Sport In South Australia
Sports play an important role in the business, community and social life and culture throughout Australia. Participation and success in high performance sport and regular health and fitness opportunities in community and grassroots sports are an important part of an active, healthy life for men, women and children across South Australia (SA).
South Australia has produced successful Olympians, Paralympians, Commonwealth Games representatives, World Champions and National Champions across a wide range of individual and team sports. Regional and rural opportunities to participate in sport plays an important role in community life throughout SA. SA has developed a range of programs in supporting inclusive sports pathways focusing on specific populations groups such as indigenous, mature-aged, early childhood, people with disabilities and women.
Sport as entertainment plays an important role with South Australia having the second highest rate of event attendance of all states and territories with 49% of South Australians aged 15 years and over attending a sporting event each year.
Significant sporting events in South Australia include the Tour Down Under', Clipsal 500, Adelaide Cup, International Cricket series and hosting various Australian Swimming Championships. Major events have been shown to bring significant economic benefit to the state.
South Australian-based teams are represented in all major professional sporting codes including Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League, the Redbacks and Scorpions in Cricket, Adelaide United in the A-League and W-League, Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League and Adelaide Lightning in the Women's National Basketball League, and the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the ANZ Championship for Netball.
The most popular spectator sports in South Australia by attendance are Australian Rules football (31%), motor sports (14%), horse racing (8%), cricket (5%) and soccer (4%).
South Australia boasts world class venues for high performance sport including the Adelaide Super-Drome, Netball SA Stadium, Hindmarsh Stadium and the South Australian Government has recently undertaken a major project redeveloping the iconic Adelaide Oval.
All major sporting codes within South Australia field representative teams on the National stage. South Australia's official sporting colours are red, blue and gold.
Read more about Sport In South Australia: Participation, High Performance Sport, Individual Sports
Famous quotes containing the words sport, south and/or australia:
“For generations, a wide range of shooting in Northern Ireland has provided all sections of the population with a pastime which ... has occupied a great deal of leisure time. Unlike many other countries, the outstanding characteristic of the sport has been that it was not confined to any one class.”
—Northern Irish Tourist Board. quoted in New Statesman (London, Aug. 29, 1969)
“Indeed, I believe that in the future, when we shall have seized again, as we will seize if we are true to ourselves, our own fair part of commerce upon the sea, and when we shall have again our appropriate share of South American trade, that these railroads from St. Louis, touching deep harbors on the gulf, and communicating there with lines of steamships, shall touch the ports of South America and bring their tribute to you.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“I like Australia less and less. The hateful newness, the democratic conceit, every man a little pope of perfection.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)