Australian Sporting Events

Australia is a nation known for its many great sporting teams and competitive nature. When living or visiting here it is hard to not become wrapped up in all the different events and become and little “Sports Crazy”. With many large international events such as the Cricket (The Ashes) and The Australian Open alongside many interstate events like the State of Origin you cannot escape the sporting atmosphere.

Over my time here the Australian Sporting Events that I have got most into and actually really enjoyed are…

‘The Ashes’ – England and Australia have one of the biggest rivalries in any sport since 1882 when it was said that English cricket had “died” and the bails were burnt and placed in a Urn. Ever since then both nations have competed to hold these ashes.

When you see the size of the trophy they win you wonder what the big fuss is about but it’s great to watch with a cold beer in hand. (Seriously see if you can find the trophy in the picture!)

‘Australian Open‘ – Each year, Melbourne is host to one of the major worldwide tennis competitions where all the best players from throughout the world compete to be seeded World Number One. I think this may be my favourite sport to watch and unlike usual sporting events it’s on for 2 whole weeks. The atmosphere all throughout Melbourne is electric with large screens placed all about the city for people who have not got tickets to watch. Like the cricket (The Ashes) this sport is best watched with a cold beer.

‘Formula 1 – Grand Prix‘ – Held in March every year this event offers four days of intense races as the fastest drivers in the world battle it out. The Australian Grand Prix (again held in Melbourne) marks the start of the Formula 1 season so, as you can imagine people travel from all over the world to attend the event. Tickets are usually around $100 per day but combining the races throughout the day and the numerous stalls to visit it’s a great day out and a great place to enjoy a nice cold beer.

‘Australian Open of Surfing’ – When you think of Australians you think of surfing, this competition is their time to shine and show off all their skills. This 9 day event is held in Sydney and invites the public to go down and watch the worlds greatest surfers bust a move on the water. This year tens of thousands of people crammed onto Manly beach to catch a glimpse of the action. The event is not only about surfing but also hosts other extreme waters sports, music, arts and fashion in Australia. Another one not to be missed is the Noosa Festival of Surfing!

‘Aussie Rules (AFL)‘ – I can’t say I understand it but I love it. When in Australia you will be aware of AFL and you will catch a glimpse on a TV in a bar. I do recommend going to see an actual match to soak up the atmosphere.

‘State of Origin’ – This is a huge event in Australia, which seems strange when you realise it’s a competition between only 2 of the states. But you’ll see people wearing Blue or Maroon all over Australia (and also in NZ too). The State of Origin is a ‘best of three’ rugby league competition between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons.

Even if you are not into sports or watching them as you can see these events are all very social and as I mentioned ‘A great place to drink a cold beer’. So ignore the sport if you want and just spend a great day out with friends, drinking and enjoying the sunshine. Most bars in Australia will shows all the big games, so enjoy a cold one with friends and just watch the spectacle unfold.