Sport in Brisbane

Suncorp Stadium, home of the Brisbane Broncos.

Brisbane Cricket Ground ("The 'Gabba")

Sport is a significant aspect of the Brisbane lifestyle. Activities range from the occasional international event, annual competitions, competitive leagues and individual recreational pursuits.

Across the city there are 20 public swimming pools, many kilometres of dedicated bikeways, ovals and other sports venues. The city's major stadiums and sporting venues include the Gabba (a 42,000 seat round stadium at Woolloongabba), Lang Park (a 52,500 seat rectangular stadium at Milton also known by its corporate name Suncorp Stadium), Ballymore Stadium, the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, the Sleeman Centre (swimming), the State Tennis Centre, the Eagle Farm Racecourse and the Doomben Racecourse.

Rugby league is popular in Brisbane and the city hosts the Brisbane Broncos and Dolphins, who play in the National Rugby League competition, and the Queensland Maroons who play in the State of Origin series. In rugby union the city hosts the Queensland Reds who play in the Super Rugby competition. Cricket is popular in the Brisbane and the city hosts the Brisbane Heat who play in the Big Bash League and the Queensland Bulls who play in the Sheffield Shield and the Ryobi One Day Cup.

Brisbane also hosts Delta Gymnastics, along with an A-League soccer team, the Brisbane Roar FC; an Australian Football League team, the Brisbane Lions; a basketball team, the Brisbane Bullets; a baseball team, the Brisbane Bandits; a netball team, the Queensland Firebirds; a field hockey team, the Brisbane Blaze; and water polo teams the Brisbane Barracudas and Queensland Breakers.

Popular sports

Graph showing the average attendance of Brisbane teams in national sporting competitions from 1987–2006. (Current to 22 April 2006.)

Rugby league is the most popular spectator sport in Brisbane. In 2006 565,898 people attended first class rugby league matches at Suncorp Stadium. Other popular spectator sports include Cricket, Football (soccer), Australian rules football, rugby union and basketball. The martial arts are also popular in Brisbane, 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[1] 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 Brisbane.

Teams in national competitions

Team Sport Competition Home Ground
Brisbane Broncos Rugby league National Rugby League Suncorp Stadium
Dolphins Rugby league National Rugby League Suncorp Stadium
Queensland Maroons Rugby league Rugby league/State of Origin Suncorp Stadium
Queensland Reds Rugby union Super Rugby Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane Heat Cricket Big Bash League The Gabba
Queensland Bulls Cricket Pura Cup
ING Cup
KFC Twenty20 Big Bash
The Gabba
Brisbane Lions Australian rules football Australian Football League
AFL Women's
The Gabba
South Pine Sports Complex
Sunshine Coast Lightning Netball Suncorp Super Netball UniSC Arena
Brisbane Roar Football (soccer) A-League
W-League
Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane Bandits Baseball Australian Baseball League Holloway Field
Brisbane Bullets Basketball National Basketball League Nissan Arena
Brisbane Barracudas Water polo Australian National Water Polo League Musgrave Park Swimming Centre
Brisbane Blaze Hockey Hockey One Queensland State Hockey Centre
Queensland Breakers Water polo Australian National Water Polo League Valley Pool
Queensland Fire Cricket Women's National Cricket League Allan Border Field
Queensland Firebirds [2] Netball Suncorp Super Netball Nissan Arena
Brisbane City Cobras Touch Football National Touch League Quad Park, Kawana
Queensland Scorchers Hockey Australian Hockey League Queensland State Hockey Centre
Triple Eight Race Engineering Motorsport International V8 Supercars Championship Queensland Raceway

Semi-Professional Sport Teams

Team Sport Competition Home Ground Established
Eastern Suburbs Tigers Rugby league Queensland Cup Langlands Park 1923
Norths Devils Rugby league Queensland Cup Albert Bishop Park 1927
Souths Logan Magpies Rugby league Queensland Cup Davies Park 1931
Wynnum Manly Seagulls Rugby league Queensland Cup Kougari Oval 1931
Brisbane Strikers Soccer National Premier Leagues (Queensland) Perry Park, Brisbane 1994
Queensland Academy of Sport Soccer National Premier Leagues (Queensland) Meakin Park 1991
University of Queensland Rugby Club Rugby Union Queensland Premier Rugby University of Queensland 1911
Brothers Old Boys Rugby Union Queensland Premier Rugby 1905
Easts Tigers Rugby Union Rugby Union Queensland Premier Rugby 1947
Sunnybank Rugby Rugby Union Queensland Premier Rugby Biggs Field 1969
Souths Rugby Rugby Union Queensland Premier Rugby Yeronga Memorial Park 1948
Queensland Country Heelers Rugby Union Australian Rugby Shield Regional Centres 2000
Brisbane Capitals Basketball Queensland Basketball League NAB Stadium Auchenflower N/A
Brisbane Spartans Basketball South East Australian Basketball League N/A
Brisbane Lady Spartans Basketball South East Australian Basketball League N/A
Sun State Roller Girls Roller Derby Northern Brisbane Rollers Beenleigh Arena 2007
Brisbane City Rollers Roller Derby Northern Brisbane Rollers Ipswich Show Grounds 2009
South Brisbane Futsal Club Futsal F-League Eagles Sports Complex 2010
Brisbane Wolves Handball Australian Handball League Eagles Sports Complex 2016

Attendance figures

2011

Sport Major venues Aggregate attendance Average Events counted
Motorsport Surfers Paradise Street Circuit
Townsville Street Circuit
Queensland Raceway
382,487 127,496 V8 Supercars (3)
Rugby league Suncorp Stadium 356,585 35,658 Brisbane Broncos home games (5)
Gold Coast Titans home games (2)
ANZAC Test
Rugby League State of Origin games (1)
Canterbury Bulldogs home game (1)
Rugby union Suncorp Stadium 301,020 30,101 Queensland Reds home games (10)
Football (soccer) Suncorp Stadium 235,349 13,075 Queensland Roar home games (18)
Australian rules football The Gabba 141,178 28,329 Brisbane Lions home games (5)
Cricket The Gabba 55,351 27,675 One day internationals (2)
Basketball Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 16,739 3,347 Brisbane Bullets home games (5)
Baseball Brisbane Exhibition Ground 5,951 992 Brisbane Bandits home games (6)

2007

Sport Major venues Aggregate attendance Average Events counted
Rugby league Suncorp Stadium 356,585 35,658 Brisbane Broncos home games (5)
Gold Coast Titans home games (2)
ANZAC Test
Rugby League State of Origin games (1)
Canterbury Bulldogs home game (1)
Rugby union Suncorp Stadium 108,608 18,101 Queensland Reds home games (6)
Australian rules football The Gabba 141,178 28,329 Brisbane Lions home games (5)
Cricket The Gabba 55,351 27,675 One day internationals (2)
Basketball Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 16,739 3,347 Brisbane Bullets home games (5)
Football (soccer) Suncorp Stadium 32,371 32,371 Queensland Roar home games (1)

2006

Sport Major venues Aggregate attendance Average Events counted
Rugby league Suncorp Stadium 565,898 35,368 ANZAC Test
Rugby League Tri-nations Test
Brisbane Broncos home games (13)
Rugby League State of Origin
Australian rules football The Gabba 339,371 26,151 Brisbane Lions home games (11)
Melbourne Demons home game (1)
Queensland State League grand final
Cricket The Gabba 299,161 24,930 One day internationals (3)
Queensland Bulls one day match (3)
Twenty/20 international (1)
Test match (5 days)
20/20 interstate match
Rugby union Suncorp Stadium
Ballymore Stadium
245,400 22,309 Queensland Reds home games (8)
Wallabies Test matches (2)
Premier Rugby Final
Football (soccer) Suncorp Stadium 250,189 53,971 Queensland Roar home games (6)
Socceroos home game (1)
Basketball Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 9,923 3,307 Brisbane Bullets home games (2)

2005

Sport Major venues Aggregate attendance Average Events counted
Rugby league Suncorp Stadium 516,103 32,256 ANZAC Test
Brisbane Broncos home games (12)
Queensland Cup grand final
Rugby League State of Origin (2)
Australian rules football The Gabba 400,468 30,554 Brisbane Lions home games (11)
Melbourne Demons home games (1)
Queensland State League grand final
Rugby union Suncorp Stadium
Ballymore Stadium
162,256 20,282 Wallabies Test match
Queensland Reds home games (6)
Premier Rugby final
Football (soccer) Suncorp Stadium 122,983 15,372 Queensland Roar home games (8)
Basketball Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 26,396 3,300 Brisbane Bullets home games (8)

Sports venues

Suncorp Stadium

Suncorp Stadium in Milton is nicknamed 'The Cauldron' and is the spiritual home of Rugby League in Brisbane. It is the home of Queensland Rugby League, the Brisbane Broncos (Rugby league), the Queensland Roar (Football (soccer)), the Queensland Reds (Rugby Union) and the annual State of Origin rugby league clash between Queensland (the Maroons) and New South Wales (the Blues). Lang Park became Suncorp Stadium in 1994 after Suncorp became naming rights sponsor. Individual players and officials face stiff fines if they accidentally publicly refer to the venue by its former name, Lang Park.

Brisbane Cricket Ground (the Gabba)

The Gabba hosts domestic and international cricket matches, as well as Australian rules football. Home of the Queensland Bulls (Cricket) and the Brisbane Lions (Australian rules football), the Gabba hosted Olympic football matches for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and was the site of the famous tied test of 1960 between the West Indies and Australia. Teams based there include: Queensland Bulls (Cricket) and Brisbane Lions (Australian rules football).

Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC)

The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC), formerly known as QEII ('QE2') Stadium and later ANZ Stadium, at Nathan is the third largest sporting arena in Queensland. The stadium was built as a temporary venue for the 1982 Commonwealth Games but endured as home for the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team during the 1990s and hosted the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Brisbane Exhibition Ground

The Brisbane Exhibition Ground (also known as the RNA Showgrounds) is the home ground of the Australian Baseball League team the Brisbane Bandits between November and February. It also hosts the Brisbane Ekka that takes place every August. It has also been the home to Cricket, Rugby league, Australian rules football and Speedway style Motor Racing.

Ballymore

Ballymore Stadium is the home of Rugby union in Brisbane, and is the former home of the Queensland Reds (who play in the Super Rugby Pacific competition) who moved to Suncorp Stadium and the Ballymore Tornadoes, the local Australian Rugby Championship entrant before the competition folded. It also plays host to Brisbane Premier Rugby finals, and was once home to the Brisbane Strikers soccer club.

Oxenham Park

Located in Nundah, Oxenham Park has been the home ground of Toombul District Cricket Club – who play in the Brisbane Premier Cricket competition – since 1892. Oxenham Park was also the original home ground of Norths Devils from 1933–1969, before they moved to Bishop Park, also in Nundah.

Perry Park

Perry Park is the spiritual home of Football (soccer) in Brisbane, and is home to the Brisbane Strikers, who play in the local Brisbane competition after being unsuccessful in their A-League bid.

Other sports grounds

Sports events

Highlights

Notable Brisbane-born sportspeople

Brisbane is the birthplace of many well-known and famous sportsmen and sportswomen.

Basketball

Brad Williamson

Boxing

Jeff Horn

Cricket

Michael KasprowiczNathan Rimmington – Chris Simpson – Andrew SymondsAndy Bichel

Cycling

Robbie McEwenRyan Guettler

Motorsport

Scott Dixon – Dick Johnson

Rugby league

Shaun BerriganWally LewisDarren LockyerAllan Langer

Rugby union

John EalesMichael Lynagh

Swimming

Jodie HenryAlice MillsSusie O'NeillKieren PerkinsStephanie RiceSamantha RileyGiaan RooneyJessicah Schipper

Soccer

Craig Moore

Tennis

Samantha Stosur

See also

References

  1. ^ Australian Sports Commission, 2004, "Participation in Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey 2003 (ERASS)", Canberra, Australia.
  2. ^ "Queensland Firebirds". supernetball.com.au. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  3. ^ Australian Masters Nationals Championships
  4. ^ Thompson Estate Athletics, Brisbane athletics and cross country running club
  5. ^ "Home". bridgetobrisbane.com.au.
  6. ^ "Home". brisbanemarathon.com.
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