Sport is a significant aspect of the Sydney lifestyle. Activities range from the occasional international event, annual competitions, competitive leagues and individual recreational pursuits. Sydney is the home of Australia's biggest sports league, the National Rugby League, hosting 16 teams, and the base for a number of teams in national competitions including two Australian Football League and eight National Rugby League teams. Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
The Sydney City Council caters for sporting activities with a range of facilities. Across the city there are multiple stadiums, many kilometres of dedicated bikeways, ovals and other sports venues. Stadium Australia and the Sydney Cricket Ground, are two of the largest venues in the city.
Sports by Popularity
Rugby League Established in 1908, Rugby League is the most popular winter spectator sport in Sydney. The National Rugby League has eight teams based in the city as well as playing the NRL Grand Final in Sydney. The city was where the league was founded in 1908 as the New South Wales Rugby League, and the New South Wales rugby league team (the Blues), which plays in the world's largest attended sporting competition, State of Origin, is based in Sydney. The average attendance ranges from 18,000 to 12,000 across the clubs in Sydney, whilst State of Origin and the Grand Final regularly attract 80,000 people.
Rugby Union Rugby Union was the dominant winter sport prior to the arrival of rugby league. Rugby union commenced in 1870 in Sydney as a club competition with the Wallaroo FC, Sydney University FC, colleges and others. This became the Shute Shield and was the highest tier of local rugby until the 1990s when the professional Super Rugby competition began. The New South Wales Waratahs are the state's Super Rugby franchise, and played their first match in 1882 against Queensland at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Stats and Teams Rugby league is the most popular spectator sport in Sydney. In 2006, 565,898 people attended first class rugby league matches at Stadium Australia alone. Other popular spectator sports include cricket, soccer, Australian rules football, rugby union and basketball. The martial arts are also popular in Sydney, with the more traditional western combative disciplines and also because of the proximity to Asian countries where the arts are historically based. While participation rates are high it tends not to enjoy the profile of traditional Australia sports, though the olympic sports of boxing, judo and taekwondo are more well known. For the Asian arts there are many places to practice in Sydney.
Teams in national competitions ClubLeagueVenueEstablishedPremiershipsCanterbury-Bankstown BulldogsNational Rugby LeagueStadium Australia19358Cronulla-Sutherland SharksNational Rugby LeagueEndeavour Field19671Greater Western Sydney GiantsAustralian Football LeagueSydney Showground Stadium 2012NilGreater Western Sydney Giants NetballSuper NetballState Sports Centre, Sydney SuperDome2012NilMacarthur FCA-League MenCampbelltown Stadium2020NilManly-Warringah Sea EaglesNational Rugby LeagueBrookvale Oval19478New South Wales cricket teamSheffield Shield/One Day CupSydney Cricket Ground185646 (Sheffield Shield), 9 (One Day Cup), 1 (T20 Bash)New South Wales SwiftsSuper NetballSydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Sydney SuperDome20081New South Wales WaratahsSuper RugbyStadium Australia, Sydney Cricket Ground, Western Sydney Stadium18821New South Wales PrideHockey OneSydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre20191 (Mens), 0 (Womens)Parramatta EelsNational Rugby LeagueWestern Sydney Stadium19474Penrith PanthersNational Rugby LeaguePenrith Stadium19674St George Illawarra DragonsNational Rugby LeagueJubilee Oval, Wollongong Showground19991South Sydney RabbitohsNational Rugby LeagueStadium Australia190821Sydney BearsAustralian Ice Hockey LeagueSydney Ice Arena19822Sydney Blue SoxAustralian Baseball LeagueBlacktown International Sportspark2009NilSydney FCA-League MenSydney Football Stadium20052 (P'ships), 3 (C'ships), 2 (WL P'ships), 2 (WL C'ships)Sydney Ice DogsAustralian Ice Hockey LeagueLiverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink20022Sydney KingsNational Basketball LeagueSydney Olympic Park Sports Centre19883Sydney RoostersNational Rugby LeagueSydney Football Stadium190813Sydney SixersBig Bash LeagueSydney Cricket Ground20113Sydney SwansAustralian Football LeagueSydney Cricket Ground, Stadium Australia18745Sydney ThunderBig Bash LeagueSydney Showground Stadium20111 (BBL), 1 (WBBL)Sydney Uni FlamesWomen's National Basketball LeagueBrydens Stadium19923Western Sydney Wanderers FCA-League MenWestern Sydney Stadium20121 (P'ship), Nil (C'ships)Wests TigersNational Rugby LeagueCampbelltown Stadium, Leichhardt Oval, Western Sydney Stadium20001
Venues Venues in national competitions VenueCapacityMain sportsStadium Australia83,500Rugby league, rugby union, soccerSydney Cricket Ground 47,000Cricket, Australian rules footballSydney Football Stadium 45,000Rugby league, rugby union, soccerSydney Showground Stadium25,000Australian rules footballBelmore Sports Ground25,000Rugby league, soccerBrookvale Oval23,000Rugby leaguePenrith Stadium 22,500Rugby leagueJubilee Oval 22,000Rugby leagueLeichhardt Oval22,000Rugby leagueEndeavour Field22,000Rugby leagueWestern Sydney Stadium30,000Rugby league, soccerCampbelltown Stadium20,000Rugby leagueConcord Oval 20,000Rugby unionNorth Sydney Oval20,000Cricket, rugby leagueRedfern Oval5,000Rugby leagueSydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre 10,000TennisAustralian Equine and Livestock Events Centre4,020EquestrianDunc Gray Velodrome3,150CyclingAustralian Golf Club GolfCanterbury Racecourse Horse racingRandwick Racecourse Horse racingRosehill Racecourse Horse racingSydney Motorsport Park MotorsportsWarwick Farm Racecourse Horse racing
Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park is roughly in the geographical centre of Sydney. Created for the 2000 Summer Olympics, it is now a major sporting centre in the city.
Sydney SuperDome Sydney SuperDome hosts miscellaneous events as Sydney's premier indoors facility. It has a maximum capacity of 21,000.
Stadium Australia
Stadium Australia, sponsored as Accor Stadium, is Sydney's largest stadium. Built for the 2000 Summer Olympics, it now hosts big events such as the NRL Grand Final, the rugby league State of Origin and rugby union and soccer internationals.
The venue is the home ground of NRL teams, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs and serves as an occasional home ground for the Parramatta Eels. Stadium Australia also hosts a number of Sydney Swans home games and the occasional domestic cricket one-day match.
Other facilities There are various other sporting and recreational facilities in the centre including another indoor arena, tennis centre, aquatic centre, athletics centre, hockey centre, archery centre, as well as the Sydney Showground. From 2009 until 2016, the area hosted a motor race in the form of the Sydney 500 on a street circuit within the former Olympic grounds. Moore Park
Sydney Football Stadium Sydney Football Stadium (1988) was designed for the use of rugby league and is also used for rugby union and soccer. The Sydney Roosters, the NSW Waratahs and Sydney FC soccer team used it as their home ground. The Wests Tigers used the stadium part-time as a home ground. The ground hosted the 2005–06 A-League grand final won by Sydney FC. The ground also hosted rugby league grand finals from its construction until Stadium Australia was opened. It was demolished in 2019 to make way for the Sydney Football Stadium (2022).
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground is mainly used for cricket games and Australian rules football matches. It is home to the Sydney Swans and NSW Blues. The ground held over 1,000 rugby league first-grade matches in its history but since the opening of the Sydney Football Stadium it is now rarely used.
See also Sport in New South Wales
References