Sports is deeply integrated into the Australian culture, reflecting the nation’s identity and community spirit. The diverse sporting landscape includes various disciplines like cricket, football, tennis, and rugby. In this article, we are going to throw some light on the top 4 most popular sports in the nation.
Rugby
Rugby in Australia is divided into two major codes, Rugby League and Rugby Union. Rugby League is one of the most popular sports in Australia specializing in New South Wales and Queensland, where it is a dominant winter sport. The National Rugby League features teams from various states attracting a large audience. In 2024, the Rugby League featured almost 174,000 adult players with over 93,000 children participating. In 2022, the league attracted approximately 137.3 million viewers. Meanwhile, Rugby Union has a rich history with the sport having 85,000 registered players players.
Australian Rules Football
Australian Rules Football is the most popular sport in Australia, both in terms of viewership and participation. The AFL consistently ranks as the top spectator sport in the country, with the 2024 season reaching over 8 million in terms of viewership. The AFL has approximately 555,629 registered players, making it one of the most popular sports in Australia.
Cricket
Cricket holds a special place in the hearts of Aussies. The sport is widely popular and has a significant participation rate. Recent reports indicate that a total of 3% of Australians actively participate in the sport, which means over 598,000 registered players. Some of the major leagues are the Big Bash League and Women’s Big Bash League.
Overall, cricket’s popularity in Australia is not only decided by its widespread participation but also how the fans continue to engage as fans across the nation making it one of the most popular sports in the country.
Soccer
Soccer has recently experienced significant growth in the country and has become the most played organized sport at the grassroots level. In 2024, the counter recorded over 1.9 million participants across the country, marking an 11% increase dramatically the previous year. This surge is mostly because of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, which heightened the interest in sport, especially among girls and women.
The nation also holds leagues of its own, such as the A-League, which marked an attendance of 1.4 million during recent seasons, making it one of the most popular sports in Australia.
