Sport in Sydney

The Sydney sports calendar is jam-packed with thrilling action and a wide variety of matches, tournaments and festivals taking place in the year ahead. Along with top cricket, netball, football and rugby, is the excitement of thoroughbred racing, motorsports, sailing, surfing and golf.

Summer

Cricket, tennis and water sports take top billing in Sydney during the warmer months. One dayers, test matches and Big Bash games are held regularly at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as well as a fixture from the Ashes tournament in January. The ATP Cup takes place at Sydney Olympic Park in January, with the best tennis players from 24 countries competing for the title.

On the water, the famous Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is one of Australia’s most iconic sporting events. Held on December 26 each year, crowds line the harbour foreshore and beaches to watch the dramatic start of this famously tough race. You can also find regular surf competitions at Sydney’s top beaches and rowing at the International Regatta Centre in Penrith.

You can also catch the HSBC Sydney 7s in January. This fast-paced version of rugby union has just seven players on each team, playing two seven-minute halves. The weekend tournament has a festival feel with live music, family entertainment and fans in crazy costumes.

Winter

Winter means football – in all its forms. The National Rugby League (NRL) season runs from March to October, and with eight clubs based in Sydney there are plenty of home games to attend. You can watch one game of the NRL State of Origin series, a three-match competition between NSW and QLD, in Sydney.

AFL, also called Aussie Rules, is played from March to September and the two Sydney teams play at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Giants Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park. If you prefer rugby union, you can watch the NSW Waratahs play in the Super Rugby competition and the Australian national team, the Wallabies, frequently play major international matches in Sydney.