Loading AI tools
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sport is an important part of the culture of the Australian state of Queensland. Golf is the most played organised sport and touch football is the most played team sport. Netball is the most popular female sport,[1] while rugby league is the most watched sport.[2] Queensland also has two AFL teams, the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby, and two National Basketball League teams, the Brisbane Bullets, Cairns Taipans and Premier Gymnastics. The largest sporting event held in Queensland annually is the Gold Coast 600 motor race.[citation needed]
Australian Football has a long history in Queensland. The first foray made by the then VFL came in the form of the Brisbane Bears, who began playing Premiership matches in 1987. Despite some rocky times in the northern state, the game now appears to be entrenched within the Queensland, thanks to a hat-trick of AFL Premiership wins from 2001-2003. The introduction of the Gold Coast Suns in 2011 highlights the game's growth in Queensland.
Basketball is a popular sport in Queensland, and offers an alternative to outdoor sport during rainy weather. Since the National Basketball League's inception in 1979, at least one team has been based in Queensland. Queensland has two current NBL teams:
Cricket is popular in Queensland. Many domestic and international matches are held at the Gabba. The Queensland Bulls and the Brisbane Heat are based in Brisbane and represent Queensland in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:
Rugby league is the most spectated sport in Queensland.[3] Queensland Rugby League has been in operation since 1908, creating strong roots in both city and regional communities. There are currently four teams in the National Rugby League competition, two of which have been part of the NRL since its inauguration in 1998:
The other major rugby league team is the Queensland Maroons who play New South Wales Blues in the fiercely contested three game State of Origin competition. The Maroons have recently won their third straight Origin series, as well as their eleventh from the past twelve.
The other major state based competition is the Queensland Cup.
Rugby Union is a major sport in Queensland with more than 55,000 registered players in 210 clubs and 235 schools across the state.[4] The first games were played in 1876, and Queensland has been represented by the Queensland Reds since 1882, who currently compete in the Super Rugby competition.
In 2011, the Reds won the Super Rugby Championship in front of more than 52,000 fans.[5] They repeated this feat in the 2021 Super Rugby AU Final.[citation needed]
Swimming is also a popular sport in Queensland, with a majority of Australian team members and international medalists hailing from the state. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Queensland swimmers won all six of Australia's gold medals, all swimmers on Australia's three female (finals) relays teams were from Queensland, two of which won gold.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2005 and 2007 World Long Course Swimming Championships, Australia won both the 4 × 100 m freestyle and medley relays. In five of these teams, three out of the four swimmers were from Queensland, and in the medley relay in 2007, all were from Queensland.
Triathlon has been a popular sport in Queensland since the early 1980s with the state three times hosting the ITU World Championships [6] in addition to: the Noosa Triathlon - the world's largest triathlon (also the country's longest-lasting event at the same venue), Mooloolaba Triathlon, Hervey Bay Triathlon and the Gold Coast Triathlon to name but a few.
Each year the Queensland Sport Awards are held. The major award is the Sport Star of the Year:[7]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
