Sports on the Gold Coast, Queensland

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Glitz and palm trees.

1 Sporting teams
2 Recreation
3 Gold Coast sports venues
4 External Links

[edit] Sporting teams

The Gold Coast is host to a number of national sporting teams, notably the Gold Coast Titans (rugby league), Gold Coast Blaze (basketball) and Gold Coast Blue Tongues (ice hockey). The Football Federation Australia is set to approve a Gold Coast A-League soccer team funded by local billionaire Clive Palmer. The new club will no longer be called the Gold Coast Galaxy as previously proposed. The new name will be revealed when the bid is officially approved.

[edit] Rugby League

The Gold Coast Titans became the first Gold Coast team in a national competition for almost a decade when it was announced on May 27, 2005 that they would join the 2007 season of the National Rugby League.

The Gold Coast is home to two teams in the Queensland Cup: The Tweed Heads Seagulls and the Burleigh Bears, two of the oldest clubs in the competition. The Tweed Heads Seagulls are the current champions.

It is also a very popular schoolboy sport in the area. As of 2003 there were 89 rugby league teams in Gold Coast primary schools and 59 teams in Gold Coast high schools representing about 2300 young players. ^[1] Gold Coast high schools, such as Keebra Park and Palm Beach Currumbin, have won the national high school tournament, the Arrive Alive Cup.

[edit] Association football (soccer)

Palm Beach Sharks play in the Brisbane Premier League.

The Gold Coast is the home of a consortium which is assembling a bid for a new A-League team. This team was to be known as Gold Coast Galaxy FC, but this is likely to change, after the backer of the preferred bid by the Football Federation Australia, local billionaire Clive Palmer wants the team to be named differently.

[edit] Rugby Union

The Gold Coast Breakers play in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition, the fourth level of rugby union in Australia. The Gold Coast also hosted a team in the ill-fated Australian Rugby Championship for one season before the team and competition folded.

The Brisbane-based Queensland Reds have played trial games on the Gold Coast. The Southport School on the Gold Coast is famous for being a nursery of rugby union players.

[edit] Australian rules football

The Gold Coast is home to three clubs in the Queensland State League, the state's highest level ARF of competition. The Southport Sharks, the Broadbeach Cats and the Labrador Tigers. The AFL has announced plans for a 17th team to enter the competition in 2009. The AFL wants the team to be based on the Gold Coast. GC17 is the Gold Coast's official bid campaign to secure the 17th AFL license.[1]

[edit] Recreation

There are many recreational activities situated on the Gold Coast ranging from Surfing to fishing and Boating to Golf.

[edit] Surfing

The Gold Coast is a popular place for surfing. World class breaks including TOS, Sandpumping Jetty, Burleigh, Currumbin Alley, Greenmount, Kirra, Snapper Rocks and Duranbah (just over border into NSW). There are also many other surfing locations along the open beaches. The Roxy Pro and Quiksilver Pro are held on the Gold Coast and kickstart the World Championship Tour calendar each year.

[edit] Fishing

Fishing is a popular activity on the Gold Coast. Popular fishing spots include the Sandpumping Jetty on the Spit, Offshore reefs at Palm Beach, The Narrowneck Reef, the Gold Coast Broadwater, Jumpinpin, Coomera, Logan and Albert Rivers, Currumbin and Tallebudgera Creeks and fresh water environments at Robina Lakes and Hinze Dam.

[edit] Boating

Boating is a popular activity on the Gold Coast. There are waterskiing areas at upper coomera, santa barbara, along the western Broadwater, Tipplers, Currigee, Isle of Capri, Carrara and Tallebudgera Creek. There is an olympic standard sailing basin in the Broadwater and marks offshore for various types of vessel events. Sailing is popular. The Gold Coast has a growing mega yacht industry and boat manufacturing industry. Fishing vessels include tinnies up to 3 storey fly bridge versions. There are 35 public boatramps spread throughout the City from Waterford to Currumbin and there are 105,000 registered vessels {2001} within 2 hours drive of a Gold Coast Boatramp.

[edit] Golf

The Gold Coast has over fifty private and public golf courses including several outstanding resort courses. Generally, golf club members play competitively every Saturday. A short list of eighteen hole golf courses within the city includes Arundel Hills Golf Club, Emerald Lakes Golf Club, Hope Island - The Links, Parkwood International Golf Course, Royal Pines Resort, Sanctuary Cove - The Palms, Sanctuary Cove - The Pines, Southport Golf Club, The Glades Golf & Spa, Robina Woods, Palm Meadows, Lakelands, The Colonial and Gainsborough Greens.

[edit] Horse Racing

The Gold Coast Turf Club hosts weekly horse races every Saturday from 12 o'clock midday for a minor entry fee. Facilities include a bookmaker's ring, betting tote through UNItab, four small to large function venues and public food and drink outlets.

Magic Millions a thoroughbred auction sales and racing event is the largest to be held on the Gold Coast. This annual event held in January each year attracts buyers and enthusiasts from around the world, with one year a staggering $100 million dollars turnover in yearling sales.

[edit] Gold Coast sports venues

The Gold Coast is host to a range first class sporting venues, from outdoor stadiums like the just-completed Skilled Park to the indoor Gold Coast Convention Centre and the Olympic class Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre. Other facilities include Carrara Stadium, the Carrara Indoor Sport Centre and the Nerang Velodrome.

[edit] Skilled Park

Skilled Park is premier stadium on the Gold Coast and seats 27,000 people undercover. Completed in February 2008 it is located in the suburb of Robina and sits adjacent to Robina Train Station. It was built specifically for the Gold Coast Titans re-entry to the National Rugby League but will likely also be used for the proposed A-League team, the Gold Coast Galaxy.

[edit] Carrara Stadium

Carrara Stadium is the city's largest oval stadium, it has an official capacity of 18,000 (most of which are not undercover or seated).^[2] The stadium has however on numerous occasions hosted attendances in excess of this official capacity. It was previously the home of the Gold Coast Chargers(defunct) and Brisbane Bears(relocated).

[edit] Carrara Indoor Sport Centre

^[3] neighbours Carrara Stadium and has a seated capacity of 3,000. It was previously the home of the basketball team, the Gold Coast Rollers(defunct).

[edit] Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

Situated in Broadbeach, the centre was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of $127 million. It is home to the Gold Coast Blaze in the National Basketball League and will reportedly be able to seat over 5000 spectators http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/t_standard2.aspx?pid=100

[edit] Sports Super Centre

This facility is located at the northern end of the Gold Coast, in the suburb of Runaway Bay, has been earmarked as a world class training facility.^{[citation needed]} The centre includes nine purpose built villas which provide accommodation for touring groups or sporting teams, FINA approved 50 metre outdoor swimming pool, an IAAF certified 10 lane 400 metre athletic track with 3000 seater capacity stadium, a 600m2 gymnasium and health spa. It is being used by the Gold Coast Titans until their own HQ and training facilities are built in Robina.

[edit] Nerang Velodrome

The Nerang Velodrome (including the Nerang International Criterium Circuit Velodrome) is a 356 m asphalt track with lights for night time use. There is a permanent covered grandstand for 240 people and temporary grandstands for a further 150 people. The Criterium Circuits include 3 hot-mix asphalt circuits. There is a flat 600 m circuit, and 900 m and 1500 m circuits which both include a 200 m hill. It hosted the pre-2000 Olympic Games training for Great Britain Cycling (Road) and Triathlon Teams, and the Sweden Cycling (track) Team. The nearby Nerang State Forest, with its hilly terrain and well-maintained trails is a favourite recreational area for mountain bike riders.

[edit] External Links

http://gc17.com.au/index.php?id=9