Sports are the most important thing in Australia. Sports are the glue that unites Australians, whether it’s the Olympics, footy, tennis, Melbourne Cup, and a host of other exciting professional events or just a game or backyard cricket.
To divide the attention, football is where the biggest crowds are. There are four types of football: Australian Rules football, Rugby Union football, Rugby League football and Rugby League football. Cricket is the true unifying game, and 11 of Australia’s national teams are well-known names. It’s no surprise that Australia has been the dominant player in cricket for over a decade and won three consecutive World Cups, in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2007.
The National Sport of Australia
Cricket is Australia’s national sport. Let me first explain what cricket is, since it isn’t widely practised in the West. Cricket is a team sport that involves a bat and a ball. Each team consists of 11 players and is played on a field. The pitch is 22 yards in length and has a wicket at each end. The aim is to score for the batting team by hitting the ball with a bat at the wicket and running between the wickets. Baseball is the most similar sport in America, although the rules and scoring system are quite different.
The history of Australian National Sport
Australia’s national sport did not just emerge from the dust. The first ever recorded match of cricket was played in Sydney in December 1803. This equates to more than 210 years worth of cricket. It took nearly 50 years before the first intercolonial cricket match was held in Australia between Victoria and Tasmania, in 1851. In 1861, the first English team visited Australia. In 1868, the first Australian team visited England. In 1877, Australia beat England on subsequent tours. This was a pivotal moment in the development of Australian cricket standards.
Australian National Sport Cricket Status
Australia has made seven finals in the Cricket World Cup and won it five times: 1987, 1999 2003, 2007, 2007 & 2015. Australia also won the ICC Champions Trophy twice, in 2006 and 2009. This made them the first and only Back to Back champions at the Champions Trophy tournaments. Australia was also the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup champions in 2002 and 1988.
The Most Popular Sports in Australia
Sports are an important part of Australian society, apart from cricket, the national sport of Australia. Many other sports are very popular. Australian rules football (Rugby) and Australian cricket (Australia’s national game of cricket) are the most popular.
Australian Rules Football
Although not considered the national sport of Australia rules football is the most watched and watched on television in Australia. An average of 7.5 million people attend Australian rules football each year.
Since then, the game has evolved to uniquely combine individual skills with teamwork. The game involves kicking the ball across a rectangular field that is bordered by two semicircles of large posts (the goals). The 19th century was a time of great economic, industrial, and social change.
Rugby
In terms of popularity, rugby is ranked third in Australia. There is a rugby league in Australia and a rugby union. These two leagues draw around 3.2 million spectators annually.
Rugby is a contact sport, similar to Aussie rules football. It was played on an oval-shaped field, instead of a rectangular one. They also have different rules.