Sport in Western Australia

Sport is an important part of the culture of Western Australia.

Two separate important sports awards are given each year:
*The Western Australian Sports Star of the Year is an individual award made to a current sportsperson selected by a committee of sports writers from The West Australian and members of the Western Australian Sports Federation, and chaired by Ron Alexander, director-general of the Department of Sport and Recreation. The award has been given since 1956.

*A second award, induction to the Western Australian Hall of Champions has been made since 1983 and honours a number of sportspeople who, as products of the Western Australian sporting system, have achieved the highest level of competition. Recipients must have been retired from open competition for at least five years. The selection committee includes several prominent sports identities and members of the Western Australian Institute of Sport.

Australian rules football

Along with cricket, Australian Rules football is one of the main sports. Western Australia has two teams in the Australian Football League (AFL): the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Football Club (the "Fremantle Dockers"). The "home" of Australian Rules football in Perth is Subiaco Oval. There is also a local West Australian Football League with nine clubs representing metropolitan regions. Australian rules football is the most popular football code in Western Australia with over 1,030,000 spectators attending WAFL and AFL matches in 2004 [ [http://www.wafl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=93746 " Subi Staff Meet People in High Places In South Africa"] ] .

Cricket

Cricket is one of the main sports in Western Australia. Western Australia has a state cricket team, the Western Warriors, based at the WACA Ground. They play in the Sheffield Shield, the Ford Ranger One Day Cup and the Twenty20 Big Bash domestic competitions. The WACA also hosts international Test and One Day International cricket matches. The Western Fury represent WA in the Women's National Cricket League.

Association Football (soccer)

Western Australia has a soccer team, Perth Glory FC, which is a part of the re-formed national competition (first season in 2005-06) known as the A-League. In the previous National Soccer League, Perth Glory was a relatively successful team by winning the last titles of the NSL (2002-03 & 2003-04). Perth Glory's home games are played at Members Equity Stadium, although they have played finals at Subiaco Oval.

Rugby Union

Western Australia is the home of the Western Force, a franchise in the Super 14 rugby union competition (formerly the Super 12 before the addition of the Force and a team in South Africa for the 2006 season). Their home ground is Subiaco Oval.

Basketball

Western Australia has a team in the National Basketball League, the Perth Wildcats, who are one of the most successful teams in the league's history. However, the popularity of basketball as a spectator sport in Australia has sharply declined since the early 1990s.

Rugby League

Western Australia's first rugby league team to play in a national competition were the Western Reds, who played in the 1995 and 1996 seasons of the Australian Rugby League. In 1997 they changed their name to the Perth Reds and joined the Super League as inaugural members.

Despite showing some promise (particularly in the underage competitions) the Reds were not invited to join the National Rugby League in 1998 as part of the agreement to end the Super League war.

In 2007 the Western Australia Rugby League re-formed the team as the WA Reds to compete in the Jim Beam Cup from 2008, with a view to entering the National Rugby League competition in 2012. [Hughes, Dave; [http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=147&ContentID=20835 Rugby league Reds are back, on war footing] ; The West Australian; 2007-02-8] Their home ground is Members Equity Stadium.

Racing

Horse racing is very popular with a metropolitan race meeting every Saturday, fortnightly mid week meetings and weekly meetings at one of the major country centres. The Perth Cup is the state's premier race held each New Years Day at Ascot Racecourse. The metropolitan tracks are Ascot for the Spring and Summer months and
Belmont Park during the wetter Autumn and Winter months.

Harness racing is held all year round at Gloucester Park, with additional meeting in country areas. Greyhound racing is held at Cannington Raceway and Mandurah.

Most country towns have a racecourse and have a major race day each year, these meeting are normally the centre piece of the communities activities, coinciding with other local events.

Tennis

Western Australia also hosts the annual Hopman Cup mixed tennis tournament at the Burswood Dome. Davis Cup and Federation Cup ties have also been held at the Royal King's Park Tennis Club. [ [http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=100391 Australian Heritage Database] ]

Rally Racing

Telstra Rally Australia, which is a part of the World Rally Championship (WRC) was held each year on the gravel roads in the south-west jarrah forests as well as special stages held in central Perth at either Gloucester Park or on Langley Park. The final running of the event in WA occurred in October 2006.

Golf

Normally at least one international golf tournament is held in WA each year, with the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines Resort & Country Club in Jan 2006 as part of both the European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia. In past years international tournaments have also been held at the Karrinyup Country Club. The Heineken Classic was held in WA throughout the 1990s and was at times the richest tournament held in Australia.

Hockey

Perth has the strongest regional (State/County/Province) field hockey competition in the world. There are many field hockey clubs for children, men, women and veterans (over 40 year of age). Western Australia (especially given it only has 10% of Australia's population) hugely contributes to the national Australian men's and ladies' hockey teams which have both been winners of Olympic Gold Medals. The Australian Institute of Sport hockey unit has been based in Perth since 1984, when it was the first sport to be decentralised. [ [http://www.hockeywa.org.au/2006_history.cfm Hockey WA History] ]

Events

Perth also has and is currently home to numerous state and international sporting events such as:
*In 2011 Perth will host the ISAF Sailing World Championships at Fremantle.

*In 2006 the finals in the Red Bull Air Race World Series was the first ever in Australia and was held in Perth, with the competition being centred over Perth Water. [ [http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/imarine/14693.asp Red Bull Air Race: Swan River access restricted] Department for Planning and Infrastructure. Retrieved 29 December 2006.]

*The Red Bull Air Race World Series 2007 finals were again held over Perth Water. Perth is contracted to host the finals again in 2008.

*In 2002, Perth hosted the World Lacrosse Games [ [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/sportsf/stories/s596413.htm "Lacrosse - Little Brother of War"] ] , which included the World Lacrosse Championships (won by the United States), the Australian Youth Lacrosse Championship, a Masters (35+ year old), Grandmasters (45+), and International Open Championships.

*The 1991 and 1998 FINA World Championships were held in Perth.

*Perth is also home to the annual Avon Descent whitewater event.

*Perth hosts the Gravity Games, an international Surface Water Sports competition, annually in summer.

The Swan River's large surface area with expansive ski zones are used by many Surface Water Sports such as Skurfing, Wakeboarding, Kiteboarding, Skiing, Biscuiting for local, national and international events.

References