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Sport in Australia

Australia has a rich history in sport on the world stage, and in many cases perform well above expectations based on its relatively small population.

The most popular national sport in Australia is Cricket, in which Australians are very successful at. There are two major football codes Rugby League played predominantly in New South Wales and Queensland, and Aussie Rules popular in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. Rugby Union and Association Football (known mostly as Soccer) is also played. The most popular female sport is Netball.

Australians also love water sports and has been a super power when it comes to swimming since the late 50's. Swimmers like Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould, Kieren Perkins and Ian Thorpe have all taken in multiple gold medals since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Australia has hosted the Olympics twice (1956 and 2000).

Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Australia. See also the list of most attended sports in Australia, and the most popular internet searches for "sports" in Australia. See also Major Sporting events in Australia.

An International Rules Football game at Subiaco Oval, Perth WA, in 2017

Popular sports of Australia (see more)

• AFL, Cricket, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Netball, Football (Soccer), Tennis

Traditional Sports of Australia

Australia's traditional (Aboriginal) games are unique in a way because they are not competitive in nature. They are more focused on cooperation and oneness because when a player is "out" of the game, they can simply rejoin the game. Games like Goomboobooddoo, a traditional wrestling game played by family against family. Another one is Buroinjin, played with a ball made from kangaroo skin and stuffed with grass and is very similar to basketball.

Sports Specific to Australia

• Australian Football — a fast paced football code played between two teams of eighteen players on a large oval field.
• Kegel — a German nine-pin bowling game played in Australia.
• Calisthenics — a competitive team sport in which athletes perform elements of rhythmic gymnastics and ballet.
• Campdrafting — a rider on horseback attempts to cut out a cattle from its herd and drive it into a pen.
• Surf Lifesaving — competitions consist of performing various tasks performed by lifeguards in the beach
• Trugo — players strike a rubber ring, which is called a whell, with a mallet through goal posts.
• Vigoro — an Australian sport that combines elements of Cricket and Baseball, mainly played by women. Played on a pitch shorter than for cricket, with a bat with a long handle like a paddle.

Australia Sporting Success

• Rugby World Cup winners 1991, 1999
• ICC Cricket World Cup winners 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007.
• ICC Champions Trophy winner - 2006, 2009
• Hockey Champions Trophy winners - 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• Asian Cup Football winners - 2015

Great athletes from Australia

• Ian Thorpe (swimming)
• Donald Bradman (cricket)
• Tim Cahill (soccer)
• Shirley Strickland (athletics)
• Murray Rose (swimming)
• Greg Norman (golf)
• Ricky Ponting (cricket)
• Shane Warne (cricket)
• Murray Rose (swimming)
• Cathy Freeman (athletics)
• Dawn Fraser (swimming)
• Rod Laver (tennis)
• Herb Elliot (athletics)
• Rod Laver (tennis)
• Betty Cuthbert
• Ken Rosewall
• Who is Australia's Greatest Athlete? — about the TV show

Australian Sports trivia

• Australia is one of only five nations to have participated at every Olympic Games of the modern era.
• Cricketer Faith Thomas in 1958 was the first Aboriginal woman to be selected to represent Australia in any sport.
• In 2011, Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France.
• In 2012, Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the US Masters.

Australia at Major Events (more events)

• Australia at the Olympics
• Australia at the Summer Olympics
• Australia at the Winter Olympics
• Australia at the Commonwealth Games
• Australia at the FIFA World Cup
• Australia at the AFC Asian Cup
• Australia at the Cricket ODI World Cup
• Australia at the Cricket T20 World Cup
• Australia at the Rugby World Cup
• Australia women's football team at the FIFA Women's World Cup
• Australia at the Netball World Cup

Past sporting events hosted in Australia

• 1938 British Empire Games - Sydney
• 1956 Summer Olympic Games hosted in Melbourne
• 1962 British Empire & Commonwealth Games - Perth
• 1982 Commonwealth Games - Brisbane
• 1987 Rugby World Cup hosted in Australia and New Zealand
• 1991 World Swimming Championships Perth
• 1991 Men's World Boxing Championships in Sydney
• 1992 Cricket World Cup hosted in Australia & New Zealand
• 1998 World Swimming Championship Perth
• 2000 Summer Olympic Games hosted in Sydney
• 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney
• 2003 Rugby World Cup
• 2006 Commonwealth Games - Melbourne
• 2007 World Swimming Championship Melbourne
• 2015 Asian Football Cup
• 2015 Cricket World Cup hosted by Australia & New Zealand
• 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, QLD
• 2020 World T20 (women)
• 2022 Men's T20 World Cup hosted by Australia
• 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong
• 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Melbourne.
• 2023 IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in Bathurst, NSW

Upcoming sporting events in Australia

• 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup (co-hosted with New Zealand)
• 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria
• 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney
• 2027 Rugby World Cup (men)
• 2028 T20 Cricket World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand.
• 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup
• 2032 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Brisbane

Annual sporting events held in Australia

• AFL Grand Final
• NRL Grand Final
• Super Netball Cup — the top level netball league in Australia.
• Horse Racing Melbourne Cup
• Tennis Australian Open
• Rugby League State of Origin
• A-League — the top level football (soccer) league in Australia.

Sporting Facilities in Australia

• Australian Institute of Sport
• Victorian Institute of Sport
• Western Australian Institute of Sport
• South Australian Institute of Sport
• New South Wales Institute of Sport
• Queensland Academy of Sport
• Olympic Winter Institute of Australia

Stadiums in Australia (more)

• Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
• Etihad/Marvel Stadium
• Sydney Olympic Stadium
• Optus Stadium (Perth)
• Adelaide Oval
• Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW
• Brisbane Cricket Ground ("the Gabba"), Brisbane, Queensland
• Bellerive Oval, Hobart, Tasmania

More in Australian Sport

• List of Winners of the Don Award
• Highlights of Australian Sport in recent years.
• Workplace Assessments for departments in Australia
• Sport Science Study Institutions in Australia
• Sports videos about 'Australia'
• Sport in the NT

Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let me know.

Related Pages

• Most popular sports in Australia
• Australian Sports Culture
• Unusual Sports from Australia
• Australian Sports Top Earners
• Australia at the Olympic Games
• What do they call football/soccer in Australia?
• Countries list
• World of Sport Home

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