It’s one of those questions that every Australian sports fan has both an opinion on and a pretty good case for: what is Australia’s biggest sporting event?
When addressing this question, it can be looked at a number of ways: what is the most watched? The most attended? The most all-encompassing?
Or just the most exciting and enthralling? Using this criteria, I will attempt to offer a perspective on what is Australia’s biggest sporting event?
The Ashes
The Ashes would be my early pick for Australia’s biggest sporting event.
It fits all the criteria: it’s widely watched, attended, has a Test in each major city, and takes the entire nation by storm.
While to most it is exciting and enthralling, with each Test building up its own unique storyline, those who are not cricket fans could likely not think of anything more boring. However, such is the nature of every sport – there will be those who love it and those who hate it.
The Ashes’ particular ability for national heroes to be made of both individuals and teams through a storyline unique to each Test is what makes the Ashes arguably Australia’s biggest sporting event.
State of Origin
State of Origin is repeatedly the most watched sporting event on TV all year – that counts for a lot.
It no doubt has the popularity to be considered the biggest in Australia. The entertainment value is through the roof – 34 huge men running into each other with the energy of a hate-fuelled state behind them, for 80 minutes straight, trying to cross a white line.
The premise is so simple yet so enthralling and entertaining. It matters little that Queensland have won eight straight years – in fact, it perhaps makes it better.
Every year the series is competitive, no matter how lop-sided the teams are.
The one knock on State of Origin’s case it that it’s not exactly inclusive. The hatred between the New South Welshmen and the Queenslanders fuels perhaps the greatest rivalry in Australian sports, but to the rest of Australia, it’s just another game of league.
AFL grand final
Australian rules is arguably the most popular sport in the country, and even if you don’t agree, the AFL is no doubt the most popular sporting competition.
Hence, it only makes sense that the finale of the league is considered one of the most popular games of sport in the country.
120 minutes of pure skill and disregard for personal safety creates the atmosphere of of one of the most intense battles on the Australian sporting calendar.
It ticks all the boxes – attendance, viewership, entertainment – and it matters little if your team isn’t playing – but if they are, it’s life or death.
While the knocks against it are similar to that of Origin, the champions of the AFL competition generally means a bit to each neutral viewer, and everyone takes a side on the day.
Melbourne Cup
While the Melbourne Cup doesn’t have the same kind of passion-fuelled atmosphere as the other three events, it has it’s own kind of engrossing, intense feel.
Similar to the Ashes, it’s not team-specific, and is popular among (and not limited to) almost every Australian for one reason or another.
Like most other sports, it doesn’t require intense concentration to understand what’s going on, nor does it require the discipline to watch over a long period of time.
The Melbourne Cup is like a five-minute unstoppable coal train that every year stops the nation.
Bledisloe Cup
The Bledisloe Cup is one of those series that every Australian wants to win, simply on principle. Losing to the little bother New Zealand always hurts, no matter what is being contested, and that very ideal means that this matters to every Australian.
The games are both widely-viewed and entertaining, despite falling crowds in Sydney.
The way the game is played has Australia on tenterhooks from start to finish – and with the extra spice of trying to beat the gifted little brother, it makes every knock-on and lost ball a soul-crushing mistake.
However, the slow, patient and woeful displays of rugby put on of late by the Wallabies contrasted with the brilliance of the All Blacks is pushing people away from the annual fixture.
Honourable mentions
Australian Open tennis, Australian open golf, Sydney to Hobart, F1 Grand Prix, Bathurst 1000
What do you think, Roarers? What is Australia’s biggest sporting event?
Manny
Guest
The only sporting event where the whole nation is genuinely interested in is probably the Olympics. I haven't watched Tennis in ages and have never watched the Melbourne Cup or Cricket. Where I live the only people that seem interested in the Melbourne Cup are old people, I can't even tell you when the Melbourne Cup is and Tennis and Cricket are like any other sport in that it only attracts people interested in the sport. If it is what sport interests Australians the most, it would be between NRL, AFL, or Cricket since most kids in Australia grow up playing one of these three. My guess would be NRL but I imagine that the biggest event would be one that has international appeal and the only one of your list that would have that is Tennis involving players from other countries since people like supporting their own. So Australia's biggest event overall would be when the Olympics was hosted by Australia and the biggest event for just Australian's would probably be the State of Origin and if this article is correct about it being the most watched Australian sporting event than it must be.
Manny
Guest
Well if your information is correct that the State of Origin is the most watched sporting event in Australia then I guess it would be the biggest in Australia, while the other criterias are based on opinion. The only two sports I do watch are Roller Derby because I play it and NRL because my father use to watch it. I have never watched AFL, Cricket, or the Melbourne Cup so I can't really give my opinion on them. So I would say that with out a doubt it is the State of Origin.
James
Guest
State of of origin is the most watched sport on Australian TV all year. And I can't believe they compared afl hits to rugby league hits don't make me laugh. The hate and passion between qld and nsw on this day is unbelievable and easily the biggest rivalry in Australian sport by a long way and ur dumb if u say otherwise
Chris
Guest
The A league gf was broadcast on 2 networks for a total of 1.4 million Viewers (rounding up there) so good luck trying to pass that one off as popular
Chris
Guest
What's HAL?
Robert Merkel
Guest
In terms of total audience, it's probably any time Australia plays India. Sorry Ashes. In terms of interest from across the world, the Oz Open by some margin, then the F1. In terms of impact on the Australian psyche, AFL Grand Final. Sorry New South Welshmen and Queenslanders.
Calum
Guest
I'm going to try and complete this post without falling about laughing thinking about the post suggesting the A league is bigger than the superbowl. I'm sure the advertising at half time is just as sought after.... anyway, back in the real world no one in the UK media refers to it as the BPL. I moved here 18 months ago and still read the UK press most days and I have *never* heard of it as that. hate sponsorhsip of grounds, cups, trophies, team names etc. About the only exceptions to that I will award are Eindhoven and Leverkusen in football (soccer) and the packers in the NFL.
Pom in Oz
Roar Guru
From an international perspective, it would have to be the Melbourne Cup, which is quintessentially Australian, but open to and known around the world. The Australian Open is still a Grand Slam event, so that rates highly along with F1. It astounds me that anyone could include State of Origin or NRL GF. I live in South Australia and I can assure you they couldn't care less about Rugby League. I don't know about WA, but I doubt they care much either. You can't include sporting events that whole states have no discernible interest in. Surely the biggest ever Australian sporting event was the 2000 Sydney Olympics though...
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
The Ashes, closely followed by the Melbourne Cup. Bathurst is right up there, too.
State of Origin
Guest
The melbourne cup.The race that stops a nation.
josh
Roar Rookie
When driving through Goondiwindi (which is in Queensland) last year, on the same day the local rugby league team was playing and had a crowd and at the same time the local aussie team was playing and had a crowd.
josh
Roar Rookie
In any event the AFL GF has been above 90,000 game attendance. TV figures are always high 2.5M to 3M nationally.
josh
Roar Rookie
In Queensland the AFL GF is a pretty big deal. Maybe in Sydney, where no cares about sport.
Dru
Guest
x2.
apaway
Roar Guru
So F1 counts viewers the same way the AFL counts Aus-Kick participants.
apaway
Roar Guru
NAB Cup? Heard PLENTY of Aussie Rules fans call it that.
mushi
Guest
Really it is news to you that some people don't consider horse racing a sport?
Tracey
Guest
Personally i think the AFL and NRL should be crossed of the list as half the country dislike either code. the HAL is just to irrelevant in Aust to matter. I think it would have to be either the AO or F1 if you want international recognition for the criteria. However my pick would be the Ashes.
mushi
Guest
Um I just read through the Wiki article with broken link. Now when someone says every formula one race rates about the same as the FIFA world cup final that should set off some alarm bells right? this would hands down make it the most watched sport by such a margin that everyone would know right? The same article also had a 54 billion number annual number so either we've got a little smidgen of double counting here or the F1 have embraced Will's intergalactic broadcasting. Essentially what bernie and his boys counts is anytime a TV is switched to a programme with F1 content. If during qualifying I channel surf between F1 and other channels 100 times then I am 100 viewers. If I catch the back 30 seconds of a mid week F1 programme because I want to watch the next show, I'm a viewer.
Stavros
Guest
I'm talking about fans. Find me one person who is not in the UK media, that refers to it as the BPL. You honestly telling me that RL supporters call it the Telstra Premiership. Sorry mate, but Aussie soccer fans are out on their own here.