By Matt Garfield

Posted: 2nd May 2013 14:56

Australia’s athletes have become important participants in a variety of international sports, they are powerhouses in Rugby and Cricket, and have long been a staple on the Olympic medal chart.  It also has several sports that are unique to the country, such as Australian Rules football, which is immeasurably important to the country's national identity.  Sport within Australia dates back to its pre-colonial era, and many of the earliest sports played are still popular today. 
 
Olympics
 
As Australians never tire of pointing out, they have the 53rd highest population in the world, but consistently finish near the top of the Olympic medals table.  This national swagger over their sporting over-achievement is borne-out by statistics:  In the all-time table of medal winners since the modern games began in 1896, Australia are ranked 11th, having picked up 468 medals in the process.  And this does not include two Olympics when Australia competed in conjunction with New Zealand under the banner of Australasia.
 
In particular, there exists a long tradition of Australian swimming prowess at the games – Australia are second in the all-time list here, after the USA – with legends like Ian Thorpe keeping the Aussie flag flying.  And the Australian Olympic Committee has ensured that every major town in the country has an Olympic sized pool for everybody to enjoy.  Venues like the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Sydney are great places to visit and experience the reason Aussie swimmers are so strong.
The AIS in Canberra is the home for training Australia’s elite athletes.  Daily tours of the facilities offer a fantastic behind-the-scenes opportunity to experience how Olympians live and work and to watch them train.
 
Tennis
 
The Australian Open is one of four major tournaments - along with Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open - that make up the Grand Slam. Battled out in Melbourne Park each January, it could be argued that this is the biggest of the lot as it is the first major event of the calendar year and as such, every tennis player’s dream of winning the Grand Slam begins here.
 
Competed on a hard court surface, the main venue is the Rod Laver Arena which is named after an Australian tennis legend who won an impressive 11 major singles titles during his career, including two Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969. Currently, the men’s division is being dominated by Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who has won the singles tournament for the last three years.  It is seen as a gruelling tournament for the players due to the potentially extreme heat of the Australian summer, but every year someone overcomes the odds to achieve one of tennis’ ultimate glories.
 
Cricket
 
Cricket is one of the most widely played and watched sports in all of Australia.  It has been a popular game in the country ever since it arrived during the colonial period; the first match there is thought to have taken place in Sydney, sometime during December 1803.  Matches would be played between the various colonies throughout the 19^th century, starting with a game between Victoria and Tasmania in 1851. 
 
It eventual became popular enough to allow different England and Australian teams to visit each other’s country.  This period resulted in the long standing England-Australia cricket rivalry, and lead to the founding of The Ashes, a test cricket series held between the two countries since 1882. 
 
The next Ashes series taking place in Australia will be competed between November and January. If you are fortunate enough to be in Australia during this period of time it is wise to make sure you schedule Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne into your schedule or alternatively wait for the fifth test – and potential decider – which will be played out at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
 
Australian Rules Football
 
Commonly known as Aussie Rules, or more simply Footie, in its home country, Australian Rules Football has been an officially organised game since 1859.  Although the games rules are similar to rugby, it is probably in your best interests to not make this comparison in front of the sport’s most diehard fans!  
 
Founded in 1898, the AFL (Australian Football League) is the world's only fully professional league dedicated to the sport.  It consists of 18 teams from all over the country's five states, but 10 of these teams are based within the south-east state of Victoria, which is often described as the 'sporting capital of Australia'.  The AFL is the most popular sporting league of any kind in Australia, and currently averages an attendance on at least 32,000 people per game.  The season officially begins in March and lasts until the big Premiership final in August which creates a phenomenal atmosphere all around the country, never mind in the arena where up to 100,000 revellers will cheer their team to glory.
 
Although the games are huge stadium-filling events in their home country, they have remained difficult to watch almost everywhere else.  It exists as a true national sport, and the only true way to experience this unique staple of Australian culture is to take a trip down under. 
 
Round Up
 
Sport continues to thrive within Australia, and there are no signs of this stopping.  As long as their athletes continue to approach every sport with the country’s trademark passion, it will forever be a vital part of Australian culture.