Sport

To the average Australian, too much sport is barely enough. The voracious Australian appetite for outdoor activity is fuelled to a large degree by the favourable climate, which in the densely populated areas encourages year-round activity. The climactic variations available in ‘the sunburnt country’ also allow for a diverse range of sporting pursuits from the beach to the piste making ‘the land of oz’ perhaps the sporting capital of the world. Active participation in sport and passive watching are both significantly higher in Australia than in most countries and this passion is reflected in the continued success of Aussie athletes and teams on the world stage throughout the modern era.

Former Prime Minister John Howard said in 1996 “There is a very special place in the Australian psyche for sport. It is one of the pillars of the Australian way of life. You don’t really understand what makes the Australian nation tick unless you understand the great affection Australians have for sport.”

High profile sports in Australia are Australian Rules football, Rugby League and Ruby Union, Cricket, Horse Racing, Motorsport and Soccer (football) with Swimming, Tennis, Golf and fitness being hugely popular participation activities.

Australia has hosted two Olympic games (Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000), four Commonwealth games as well as one Rugby Union World Cup in 2002 and a World cup athletic championship in 1985. The annual Australian tennis open is one of the four major tennis championships and since 1985 Australia has hosted a formula one Grand Prix.

Did you know?

• 23.5% of Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sport.
• Incredibly in 2005 nine of the ten top television ratings for the year went to sports programmes.
• Australia have won 350 gold medals at the summer Olympics putting them 8th in the all time list.
• Aussie sports minister Kate Ellis sported Team GB gear one day at the 2008 Olympics having lost a bet after Britain won more gold medals than Australia at the Bejing games.