Sport plays an important role in the business, community, social and cultural life in the state of South Australia .
61-696: Sport as entertainment plays an important role with South Australia, in 2007 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. 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. Significant elite sporting events in South Australia include
122-683: A 36ers player) and Joe Ingles all came from (and in some cases still live in) Adelaide. The Adelaide 36ers won NBL Championships in 1986 , 1998 , 1998–99 and 2001–02 and finished runner up in 1985 , 1994 and 2013-14 . The West Adelaide Bearcats (whose NBL team merged with the 36ers in 1985) won the NBL Championship in 1982 and finished runner up in 1983 . In women's basketball SA has produced outstanding Olympians including Rachael Sporn , Erin Phillips and Laura Hodges . SA teams have won numerous national championships, with
183-556: A 43 year drought after a 5-2 game three victory over the Perth Heat at West Beach. South Australia has dominated the Women's Lacrosse National Championships having won 32 out of 51 National championships since competitions started in 1961. South Australia won regularly during the 60's and 70's but in 1985 begun its total domination when it won the first of 11 National Championships in a row. SA Coach Peter Koshnitsky having established
244-548: A broader range of cycling interests and abilities. Since 2008 a circuit race has traditionally been held before the official start of the Santos Tour Down Under. This event, known as the Down Under Classic, takes place on roads throughout central Adelaide. It does not count towards overall standings in the Santos Tour Down Under, though riders do compete for prize money. In 2020 and 2023 the race
305-523: A club based structure and are more likely to volunteer and to be a spectator than those in the Adelaide metropolitan area. It is estimated regional communities have an estimated one third of adults participating in exercise recreation and sport via a club or association and almost a quarter are involved as a coach, official, umpire or administrator. Participation rates for males and females are similar and while overall, participation rates decline with age it
366-408: A local semi-professional competition consisting of both junior and adult teams from across Adelaide. Adelaide Oval hosted State of Origin series games in both 2020 and 2023 , with the latter drawing a state record rugby league attendance of 48,613. South Australia is home to Baseball SA , which has a 12 club division 1 competition in the Adelaide metropolitan area. Adelaide was also home to
427-599: A row from 1999 until 2005. South Australia has produced significant players during this period who have had incredible careers at international level contributing importantly to the 1986 and 2005 IFWLA World Championship victories. Many South Australian players have also had success in the United States' NCAA Women's Lacrosse Competition including Hannah Nielsen and arguably the world's best player, Australian World Champion, Jen Adams . In Men's Lacrosse South Australia has won 12 National Championships including three in
488-817: A row from 2001 - 2003, and won again in 2012. In 2003 Peter Inge became the first Australian to play in Major League Lacrosse in the USA. Lacrosse SA is the peak body for lacrosse in South Australia, managing competitions for Women and Men, and Girls and Boys from age 8 to adults. While the primary focus revolves around the main field lacrosse season from April to September, differing formats of lacrosse including Box Lacrosse, Junior and Senior indoor competitions, modified preseason, university and High School competitions offer opportunities to enjoy lacrosse year round. South Australia has produced many fine international representatives and successful Olympians as part of
549-506: A women's lacrosse program with the South Australian Sports Institute helped forge this success in partnership with outstanding leader and Australian & State captain and World Champion, Jenny Williams and other players of this era. The legacy of this era was highlighted by the continued success by South Australian teams at national championship level with success in 1997 and a further run of wins with six in
610-748: Is often hot. Daily maximum temperatures approaching or exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) are not uncommon and often challenge riders, including many who travel direct to South Australia from winter in the northern hemisphere. South Australian councils host Tour Down Under stage starts and finishes. Main streets and communities such as The Parade in Norwood , King William Road in Unley , and Jetty Road in Glenelg - along with Stirling , Tanunda and McLaren Vale – are frequent locations for hosting race departures and arrivals. Certain vistas have become synonymous with
671-827: Is played in the South Australian Gridiron Association . Current teams are the Southern District Oilers , South City Chiefs, Eastside Razorbacks, Port Adelaide Spartans and the Adelaide Eagles. South Australia also fields a state team known as the SA Swarm. Tour Down Under The Tour Down Under (currently branded as the Santos Tour Down Under for sponsorship reasons) is a cycling race in and around Adelaide , South Australia . It
SECTION 10
#1732801763864732-667: Is traditionally the opening event of the UCI World Tour and UCI Women’s WorldTour . The event was established in 1999 with the support of then Premier of South Australia John Olsen as part of an effort to strengthen the state’s sporting calendar after the Australian Grand Prix moved from Adelaide to Melbourne , Victoria . Since that time it has been owned and managed by the South Australian Government through Events South Australia,
793-409: The 2000 Summer Olympic Games . Adelaide City remains South Australia's most successful club, having won three National Soccer League titles and three NSL Cups . City was the first side from South Australia to ever win a continental title when it won the 1987 Oceania Club Championship and it has also won a record 17 South Australian championships and 17 Federation Cups . Adelaide City contests
854-611: The AFC Champions League 4 times, making them the most represented club in Australia. Of these appearances they made the round of 16 in 2010, were runners up in 2008, and have made the round of 16 in the ongoing 2012 AFC Champions League . Their home ground is Hindmarsh Stadium , which has a capacity of 16,500. Hindmarsh was one of four non- Sydney venues chosen to host matches as part of the Men's Football tournament during
915-469: The Adelaide Oval , Adelaide Super-Drome , Netball SA Stadium , and Hindmarsh Stadium . 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. The South Australian Sports Federation Incorporated, known as Sport SA, is the peak professional association for all South Australian sports. It
976-770: The Adelaide Rams , had a short but eventful existence. Originally the Australian Rugby League planned to relocate a Sydney team to Adelaide but the Super League war and the SARL 's decision to align themselves with the News Ltd Super League in 1995 shut that idea down. Later in 1995, with Super League still only consisting of nine teams and Melbourne still aligned with the ARL , a decision
1037-783: The Adelaide Strikers (with both men's and women's teams playing in the Big Bash League and Women's Big Bash League respectively). South Australia hosts international cricket matches, mostly at Adelaide Oval , which hosted its first Test match between Australia and England in 1884. Adelaide Oval also hosted the first ever day-night Test match, played between Australia and New Zealand from 27 to 29 November, 2015. South Australia has produced numerous international cricketers, including brothers Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell , who both captained Australia in international cricket . South Australia's sole representative in
1098-642: The Adelaide derby against its crosstown rival West Adelaide , also a former national champion having been the first South Australian club to win the national league in 1978 . SASi Pirates were National Champions in 1997 and 98 in the Women's National Soccer League . Adelaide United 'Lady Reds' compete in the current national competition, the W-League . The state has produced Australian representatives such as Sharon Black and Dianne Alagich who have contributed to
1159-1022: The Australian Football League , the Redbacks , Scorpions and Adelaide Strikers in cricket, Adelaide United in the A-League and W-League , Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League , Adelaide Lightning in the Women's National Basketball League , and the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Suncorp Super Netball for netball. In 2005-06, the most popular spectator sports in South Australia by attendance were Australian Rules football (31%), motor sports (14%), horse racing (8%), cricket, (5%) and soccer (4%). South Australia boasts many venues for high-performance sport, including
1220-828: The Australian Netball League . In 2012 Southern Force took the title. Netball continues to have a strong metro, regional and intrastate competition throughout South Australia with around 70,000 women and men participating across the state. South Australia has a long history of producing outstanding representatives which have shaped and influenced Australia's high international standing in both men's and women's basketball. High-profile players and coaches include Olympians Lindsay Gaze , Phil Smyth , Peter Ali, Darryl Pearce , Mark Bradtke , Mike McKay , Tony Ronaldson , Brett Wheeler , Paul Rogers , Brad Newley and Brett Maher , as well as other Australian Boomers such as NBA players including Luke Schenscher (also
1281-583: The Government of South Australia . Australian rules football is the most popular spectator sport in South Australia with an attendance level (of at least one match per year) of 31% of the population, compared with a national average of 16%. Two South Australian teams participate in the Australian Football League (AFL): the Adelaide Football Club (joined in 1991), known as the Crows, and
SECTION 20
#17328017638641342-626: The North Adelaide Rockets winning in 1990 while finishing runner up in 1981 (the inaugural season of the WNBL ) and 1988 . The Adelaide Lightning creating a historic era of success in 1994 , 1995 , 1996 and 1998 where it won 4 out of 5 National Championship Finals in the WNBL, as well as 2007–08 . The Lightning also finished runner up in 1997 and 1999–2000 . The West Adelaide Bearcats finished as WNBL runner up in 1984 while
1403-664: The Port Adelaide Football Club (joined in 1997), nicknamed the Power. The match between these teams, called the Showdown , is the most-watched football match in South Australia. Both clubs also have a women's team in the AFL Women's league, with Adelaide joining for the inaugural season in 2017 and Port Adelaide joining for the seventh season in late 2022. South Australia also has a ten-team competition called
1464-791: The South Australian National Football League (SANFL), which was established in 1877 and is the oldest statue league in the country, having formed one week earlier than the Victorian Football Association . Prior to the Adelaide Crows joining the AFL in 1991, the SANFL was the highest level of competition in the state. Both AFL teams have reserves teams which play in the SANFL. The SANFL also runs an eight-team women's competition called
1525-468: 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 almost all Australian major professional sporting codes including the Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in
1586-459: The UCI Women's World Tour – the highest level of international road cycling competition. Men’s and women’s teams traditionally consist of six riders. The rider with the lowest cumulative time after each stage is honoured with the ochre jersey. Similarly, leaders in the sprint, mountains and youth classifications wear jerseys to signify their positions in those standings. The Tour Down Under
1647-611: The 2021 edition of the race would be cancelled due to logistical and quarantine complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic . An all-Australian event known as the Santos Festival of Cycling was held 19–24 January 2021, featuring six days of competitions across road, track, paracycling, BMX, mountain bike and cyclocross, and a four-stage race on the National Road Series . The men's National Road Series event
1708-788: The Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula. In 2024 it visited the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong, with Murray Bridge to host its first men’s stage start. Leaders of competitions within the race wear a distinctive jersey as per cycling tradition. Both the men’s and women’s races acknowledge classification leaders with jerseys. The Santos Festival of Cycling is held together with the Santos Tour Down Under. It features South Australian food and beverage experiences, amateur participation activities for children and adults, street parties and various other community events organised by host councils. The festival program encourages visitors attending
1769-597: The Challenge Tour – held on the morning of a race stage ahead of professionals competing. The inaugural Challenge Tour event in 2003 was known as the Break-Away Tour and attracted more than 600 riders. In 2004 this grew to 1,400 participants, with the event known as the Be Active Tour. Its name went on to change in line with various partnership agreements; when held in 2023 the event was simply named
1830-434: The Challenge Tour. It has only been cancelled once – in 2018 – when temperatures over 40 degrees forced organisers to abandon the ride. The Challenge Tour took place on a Friday from its inception until 2019, when it was held on a Saturday and known as the Challenge Tour presented by The Advertiser. Organizers decided to rest the Challenge Tour in 2024, instead offering a program which would feature more variety to suit
1891-756: The National Championship in 1995 and the Southern Suns won in 2011 competing in the Australian Hockey League. South Australia last won the national championship in 1956 but has produced representatives at international and Olympic level including Tracey Moseley and Simmone Morrow . South Australian Rugby Union or "SA Rugby" is the governing body in the state. Adelaide also hosted a rugby sevens tournament until 2011. The tournament consists of multiple national teams of seven players that represent their country. Gridiron
Sport in South Australia - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-712: The Noarlunga Tigers finished runner up in 1985 . Adelaide born Brendan Flynn was the coach of the Australian Opals at the 1984 Summer Olympics . The state rugby league federation is the South Australian Rugby League . The game traces its roots in the state back to the 1940s, when the Port Adelaide rugby union team split in four, and defected to rugby league . South Australia's only professional rugby league team,
2013-481: The SANFLW. Beyond the AFL and SANFL, the state also has 30 community leagues in both metro and regional areas. As of 2018, more than 200,000 South Australians play Australian rules football, including more than 50,000 registered players in club competitions, making Australian rules football the number one club participant sport in the state. Cricket is a popular summer sport in South Australia, with over 100,000 people in
2074-555: The Santos Tour Down Under to explore Adelaide and surrounding regions. The Tour Village is a hub for fans and teams. It is based in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga – part of the Adelaide central business district – and opposite the Hilton Adelaide, a team accommodation provider. A Team Zone extends across the southern side of the square and features booths for each men’s and women’s team competing at
2135-534: The Santos Tour Down Under, particularly the Barossa’s rolling vineyards, the coastline around Aldinga on the Fleurieu Peninsula and the native bushland found on the slopes of Willunga Hill. New start and finish locations in recent years have included Uraidla , Brighton , Port Willunga , Port Elliot and Mount Lofty . The race usually spends time in metropolitan Adelaide and nearby regions including
2196-470: The Santos Tour Down Under. Fans are invited to walk through the space and watch mechanics at work on athletes’ bikes. The Bike Expo is based on the northern side of the square and houses bike retail displays, food vendors, bars and a large stage used for the team presentation and opening night concert, which are free to attend. Since 2003 the Tour Down Under has included a companion event –
2257-435: The South Australian Sports Institute in 1982 played a role in supporting elite individuals and team sports. Currently it has high performance programs for rowing, Paralympic, netball, canoe sprint, swimming, cycling, trampoline, diving, volleyball, hockey and water polo and conducts talent search activities throughout the state. A new building for the institute is being constructed at Mile End, South Australia , with funding from
2318-487: The Tour Down Under secured the highest UCI ranking outside Europe. In 2007, South Australian Premier Mike Rann and former tourism minister Jane Lomax Smith launched a campaign for the Tour Down Under to become the first race outside of Europe to secure ProTour status from the UCI, thereby guaranteeing the attendance of all the world's top teams. That campaign successfully led to the Tour Down Under being awarded ProTour status
2379-532: The event. Since then the race has continued to build, with milestones including becoming the first non-European event to achieve UCI ProTour status, being named as Australia's Best Sporting Event in 2016 and receiving a bronze medal at the Australian Tourism Awards. Its 2020 edition attracted 779,362 spectators, created 742 full-time equivalent jobs and generated an economic benefit of $ 66.4 million. In November 2020, organisers confirmed
2440-629: The events division of the South Australian Tourism Commission. It experienced rapid growth in its first two decades, becoming the first race granted UCI ProTour status (now UCI WorldTour) in 2008 and the first event of the UCI World Ranking calendar in 2009. The Tour Down Under takes place each January and features stages suited to sprinters, climbers and all-rounders. Its 2021 and 2022 editions were cancelled after organisers were unable to accommodate both
2501-417: The following year, and joining the UCI World Ranking calendar in 2009. In September 2008, Rann announced that Lance Armstrong would make his professional cycling comeback at the 2009 race. Armstrong's participation saw visitor numbers double, with the event’s economic impact more than doubling (from $ 17.3 million in 2008 to $ 39 million in 2009) and media coverage increased five-fold. In 2009 Santos bought
Sport in South Australia - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-749: The football codes and netball, which have in the past been limited by opportunities for participation by genders not traditionally associated with the sport. South Australia has produced successful Olympians , Paralympians , Commonwealth Games representatives, world champions and national champions across a wide range of individual and team sports. The state has produced successful professional golfers including Jane Crafter and Tamie Durdin, world-class tennis players including Lleyton Hewitt , John Fitzgerald , Mark Woodforde , Darren Cahill , Roger Rasheed and Alicia Molik , and many other successful world champions including squash player Vicki Cardwell and Kylie Halliday in sport aerobics . The establishment of
2623-653: The former Adelaide Giants in the defunct Australian Baseball League . A new baseball league was approved by the SA sports commission and started in November 2010. Adelaide's team is called the Adelaide Bite . They formerly played their home games at Norwood Oval , but moved to the Diamond Sports Stadium in 2016 due to renovations at Norwood. The Adelaide Giants won the 2023 ABL Claxton Shield, breaking
2684-901: The international success of the Matlidas . Netball is a significant sport in South Australia with a wide range of participation opportunities across metropolitan, regional and rural locations within the state. The Adelaide Thunderbirds have participated in the premier netball league in Australasia, winning premierships in 1998, 1999 in the CBT, and 2010 in the ANZ Championship. Many South Australian players have represented Australia, including World Championship player and Australian captain Natalie von Bertouch , Rebecca Sanders and Kathryn Harby-Williams . South Australia also participates in
2745-462: The men’s race featured its most challenging final weekend to date, with ascents of both Willunga Hill and Mount Lofty designed to test the peloton. The 2024 women’s race also included a mix of terrain across its three stages. On 14 January, riders tackled Willunga Hill, a climb first featured for female athletes during the 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling and now making its debut in the Santos Tour Down Under women’s race. South Australia in late January
2806-599: The naming rights and in 2010 the Tour Down Under was named Australia's Best Major Event for the second year in a row in the Qantas Tourism Awards. Armstrong participated in three successive Tour Down Under events, retiring after 2011. The 2011 Tour Down Under had an economic impact of $ 43 million and crowds of more than 782,000. In 2013, it attracted more than 760,400 people to Adelaide and regional South Australia across eight days, including 40,000 interstate and international visitors who travelled there for
2867-468: The national A-League competition is Adelaide United FC . They won the 2016 A-League Grand Final and have won two pre-season cups and have made the finals every year except for 2009 and 2012 since the A-league started in 2005. Adelaide United have been one of the most successful teams in the A-league , despite failing to win an A-league Grand Final in their first two attempts. They have qualified for
2928-410: The needs of international teams and local quarantine and border management requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The 2024 Tour Down Under took place from 12-21 January. Like other UCI WorldTour races, the men’s race attracts all the top UCI teams, as well as a national representative team made up of riders without full-time professional contracts. In 2023 the Tour Down Under women's race joined
2989-699: The powerhouse performances of Australian Hockey on the international stage. Kookaburras representatives include Robert Haigh , Trevor Smith , Paul Lewis and Craig Victory . South Australian women have featured prominently in the Hockeyroos. In fact in 1914 in the very first Australian women's test vs England, SA had five players in the Australian team as well as coach Judy Smith. In the 1980s and 1990s, South Australia saw many fine players achieving Olympic success including Sandra Pisani , Juliet Haslam and Alison Peek . State representative team SASI Suns won
3050-520: The same prize money as men. In 2023 the women’s race was elevated to the UCI Women’s WorldTour, becoming the only stage race at this level in Australia. The event features stages through Adelaide and regions including the Barossa , Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula . The 2024 Santos Tour Down Under women’s race was held from 12-14 January. The Santos Tour Down Under generally features stages through and surrounding Adelaide on terrain that ranges from flat to undulating and steep. In 2024
3111-409: The state participating. The sport is overseen by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA), which administers the state's three professional teams: the South Australian Redbacks (a men's team competing in the Sheffield Shield and the Australian domestic limited-overs cricket tournament ), the South Australian Scorpions (a women's team competing in the Women's National Cricket League ), and
SECTION 50
#17328017638643172-400: The women's and men's races respectively. Simon Gerrans has won the Tour four times ( 2006 , 2012 , 2014 , and 2016 ). Stuart O'Grady (1999 and 2001), André Greipel ( 2008 and 2010 ), Daryl Impey ( 2018 and 2019 ) and Richie Porte ( 2017 and 2020 ) have won the Tour Down Under twice; Impey is the only rider to successfully defend his title. The Santos Tour Down Under
3233-539: Was a UCI 2.4-class race and featured teams from Australia and around the world, among them GC-Casino , BigMat-Auber93 , Crédit Agricole , Lampre–Daikin, Palmans–Ideal, Deutsche Bank Telekom , Team home-Jack&Jones , Saeco , the Australian Institute of Sport , Mapei , plus teams assembled under the banner of 'Team Australia' and 'World Team'. The race was won by Stuart O'Grady who in 2020 succeeded Turtur as Race Director. Current-day professional team AG2R La Mondiale has competed in every Tour Down Under. In 2005,
3294-420: Was established in 1991. Sport SA established the South Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 2009, and the inaugural inductees were announced on 15 September 2010. Research shows two thirds of South Australians are involved in sport or recreation with around forty percent of those involved, participating in organised sporting activities. Significantly people from regional areas are more likely to participate through
3355-458: Was established in 1999 and was called the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under. It continues to attract a mix of local and international teams. It is the highest-ranked professional road cycling race in the southern hemisphere by start list quality. The original event concept was developed by a team led by 1984 Olympics 4000m team pursuit gold medallist Michael Turtur in conjunction with the Government of South Australia . The first Tour Down Under
3416-410: Was held as the Schwalbe Classic. From 1999 until 2005 the Tour Down Under presented the general classification leader and eventual winner with a yellow jersey, as seen at the Tour de France . In 2006 this yellow jersey was replaced by an ochre-coloured jersey, a colour chosen for its links to the Australian outback landscape. The race convoy is led by a car bearing the event’s mascot Oppy, who
3477-441: Was made to give Adelaide the 10th Super League license. Brought into existence for the 1997 Super League season, the team had instant success. In 1998 they were selected to join the 20-team National Rugby League ; however, rumours abounded that they were to be axed from the 1999 season as part of a rationalisation of teams (from 20 to 14) in the competition. At present however, the South Australian Rugby League still operates
3538-527: Was more so with males, while women's participation rates remain constant until they are over the age of 65. Research shows walking, running, swimming, aerobics/fitness, golf, lawn bowls, weight training and cycling to be the most popular sports with strong participation by both men and women in South Australia. Historically not all sports have been available to women but that has changed with equal opportunity laws targeting discrimination based on gender. Differences in participation rates by men and women relate to
3599-435: Was named for Australian cyclist Hubert Opperman . Jane Crafter Jane Crafter (born 14 December 1955) is an Australian-American professional golfer and golf broadcaster for ESPN who played on the LPGA Tour . She has had dual citizenship in Australia and the United States since 2007. Her father Brian was also a professional golfer, while her brother Neil was a leading amateur golfer, representing Australia in
3660-413: Was not held in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in its place was the locally focused Santos Festival Of Cycling . The Santos Tour Down Under women’s race began in 2016 and was won by Mitchelton–Scott (women's team) rider Katrin Garfoot . The race maintained its initial UCI 2.2 status until 2018, when it secured UCI 2.1 status and became the first cycling event in the world to offer women
3721-517: Was won by Luke Durbridge , while the women's event was won by Sarah Gigante . In September 2021 organisers confirmed that the Tour Down Under would be cancelled for the second consecutive year due to continued travel and quarantine restrictions affecting the ability for international teams to participate. The second annual Santos Festival of Cycling was held 21–29 January 2022. In 2023 the Tour Down Under resumed as an international event. Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) and Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) won
SECTION 60
#1732801763864#863136