Sport in Australia
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Sport in Australia is popular and widespread. Levels of both participation and spectating are much higher than in many other countries[citation needed] and testament to this is the level of achievement in the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games as well as other international sporting events in comparison to the population of the country, particularly in the areas of water sports and team sports. The climate and economy provide ideal conditions for Australians to participate and watch sports.
As in other western regions participation has been dropping due to the increasing popularity of other activities such as watching television and playing computer games. Throughout the country a wide variety of sports are played, the most popular being swimming, Australian rules football, golf, soccer, rugby league, rugby union and cricket.
According to the Sweeney Sports Report of 2006 report, based on participation, attendance and media interest, the biggest sports in Australia based on interest, are swimming (61%), cricket (54%), Australian rules (54%), tennis (52%), and football (soccer) (50%), followed by rugby league (42%), and rugby union (40%).[1]
Such is the Australian population's devotion towards sport that it is sometimes humorously described as "Australia's national religion".[citation needed]
Armchair sports fans drive high television ratings for sports programs. In fact, the top 5 television shows in 2005 were sports programs.
[edit] Australian rules football
Australian rules football (commonly known as football or footy, also as Aussie rules) is played in all Australian states and territories. It is a game played between two teams. Each team has 18 players on the field of play at any one time and up to 22 players per side including interchange without limitation by the coaches as required. Teams use an ellipsoidal ball on oval grounds, or similar-sized areas, with four goal posts at each end. The aim for each team is to kick the ball between the two inner posts of one set, for a goal, worth six points. If the ball travels between one outer and one inner post (which includes striking an inner post), it scores a behind, worth just one point. The game is distinguished from other kinds of football by the fast, relatively free movement of the ball.
A total of 539,526 registered participants played football in Australia in 2005, a 4.6 per cent rise from 2004.[2] 6.7 per cent of all participants are from non-English speaking origin. The Australian Sports Commission statistics show a 42% increase in the total number of participants over the 4 year period between 2001-2005.[3]
Football, which originated in the Colony of Victoria in 1858, is the predominant winter sport in its traditional areas of popularity, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania. In these areas (which include about half of Australia's population), the population takes a high interest in the sport and actively attend games, making it by far the biggest spectator sport in the country, and giving it the third highest average attendance for any sporting league in the world (average 35,250 per game 2006).[4] Its popularity is increasing in Queensland and New South Wales, due in part to the recent success of Australian Football League (AFL) teams in Brisbane and Sydney. Footy tipping is a mainstay of many workplaces' social interaction.
The AFL is the national Australian rules competition. It is the most attended sporting league in Australia and the third most attended in the world. It consists of a single division of 16 teams. Of these 16 teams, 10 are Victorian, and with 2 each from South Australia and Western Australia. The remaining two teams are based in Brisbane and Sydney. The AFL is the result of the expanded and Victorian Football League, a competition that has been running since 1896 which changed its name to the Australian Football League in 1990 to reflect its national focus. Each state has its own local league, and there are amateur recreational, children's, junior and women's competitions. Most towns and cities in all states of Australia have at least one football team competing in a local league.
[edit] Baseball
Baseball has suffered popularity in Australia since the collapse of the Australian Baseball League, but the sport is still played all over the country within the various state bodies. Since Australia's silver medal performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics the participation rate in most of the eastern states has remained stable, however there has been a large increase in the sport's popularity and participation in Western Australia.
[edit] Basketball
The National Basketball League was formed in 1978 and is Australia's top professional basketball competition. It has eleven teams. Some players have gone on to play in the NBA such as Andrew Gaze, Luc Longley and Andrew Bogut. The premier women's basketball league is the Women's National Basketball League, with player Lauren Jackson going on to win the WNBA's Most Valuable Player award in 2003. In recent years, many young Australians have chosen to play college basketball in the United States, the most notable of whom is 2005 NBA Draft top pick Andrew Bogut.
In the early to mid 1990s, basketball was one of the most watched sports on TV & gained massive popularity, especially amongst younger people. Since this time, its popularity has declined, but still retains a notable presence.
[edit] Cricket
Cricket has a long history in Australia, and is played on local, national and international levels. It is widely considered Australia's national summer sport and unlike the various football codes, enjoys consistent support from people in all parts of Australia. An Australian cricket team was one of the participants in the first Test match, and is today regarded as one of the leading international teams in world cricket, having been the unquestionably dominant team for much of the 1990s. The first Australian cricket team which played overseas was the 1868 Aboriginal cricket tour of England. The Australian team which toured England in 1948 was nicknamed The Invincibles and was captained by Donald Bradman. In recent years the Australia team has been captained by Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, and currently Ricky Ponting.
- Further information: Australian national cricket captains
Domestic competitions between the states include the Pura Cup first-class competition (previously known as Sheffield Shield) and the Ford Ranger One Day Cup limited overs competition.
- See also: Australian cricket team
[edit] Cycling
Cycling is one of the most popular recreational activities in Australia, as the weather is suitable most of the year. In 2004, almost 1.5 million Australians aged 15 years and over participated in cycling for exercise, recreation and sport at least once [4].
Cycling is gaining a higher profile at a competitive level due to the success of Australians competing overseas (such as in Olympic Games and the Tour de France), and the Tour Down Under race in Australia attracting top cyclists from around the world.
- Further information: Category:Australian cyclists and Category:Cycling in Australia
[edit] Football (soccer)
Football is a popular sport and is played in all Australian states and territories. With over 1,200,000 registered players,[5] in terms of participation it is the dominant participation team sport in Australia.[6]
Australia's national team, nicknamed the Socceroos, are active in international games including World Cup Qualification games. Since January 1, 2006, Australia has been a member of the Asian Football Confederation, moving from the Oceania Football Confederation. The popularity of football as a spectator sport has notably increased in recent years, due to reforms made to football's national governing body and the participation of the national team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup reaching the round of 16.[5]
2004 marked the last season for the National Soccer League, Australia's first club based national league of any sport and in 2005 the A-League was launched. The A-League plays during summer, the traditional off-season, to avoid conflict with the more established football codes in publicity and facilities as well as being in line with European Competition. Unlike Australian rules football and the rugby codes (rugby league and rugby union) there are no 'traditional' regional biases for football allowing for a common 'football' identity.
To date, the A-league has proved very successful, with the 2006-07 regular season recording an average attendance of 12,919 people. Most notably, Melbourne Victory averaged 27,607 people to their 10 home matches throughout the season.
The name "football" is ambiguous and controversial in Australia. Historically, the sport has been known by many as soccer, but numerous official organisations and clubs are now using the term "football" in line with common international usage of the word. However, popular use of the word "football", to mean either Australian rules or one of the rugby football codes, is well-established in Australia. (See also: Australia national football team; Football Federation Australia; The word "football" in Australia.)
[edit] Golf
Australia is a long-standing power in golf and has one of the highest numbers of golf courses per capita in the world. At 31 December 2006 Australia had eleven men in the top one hundred of the Official World Golf Rankings, placing it behind only the United States and the United Kingdom. The Australian Open was first played in 1904 and is one of the main annual golf tournaments in the PGA Tour of Australasia. The Royal Park Golf Club was one of the earliest golf clubs in Melbourne. One of the best known Australian golfers is Greg Norman, the world's number one ranked golfer for much of the 1980s and 1990s. Also well known are Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington, Ian Baker-Finch, Nick O'Hern and Karrie Webb. There is a women's professional tour based in Australia called the ALPG Tour.
- Further information: Category:Golf in Australia
[edit] Hockey
Hockey is a popular amateur sport throughout Australia, but tends to have limited spectator when compared to Cricket, Australian rules football and Rugby. Traditional field hockey, played primarily during winter, is the most common form of the game, but indoor hockey is growing in popularity.
At the highest levels, Australian hockey teams have been extremely successful in the recent past. The Hockeyroos, Australia's women's hockey team, have won three olympic gold medals, in 1988, 1996 and 2000. The Australian Men's team, the Kookaburras are the reigning Olympic and Commonwealth champions.
There are small competitions for roller hockey and ice hockey, but they attract little spectator and media attention.
[edit] Horse racing
Horse racing in Australia is administered by The Australian Racing Board, with each State’s Principal Racing Authority agreeing to abide by, and to enforce the Australian Rules of Racing.
Thoroughbred horse racing is the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian Rules football and rugby league, with almost 2 million admissions to the 379 racecourses throughout Australia in 2002-2003. Besides being a spectator sport, horse racing is also an industry, which provides full or part time employment for almost 250,000 people, the equivalent of 77,000 jobs. About 300,000 people have a direct interest as owners, or members of syndicates in the 31,000 horses in training in Australia.
Public interest in thoroughbred racing, especially during the main Spring and Autumn racing carnivals, has been growing in recent years with over 100,000 attracted to the running of both the Melbourne Cup and VRC Oaks. The Caulfield Cup and W S Cox Plate are also major attractions.
Throughout its history, horse racing has become part of the Australian culture and has developed a rich and colourful language as well as providing some of Australia’s great sporting icons such as Phar Lap, Tulloch, Bernborough, Carbine, Kingston Town and Makybe Diva.
[edit] Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a sport played by relatively few people in Australia, but is one of the oldest established sports in the country, having been introduced in 1875. Despite the small playing numbers and being generally concentrated in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, lacrosse is played to a high standard in Australia, with many individual players also achieving success in American college and professional teams. The national teams have been successful too, with the women's national team winning the World Cup in 1986 and again in 2005, while the men's team have been runners-up on a number of occasions.
[edit] Motorsport
Motorsport is a popular spectator sport in Australia, although there are relatively few competitors compared to other sports due to the high costs of competing. The most widely watched motorsport is V8 Supercars, especially at the Bathurst 1000. Other classes in Australia include Formula 3 and Formula Holden (open wheel racing), Superbikes, and touring cars.
Since 1985, Australia have hosted a round of the Formula One championship. For the first 10 years, the Grand Prix was the last round of the championship at Adelaide, Keke Rosberg winning the first Grand Prix. Adelaide played host to several titles deciders, including the 1986 title, where Alain Prost successfully defended his championship after Nigel Mansell's left rear tire exploded; the 1994 title was also decided in questionable circumstances, after Michael Schumacher collided with his rival Damon Hill to win the title by a single point. Since 1996, Melbourne replaced them from 1996 onwards. As well as hosting Grand Prix, Australia have also had two championship winning drivers, most notable is Jack Brabham, who won the title on three occasions, the other being Alan Jones, who won the 1980 title. Australia have one driver in the current Formula One season, that person being Mark Webber.
Champ Car is another Motorsport that visits Australia, Surfers Paradise Street Circuit has hosted the Lexmark Indy 300 since it began in 1991, John Andretti, nephew of Mario, won the first race there. Australia have never had a champion in this sport, but currently have Will Power driving for Team Australia.
In 1988, Australia hosted a round of the World Rally Championship and have hosted one since then, and between 2004 and 2005, played host to the final round of the championship. Like Champ Cars, Australia don't have a champion in this sport, but do currently have a driver competing in the 2006 championship: Chris Atkinson The WRC won't return to Australia in 2007 but will rejoin the WRC calendar in 2008 under the 'loop' calendar rule.
Since its introduction in 2005, Australia have been racing in the A1 Grand Prix championship, but to date, haven't won a race. Will Power is the most successful driver of the five drivers who have represented Team Australia. Ryan Briscoe and Karl Reindler are Australia's current drivers. As well as drivers, Australia also host a round of the championship, Eastern Creek Raceway was elected to be the course.
Australia hosts a round of most international series, including:
[edit] Netball
- See also Commonwealth Bank Trophy, Netball Australia
Netball has the highest level of participation of any sport amongst women in Australia. It rivals cricket, soccer and Australian football for the highest number of participants of any team sport in the country. The game is governed by Netball Australia at the national level, which is responsible for the national team and national competition.
The Australian national netball team has, along with traditional rivals New Zealand's Silver Ferns, dominated the game at international level. The main competitions at international level are the Netball World Championships and Commonwealth Games, where New Zealand currently hold both titles.
At the domestic level, elite players contest the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. This competition is made up of eight teams from around the country. Indoor Netball is a fast growing variation of the game, with modified rules. It is popular amongst both men and women with mixed competitions also conducted. A world championship in indoor netball was held in 2001.
[edit] Rugby league
Rugby league (also known informally as league, football or footy) is the most attended spectator sport in New South Wales and Queensland, and the second most popular in the Australian Capital Territory (after Rugby union) dating back to 1908. Though not a traditional rugby state, the popularity of the game is increasing in Victoria due to the success of the team based there, the Melbourne Storm. The game is also watched and played to a lesser extent by people in other parts of Australia, such as South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is hardly played at all in Tasmania. Traditionally, the divide between support for league and union is to a large extent along socioeconomic lines, with the professional league being the sport of the working class while the "amateur" rugby union competition played and supported by the upper class. In international competition, the sport has been dominated by Australia since the sixties with Australia not losing a test series between 1978 and 2005.
The Australian Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of Rugby League in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) and the Queensland Rugby League (QRL). The National Rugby League (NRL) is one of the most popular sporting competitions in Australia. It conducts the main competition of professional Rugby League, with 16 teams in 2007. It has done so since 1998, when the ARL merged with Super League. The ARL had held the competition between 1995 and 1997, with the New South Wales Rugby League competition holding it before that, from 1908 to 1994. In the 2006 Grand final, the Brisbane Broncos beat the Melbourne Storm 15-8 to claim their 3rd National Rugby League title.
The Rugby League State of Origin competition began in 1980 after Queensland had campaigned for a State of Origin series as Queensland was consistently losing the state competitions because many of its best players had been lost to New South Wales clubs. State of Origin is one of the biggest annual sports events in Australia, and has brought some of the best rugby league contests ever seen. In the 2006 series, Queensland claimed its first title since 2002, when it beat NSW 16-14 in Melbourne.
The Australian national rugby league team represents Australia internationally in the sport of rugby league. Since July 7, 1994 the team's nickname has been the Kangaroos. See also List of results of the Australian national rugby league team.
Australia is involved in a number of competitions between national rugby league sides. The Rugby League Ashes is the name given to the trophy awarded to the winner of rugby league test series between Great Britain and Australia, held since 1908. In the last Ashes, Australia claimed a 3-nil clean-sweep over the Lions. The Tri-Nations is a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain, which started in 1999. The Rugby League World Cup has been held since 1954, which Australia has won on 8 occasions, in '57, '68, '70, '77, '88, '92, '95 and 2000.
[edit] Rugby union
The first recorded game of Rugby Football in Australia was on 25 July 1839. The Sydney University club, the first recognised club, was formed in 1864. By 1874 there were enough clubs for the formation of the Sydney Metropolitan competition playing by the rules of the Rugby Football Union.
English teams toured Australia in 1888 and 1899. Throughout the 20th century Australian Rugby Union teams were reliably competitive. In Australia, rugby union became a professional sport in 1996. The Australia national rugby union team are the Wallabies. Major international competitions played by the Wallabies include the Bledisloe Cup, between Australia and New Zealand, which since 1996 has been part of the Tri Nations Series.
The Rugby World Cup was first held in 1987 and is now held every four years. Australia is the only nation to have won the Rugby World Cup twice, in 1991 and 1999. The Mandela Challenge Plate began in 2000, which started as a minor tournament involving Australia and South Africa. From 2006 on, it will be contested in the Tri Nations alongside the Bledisloe Cup.
The premier provincial rugby competition is the Super 14 (previously the Super 12) consisting of 4 teams (Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs, the Brumbies and Western Force) from Australia, along with 5 teams from New Zealand and 5 teams from South Africa. Of all the Australian teams, only the Brumbies have won a Super Rugby Title, in 2001 and 2004. The Australian Rugby Shield was first played in 2000, to try and promote rugby union in states outside New South Wales and Queensland. To celebrate 10 years of professional Rugby Union, Australian Rugby celebrated the occasion with the announcement of the Wallaby Team of the Decade.
- See also: Australian Rugby Union
[edit] Softball
Australia's softball history began in 1939 when Gordon Young, Director of Physical Education in NSW, began to promote the game in schools and colleges. In 1942, during WW2, US army sergeant William Duvernet organised softball as a recreation for US nurses stationed in Victoria. Another American, Max Gilley, introduced the game to Queensland in 1946. Australia's first inter-state championship was played in Brisbane in 1947 and was won by Victoria. The second national championship was held in Melbourne two years later. It was at this championship that the Australian Softball Federation was formed with Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales being the founding members. The other States of Australia have since joined. Eight Australian Championships are now conducted each year - Open Women's, Open Men's, Under 23 Women and Men, Under 19 Women and Men, and Under 16 Girls and Boys. Softball has been a major sport in the schools program for some time now and it is estimated that more than 250,000 children play the game each year.
[edit] Tennis
One of the four tennis grand slams is played in Australia, the Australian Open held in Melbourne. The tournament has been held for 100 years since 1905 when the Australasian Tennis Championship was first held at a Cricket Ground in St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Like the other three Grand Slam events, it was contested by top-ranked amateur players. It was known as the Australian championships until the advent of open tennis in 1968. There are men's and women's singles competitions, men's, women's, and mixed doubles, as well as junior and master's competitions.
Some of Australia's best known tennis players include Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Roy Emerson, Lleyton Hewitt, John Newcombe, Pat Rafter, Ken Rosewall and The Woodies. The Woodies consisting of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde was the most successful men's tennis doubles team in history, and won eleven Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal.
- Further information: Tennis Australia and Australian Real Tennis Association
[edit] Winter Sports
Australia receives snow in the Australian Alps and parts of Tasmania, and has indoor ice rinks in many cities. As a result, Australians are able to participate in a wide variety of winter sports, including skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, biathlon, freestyle skiing (including aerial skiing and moguls), ice hockey, curling, short track speed skating and figure skating. Australia has Olympic programs for some of these sports. Australia has little or no facilities for ski jumping, and the ski runs are mostly too short for the faster competitive alpine skiing events like Super-G and Downhill. There are no bobsleigh tracks (used for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton) within Australia (the nearest one is in Japan), although Australia competes in slide events overseas, and there is a bobsleigh push track in the Docklands in Melbourne. [7]
Australians participated in skiing as a sport from the 19th century, probably starting in Kiandra in 1861. The first indoor ice rink was probably opened in 1889, and another opened in Adelaide in 1903. Ice hockey was played as early as 1904.
The Mount Buller World Aerials is an aerial skiing event held in Mount Buller, Victoria. It is the first event in the World Cup calendar.
The Kangaroo Hoppet is a 42 km cross-country skiing race held in Falls Creek, Victoria. Held at the same time are the 21 km Australian Birkebeiner and the 7 km Joey Hoppet races. The Kangaroo Hoppet and the Australian Birkebeiner are part of the Worldloppet series of cross-country ski races.
A team of women competing in skeleton was created from athletes who had never competed in the sport before, planning to win a medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
[edit] Other sports
- Orienteering is a popular sport that combines cross-country running with land navigation skills in the woods. Orienteering in Australia is organised by Orienteering Australia.
- International Rules Football is a compromised rules game played in tests at club level between Australian rules football and Gaelic football teams and at international level between Australia and Ireland.
- Gridiron, otherwise known as American football.
- Amateur Radio Direction Finding is a sport that combines the skills of orienteering with the skills of radio direction finding. Although an obscure sport to most, Australia has had great success at Asia/Pacific regional competitions. ARDF events in Australia are organised by local clubs and the national team is organized by the Wireless Institute of Australia.
- Australian Ice Hockey League
- In athletics the Stawell Gift is run over the Easter weekend
- North Queensland Broomball Association
- Trugo is a sport unique to Australia, played by a small number of Australians.
- Australian Professional Rodeo Association
- Gliding
- Yachting, America's Cup
- Equestrian
- Vigoro is a game resembling both cricket and baseball mainly played by women
- Category:Australian boxers
- Category:Australian athletes
[edit] Olympic Games
Two Olympic Games have been held in Australia; the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Australia is one of only three countries to have sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games. Australia is also currently the only southern hemisphere country to have won a gold Olympic medal in the Winter Olympics. The most successful Australian athlete at an Olympics in terms of medals won is Ian Thorpe with nine medals, with five of them gold. Athletes who have achieved four gold medals were: Betty Cuthbert, Murray Rose, Dawn Fraser and Shane Gould.[6]
The most medals Australia has won at an Olympics was at Sydney 2000, with 58 medals, with 16 of them gold. It was also the largest team Australia has had at an Olympics with 630 athletes, helped by the home country's automatic qualification into every sport. The most gold medals Australia has won at an olympics were at Athens 2004, with 17.
- Further information: Australia at the Summer Olympics, Australia at the Winter Olympics, and Australia at the Winter Paralympics
[edit] Commonwealth Games
Australia is one of the nations to have attended every British Empire/Commonwealth Games event. It has been hosted four times in Australia:
- 1938 British Empire Games - Sydney
- 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games - Perth
- 1982 Commonwealth Games - Brisbane
- 2006 Commonwealth Games - Melbourne
Australia has had huge success at the Commonwealth Games. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia walked away with 84 gold, 69 silver, and 68 bronze medals. The next closest nation, England, secured 34 gold medals.
[edit] University sport
Universities have a role in promoting sport in Australia, with many competitions for university teams (though university sport does not attract the intensive attention that it does in the United States). Uni games is an annual competition in which University teams compete in traditional sports such as track and field, touch football, rugby union as well as other less conventional sports such as Ultimate. Teams qualify for the Australian University Games, held in September, by competing in their respective regional games which are held in July.
[edit] See also
- Australian Sports Commission
- Australian Institute of Sport
- Australian University Games
- Australian national sports team nicknames
- Sledging (cricket)
[edit] References
- ^ [1]Sweeney Research Sports Report 2006
- ^ http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=269374
- ^ http://www.ausport.gov.au/scorsresearch/ERASS2005/ERASS2005_findings.pdf Participation in Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey 2005 Annual Report
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/bracket.html
- ^ [3]
[edit] External links
- Australian Sports Commission
- Australian Institute of Sport
- Austadiums.com: Stadiums & Sport
- SportsAustralia.com
- Unisport
- Unigames
- Indoor Netball Australia
New South Wales · Victoria · Queensland · South Australia · Western Australia · Tasmania · ACT · NT
AFL · Baseball · Basketball · Cricket · Football (soccer) · Futsal · Golf · Hockey · Horseracing · Lacrosse · Motorsport · Netball · Rugby League · Rugby Union · Skeleton sport · Softball · Summer Olympics · Winter Olympics · Winter sport
