That’s what I was wondering before writing this article, so I did some research, and here’s what I found out. First, Australia has two official sports, with rules and regulations set by the government in line with the Olympic games charter.
These are netball and Australian Rules football. However, there are many more sports and sporting events that aren’t official, but which still have an important role in our culture. What is the national sport of Australia?
Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football (often referred to as Aussie Rules) is a code of football that was created in Australia in 1859, making it one of Australia’s oldest football codes. The game features high-speed ball movement, clever tactics, and an exciting element of physical contact between players. Australian Rules Football has since been exported from its native shores and now boasts more than 6 million fans worldwide, including more than 100 teams outside Australia.
Rugby Union
When it comes to Rugby, let’s start with Australia. There are three popular codes in Australia – Union, League, and Australian Rules. Union is more commonly known as rugby union or just rugby, while the league is called rugby league or just league. The game itself shares many similarities with American football and Canadian football. Originally played only by males, women started playing rugby in 1991.
In 2013, almost 1 million people were registered players of all ages. The popularity and growth of rugby have increased dramatically since then. It was first introduced in 1864 at a school in Sydney and became an official sport in 1874 when competition began between clubs from New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (Qld). In 1890 it was decided that New Zealand would join them for future competitions, making it a Tri-Nations competition.
The Olympics
Running, swimming, jumping, and flying are all athletic endeavours in which athletes around the world can represent their country—but there’s another way for a country to be represented at an international level: through football.
While it’s not quite as well-known as other sports, football (or soccer) plays a major role in many countries across Europe, South America, and Africa. It’s also played professionally in Australia, where it has become one of the most popular sports on television. Here are 10+ best gyms in Southampton if you want to start your fitness journey!
Horse Racing
The origin of horse racing dates back to ancient times, with evidence that horse races were organized in China around 1000 B.C. and later in Rome as early as 704 B.C. Horse racing was introduced to England by King Athelstan in 915 A.D., and it became an integral part of British culture. In Australia, it was mostly confined to Melbourne until after WWII but has since spread across all major cities and regional centres throughout Australia.
Field Hockey
The History of Word Football: In early 19th century England, a game called football was a popular sport. The term football was also used to refer to any game played on foot. But why did people use one word for multiple sports? Why wasn’t there just one name for all games played on foot? For that, we need to understand how words are made in English.
Australian Football League (AFL)
The AFL, which was originally called The Victorian Football League or VFL was founded in 1877 and spread to other Australian states in 1990. The word football comes from England, where it means all kinds of ball games that involve kicking a ball with your feet. In Australia, football refers to different codes for various types of ball-kicking sports: Rugby, Australian Rules Football, and soccer are considered footballs by Australians.
