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Just over 20 years ago, I watched the mighty West Indies take on Australia in a ODI at a packed SCG. Football is my favourite sport, but at the time I was completely oblivious to the existence of the National Soccer League.
In the last week we have seen domestic football matches in both Sydney and Melbourne draw bigger crowds during the same weekend as ODI’s between Australia and the Windies. Twenty years ago this would have been unthinkable.
Back in 1990, the NSWRL averaged about 12,000 per game, the Sydney Swans home average was 9,000 per game and the Waratahs were an amateur provincial side who only played a couple of games a year.
It got me thinking: What will the sporting landscape look like in another 20 years?
Here are my predictions:
Aussie Rules has cemented its position as the no. 1 winter code, persisting with two sides in Sydney and SE Qld. The ongoing propping up of the code in the Northern states has weakened the Melbourne heartland with a number of clubs being relegated to the VFL. Australia competes in an annual four-nations tournament including South Africa, Ireland and the Pacific Nations. As usual, Australia trounces the opposition to be proclaimed the ‘world champion’.
The NRL has buckled under the pressures of Aussie rules competition and reduced leagues clubs funding and is now a semi-professional competition featuring 12 teams stretching from Sydney to North Queensland. However, the State of Origin continues to draw big crowds from Rugby League fans nostalgic about the past.
Rugby Union is now Aussies rules main winter competition. The 12 team Trans Tasman super rugby comp (with the winner facing the South Africa + Argentina conference winner in a Super Rugby, Superbowl) being a more exciting prospect after IRB boss John O’Neil forced through radical changes to the rules of Union.
Football has continued its rise. The 18 team A-League now averages around 20,000 people per game and the B-League is finally starting to gain traction. The success of the Socceroos in winning the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 2022 means that the men’s national team continues to be the most popular team in the country.
And cricket? Well the Ashes is now the only regular Test series played, with 25/25/25/25 cricket becoming an increasingly popular sport around the world at both the domestic and international level. The 2031 World Cup will feature a record 16 nations, including the likes of the USA, China and Germany.
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