Australian Sportspeople’)
Swimming
See ‘Most Popular Sports’
Tennis
See ‘Most Popular Sports’
Winter Sports
Due to Australia’s diverse landscape, many winter sports are also played here. New South Wales and Victoria both have ski resorts, which are popular as holiday destinations. In Australia, skiing is popular, as are cross-country skiing and snowboarding.
Famous Australian Sportspeople
Cathy Freeman (Running) 1973 -
Cathy Freeman is an Aboriginal-Australian athlete whose specialty is the 400m run. She has been a figure of controversy in the past, using her celebrity as an athlete to bring issues of Aboriginal-Australian reconciliation into the spotlight, although she is best known in Australia as one of our most gifted runners. She is the only person to light the Olympic Flame and take home a gold medal at the same Games (Sydney 2000). She retired from running in 2003.
Dawn Fraser (Swimming) 1937 -
Dawn Fraser is an Australian swimming champion and the first woman to swim 100 metres in under a minute. Despite her amazing achievements as a swimmer, it is her Australian sense of humour and fun that has kept her in the public mind. Many stunts have been attributed to her, including having climbed the flagpole in Emperor Hirohito’s palace while in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics (although this later turned out to be just a rumour). She has gone on to lead a colourful life since retiring from swimming, most recently appearing on a TV reality show, and before that as part of the Olympic Torch Relay.
Sir Donald Bradman (Cricket) 1908 - 2001
Sir Donald Bradman, otherwise known as The Don, is undoubtedly one of the best cricket players that Australia has ever, and will ever, see – he is acknowledged not just by Australians, but by the whole world as the greatest batsman of all time, with an average of 99.94. This near-impossible average also marks out Sir Donald Bradman as one of the greatest athletes in the world, in any sporting discipline.
Greg Norman (Golf) 1955 -
Greg Norman is an Australian pro golfer, occasionally nicknamed ‘The Shark’ or ‘The Great White Shark’. He is an exceptional golfer, and in the 1980s and 90s spent 331 weeks as the number one golfer in the world. He has not officially retired from the world of golf but instead has spent more time in recent years promoting various products and pursuing his business ventures.
Ian Thorpe (Swimming) 1982 -
Ian Thorpe, otherwise known as the ‘Thorpedo’, is one of the fastest freestyle swimmers in the world. He has won more gold Olympic medals than any other Australian – five in total – and has won a record breaking six gold medals from one World Championships. Unfortunately, he contracted glandular fever whilst on a break from training in preparation for competition in the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and has since retired from swimming at the age of 24.
Layne Beachley (Surfing) 1972 -
Layne Beachley is the best female surfer in the world. She has won the World Championships an amazing seven times, despite having struggled on and off with chronic fatigue. She has a characteristically aggressive surfing style which is perhaps a product of learning to surf amongst a group of young men. She is an inspiration to young female surfers throughout Australia and the world, because she has carved out a niche for herself in a predominantly masculine sport.
Liz Ellis (Netball) 1973 -
Liz Ellis is the captain of the Australian Women’s Netball Team and is regarded as one of the best netballers in Australia, and certainly the most well-known. She plays goalkeeper and is generally regarded as one of the greatest defenders in the sport.
Rod Laver (Tennis) 1938 –
Rod Laver was one of Australia’s greatest tennis champions, and held the title of World No. 1 for seven years running. Another great achievement was winning all four Grand Slam titles in the same year – once in 1962 as an amateur and again in 1969 as a professional. In 2000, the centre court at Melbourne Park (where the Australian Open is held each year) was renamed the Rod Laver Arena.
Lleyton Hewitt (Tennis) 1981 -
Lleyton Hewitt is an Australian tennis player perhaps best known for his aggressive attitude on court, his habit of wearing baseball caps backwards, and his trademark cry, ‘C’mon!!!!’. He is an extremely competitive player and this has led to confrontations with tennis authorities on more than one occasion; despite his obvious talent, his on-court behaviour has cost him fans.
Pat Rafter (Tennis) 1972 –
Pat Rafter is an Australian tennis champion, formerly World No. 1. He has been runner up at Wimbledon twice, and in 2006 was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Pat Rafter is also a philanthropist – he donated half his prize money from his wins at the 1997 and 1998 US Open to the Starlight Foundation, a charity that supports children with terminal illnesses.