Sport in Brisbane

Updated on Sep 30, 2024

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Sport is a significant aspect of the Brisbane lifestyle. Activities range from the occasional international event, annual competitions, competitive leagues and individual recreational pursuits. Brisbane is the base for a number of teams in national competitions including the Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Bullets and Brisbane Lions.

The Brisbane City Council caters for sporting activities with a range of facilities. Across the city there are 20 public swimming pools, many kilometres of dedicated bikeways, ovals and other sports venues. Suncorp Stadium and the Brisbane Cricket Ground, known by the more popular name as The Gabba, are two of the largest venues in the city.

Popular sports

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 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.

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 Tooheys New Super 14 Rugby Union series) 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 games, 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

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre — team based there: Brisbane Bullets (Basketball)

Langlands Park— team based there: Easts Tigers (Rugby league)

Sleeman Centre — team based there: Queensland Firebirds (Netball)

Downey Park, located in Windsor, is a major location for field hockey and netball games, particularly for school groups and clubs.

Lakeside Park located at Dakabin and used for Motor racing.

Langlands Park located at Stones Corner.

Purtell Park located at Bardon

Queensland State Equestrian Centre — equestrian sport venue located in Caboolture

Queensland Tennis Centre

Victoria Park — an enormous-size park, which contains tennis courts, the Centenary swimming pool, a golf course and a sports ground.

Walton Bridge Reserve, located at The Gap, contains sporting fields and skateboard area

Sports events

1982 Commonwealth Games are held in Brisbane

1987 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

Hosted three matches of the 1992 Cricket World Cup

2000 Olympic football matches during Sydney Olympics

2001 Goodwill Games are held in Brisbane

2003 Hosted matches during Rugby World Cup, including a quarter-final

2009 Brisbane hosts the 2009 Indoor Cricket World Cup, with Australian teams winning in all divisions

2011 Brisbane hosts the Australian Masters Nationals Championships, 21–24 April. Cross Country hosted by Thompson Estate Athletics at Minnippi Parklands.

Annual Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba) Test Cricket match

Annual Rugby League State of Origin football series at Suncorp Stadium

Besides spectator sport and sports teams, Brisbane hosts several mass participation events each year, including the Bridge to Brisbane fun run (held this year in September) and the Brisbane Marathon in August each year.

Highlights

1960 - the Brisbane Cricket Ground the Test Match between Australia and the West Indies ended with a tie on 14 December 1960.
It was the first Tied Test in the history of cricket.

1980 - the first ever Rugby League State of Origin match was held in Brisbane at Lang Park, with the Maroons winning 20-10.

1982 - the Commonwealth Games, which were held at QEII Stadium and other sports venues in Brisbane, were very successful. The Commonwealth Games were opened by Duke of Edinburgh, and were closed by Queen Elizabeth II. The mascot for the Commonwealth Games was Matilda, a giant-sized 13-metre high mechanical kangaroo who winked at the spectators.

1997 - the Brisbane Broncos won the Super League premiership at ANZ Stadium in front of more than 58,000 people. It was the first
(and to this day, only) Australia-wide Rugby League Grand Final held outside of Sydney.

2011 - the Queensland Reds win their first Super Rugby in front of yet another capacity crowd at Suncorp Stadium

Notable Brisbane-born sportspeople

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

Basketball

Brad Williamson

Cricket

Michael Kasprowicz — Nathan Rimmington — Chris Simpson — Andrew Symonds — Andy Bichel

Cycling

Robbie McEwen — Ryan Guettler

Motorsport

Scott Dixon — Dick Johnson

Rugby league

Shaun Berrigan — Wally Lewis — Darren Lockyer — Allan Langer

Rugby union

John Eales — Elton Flatley — Quade Cooper — Will Genia — James Horwill — Gordon Bray — Digby Ioane — Peter Grigg — David Campese — Michael Lynagh — Tim Horan

Swimming

Jodie Henry — Alice Mills — Susie O'Neill — Kieren Perkins — Stephanie Rice — Samantha Riley — Giaan Rooney — Jessicah Schipper

Soccer

Craig Moore

Tennis

Samantha Stosur

References

Sport in Brisbane Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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