Leslie Massey
Sport is an integral part of Australian culture, with Australians participating in a wide range of sporting activities. While Australian rules football is the most popular sport in terms of attendance and spectatorship, individual sports such as tennis, golf, running, swimming, and horse racing are also very popular. In recent years, recreational walking has become the top participation sport in Australia, with almost 10 million regular participants. This is followed by fitness/gym activities, swimming, and cycling. Among team sports, soccer is the most widely played, with 570,000 regular participants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Most popular participation sport | Recreational walking |
| Number of participants | Almost 10 million |
| Second most popular participation sport | Fitness/gym |
| Number of participants | 4 million |
| Third most popular participation sport | Swimming |
| Number of participants | 1.7 million |
| Fourth most popular participation sport | Jogging |
| Number of participants | 2.3 million |
| Fifth most popular participation sport | Yoga |
| Number of participants | 1.3 million |
| Sixth most popular participation sport | Hiking/bushwalking |
| Number of participants | 1.2 million |
| Seventh most popular participation sport | Cycling |
| Number of participants | 1.15 million |
| Most popular team sport | Soccer |
| Number of participants | 570,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Australian Rules Football
The rules of the game were codified in 1858, and it is believed that they may predate all other modern forms of football, including American, Canadian, Rugby Union, and Association (soccer). The game is played on an oval field, with the goal posts at each end. Points are scored by kicking the oval ball between the central goal posts (worth six points) or between a central and outer post (worth one point, known as a "behind"). Players can use any part of their body to move the ball, but there are rules governing how the ball can be handled. For example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground, and throwing the ball is not allowed. A distinctive feature of the game is the "mark", where players who catch the ball from a kick are awarded unimpeded possession.
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the highest level of men's competition in Australian Rules Football. The league is currently contested by 18 teams from Australia's six states. The season consists of a 23-round regular season, played from March to September. The eight teams with the best record advance to a four-round finals series, which culminates in the AFL Grand Final held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The AFL Grand Final is the highest-attended club championship event of any football code, with a capacity of 100,000 spectators.
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Cricket
Australia has a strong history of cricket, with the national team winning the first-ever Test match in 1877, the first One Day International in 1971, and the first Twenty20 International in 2004. The country has also won the men's Cricket World Cup a record six times. Australian cricketers like Don Bradman, who holds several records, and Victor Trumper, who was idolised by the public, have achieved legendary status.
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Rugby
The first rugby union club in Australia was established by Sydney University in 1864, and the first match was played between Newington College and the University of Sydney in 1869. The Southern Rugby Union was formed in 1879, and the first competition commenced in Sydney in 1880 with 10 clubs. Rugby soon gained popularity across the country, with Queensland clubs forming the Northern Rugby Union in 1883 and the first inter-colonial game taking place in 1882.
Today, rugby remains a popular sport in Australia, particularly in New South Wales, Queensland, and the ACT. The National Rugby League (NRL) is the top-level rugby league competition in the country, consisting of sixteen clubs competing in a single group system. The 2019 NRL season attracted over 3 million spectators, with an average attendance of almost 16,000 fans per game.
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Netball
The Australian national netball team, the Australian Diamonds, is ranked first in the world and has won multiple World Championships and Commonwealth Games gold medals. The team won the first World Championships in 1963 and has since won nine out of twelve Netball World Championships.
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Basketball
The National Basketball League (NBL), which began in 1979, is the top-level men's basketball competition in Australia. The league currently consists of eight teams from Australia and one based in New Zealand. The NBL season consists of a regular season, during which each team plays 28 games, followed by the Finals, where the top four teams advance. The winner of the Grand Final is crowned the NBL champion.
The Boomers, the men's national basketball team, have represented Australia in international competitions with great success. As of 2022, they have won numerous championships and medals, including 19 FIBA Oceania Championships, a FIBA Asia Cup, a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal, and a Bronze Medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The women's national team, the Opals, have also achieved significant success, winning Olympic medals and a FIBA World Championship. The Women's National Basketball League is the leading professional women's basketball league in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
The most popular participation sport in Australia is recreational walking, with almost 10 million regular participants.
Other popular participation sports in Australia include fitness/gym activities, swimming, soccer, cycling, basketball, and athletics.
Some popular sports leagues in Australia include the National Rugby League (NRL), the Australian Football League (AFL), and the National Basketball League (NBL).
