What are the most popular sports in Australia?

Answer 1

The most accurate way to measure the most popular sports in Australia is through attendance by non-participants. The latest figures available for this is through the 2005-06 Multi-Purpose Household Survey, the results of which have been published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

According to this site, the most popular sports in Australia by attendance are:

• Australian Rules football (AFL), with an attendance rate of 16%
• Horse-racing (13%)
• Rugby league (9%)
• Motor sports (9%)
• Cricket (5%)
• Rugby Union (4%)
• Soccer (4%)
• Harness racing
• Dog Racing
• Basketball (2%)
• Tennis (2%)
• Netball (1%)

Most of the above sports were usually attended by people who watched a single game over a one-year period; this included attendees at dog racing, harness racing, horse racing, motor sports and tennis. By contrast, those who attended netball, Australian Rules football, basketball and soccer attended more than one game.

See the related link below for more details.

According to another source, Repucom/ Daily Telegraph, which surveyed a smaller cross-section of the population, cricket was selected as the most popular sport in Australia by participation, spectator and television viewer numbers. Designated Australia's "national sport", the Australian men's cricket team is ranked as Australia's favourite and most successful international sporting teams.

Touch and volleyball are both sports which are becoming increasingly popular with younger Australians.

Australia's most popular recreational sports are swimming, cycling, walking and bushwalking, and watersports such as boating, surfing and body-boarding. Wind surfing, water-skiing, sailing and fishing are all very popular as well.

One major difference between Australia and places such as Europe and North America, there is little opportunity for winter sports such as ice-hockey and ice-skating. However, the snow season starts early in June in the Australian Alps (New South Wales and Victoria) and parts of Tasmania, and at these times, visitors flock to the snowfields for skiing and other snow sports. The snow season continues through to September.