What Is the Real National Sport of Australia?

Question

You cannot call any of the football codes the national sport of OZ as it differs from state to state, however the 2 codes that are played across the entire country are OZ Rules and Football (formerly known as soccer). There are bits and pieces of the other 2 codes as well but no real dominance.

Cricket....I believe is the national sport of Australia. The history of the game in Australia is known, respected and played across the entire country. I love what I read in the sydney morning herald a few years ago saying "every Australian knows who the captain of the Australian cricket team is but some Australians do not know who the Prime Minister is".

What are your thoughts???

Answer 1

i read an article about this in some magazine, i think it said:

1.Cricket

2.Australain Rules Football

3.Rugby League

4.Soccer(Football)

5.Rugby Union

6.Tennis

7.Hockey

8.Basketball

Although Soccer(Football) has the highest level of participation

Answer 2

Cricket and punting

** Wazza molesting sheep is a kiwi trait, didn't you that their national anthem is "I'll Never Find Another Ewe".

Answer 3

I cant say it is Union because it is only ever watched when Australia is playing and the same with cricket so r we basing it on International games not club games like AFL and NRL. In saying that AFL is not a sport and nor it ever will be, its a game not a sport, which looks sooooo g*y and its just a rip off of gaylic football. So for every ones sake y dont we just say its rugby league because its the toughest sport in da world in then it would give us ozzies a good rep. AFL is no more nationly played then League. AFL is only played in 1 more state then NRL but if ya include NZ as a terriotry in a national rugby league comp then its 5 a piece.

Cricket is just about the only sport played and watched in summer so there no compition there and not as many ppl as u think like it, and the only players ppl now r the ones that play 4 australia see see

Union, or kick and clap? u got 2 be kidding. not a chance.

Cricket wins on defult

Answer 4

Mark, Aussie Rules is really GAELIC FOOTBALL...its just a different name, and some slight rule changes and a different ball. It's a disgrace to Australia and gives us a bad name.

Domestically though, All 4 Football codes are played in every state, whether big or small.

Cricket is NOT necessarily Australia's national game..its more of a recreational game. I know many Australians that can't name the players on the Aussie team. But i guess everyone likes to enjoy a bit of backyard cricket here and there.

Football(soccer) has the biggest international appeal with the national team competing on the world stage but the domestic teams are the least supported of the 4 Footy codes...

Rugby Union is has a good International game and the Wallabies are the most supported national team in the country, the domestic competition has good support too but not over all of Australia...

Rugby League has a smaller International game but pretty good domestically and sells more merchandise than the AFL or Super 14. But really is only popular in NSW and QLD.

Aussie Rules has NO INTERNATIONAL GAME! They boast about their popularity in Australia but the reality is that besides the minority of the world living in our remote continent, Aussie Rules doesn't even show up on highlights overseas.

Australia's game though, i hate to say it...would be Rugby Union.

Answer 5

CRICKET, CRICKET, CRICKET,  this is a no brainer!!! as for Union I bet more people can name the Cricket capt than the union capt, it is the one national team that we all get behind, the wallabies are popular when they come to melbourne but when they are playing a test elsewhere there is little interest!!!  AFL and NRL are both popular in differant areas of the country but cricket is played at a high level in all states and territoies!!

Answer 6

I think any sport that brings Australians together are the national sports. So Rugby, Rugby League, Soccer and so on. I don't think aussie rules should be called australias sport as it doesn't bring the country and not all the country likes it. You could call it the sport of victoria but not of Australia. You could call Cricket the number one highest sport in Australia but it was made in England, its a bit hard to call something your national sport when it was made by your rival.

Answer 7

Drinking beer and molesting sheep

Answer 8

As much as I hate to admit it, Cricket would be our national sport.

I hate Cricket, it's boring.

AFL is a derivative of Irish Gaelic football.  It wasn't invented here.

Rugby is the best, easily.

And I'd rather watch my country play, instead of two Melbourne suburbs, like Carlton vs Essendon.

Mark - I know Cricket and Rugby are from England.  I also know that AFL is a derivative of Irish Gaelic Football.  Why else would the play that stupid hybrid rules game.  Actually, I think it's been cut.  It was stupid anyway.

Answer 9

first of all, i know lots of australians who dont know the name of the aussie cricket captain. fortunately, i am not one of them.

BUT, australian rules is the one true australian sport because it was invented here and is only played here (professionally - it is played in amateur leagues in other countries). also its the better than soccer and rugby league and far more exciting.

DROPKICK: AFL is similar to Gaelic but not the same. they have different rules (eg, tackling) and different scoring. Besides mate, cricket and rugby were invented in England.

Answer 10

I think if you break it down by state NSW and QLD are NRL dominated

Victoria and adelade are AFL

But i would say NRL is certanly a sport and cricket that Australia have good world domination in.

Answer 11

His 1 thing that we can all agree on. AFL is the gayest sport in da world and the day it gets called our national sport is the day im getting out of here

Answer 12

From an outsiders point of view i'd say Cricket.

Out of all the Aussie's i've spoken to some will say Union, some will say League whilst others will say Aussie Rules. But the vast majority will always say they like Cricket.

And why wouldn't it be? It's the sport your national team is the most dominant in.

But of course, for being a purely Australian game, then Aussie Rules would have the crown.