Culture and History
Australian rules is one of the oldest football codes in the country, having arrived by 1864. It has at times served a role like a secular religion in Victoria. It was also played on the field of Gallipolli.
Rugby union was being played in Australia by 1874 when the sport was established in Sydney. At the 1908 Summer Olympics, Australia won the first ever Olympic gold medal in rugby union.
Soccer was one of the last football codes to arrive in Australia, only being played by the 1880s with the game's early base in Australia found in Sydney. It was also used a cultural gateway to introduce new arrivals European arrivals during the 1940s to Australian culture. The first international match played by Australia was against New Zealand in 1922. By 2001, Australian soccer players were plying their trade around the globe with 150 of them playing over seas.
Read more about this topic: Football In Australia
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