Sport in Tasmania

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Clarence vs Lauderdale in a Tasmanian State League AFL match at Blundstone Arena, 2024.

Participation in organised sports events and activities is a significant aspect of the sporting culture in Tasmania, Australia. According to the 2020 Sports Australia AusPlay survey, 88.3% of Tasmanian adults and 69.5% of Tasmanian children engage in some form of sport or physical activity at least once per year. However, these figures are slightly below the national average by -1.1% and -3.6%, respectively.[1]

As of 2021, soccer stands as Tasmania’s most widely played team sport, with an estimated 36,773 Tasmanians, comprising 6.8% of the state’s population, participating annually.[2] Excluding general recreational activities like walking or gym attendance, the most popular sports in Tasmania also include Australian rules football, basketball, cricket, golf, swimming and track and field. Notably, netball ranks as the most popular team sport for female participation, while cricket leads among male participants.[3]

In the fiscal year 2020/21, the Tasmanian Government allocated nearly $2,000,000 (AUD) in funding for organised sports, primarily focusing on Australian rules football, basketball, cricket, and soccer. Additionally, $1,000,000 (AUD) has been earmarked for a participation program aimed at children, with supplementary grants and funding opportunities also available.[4]

Athletics[edit]

Athletics Tasmania serves as the leading authority for track and field sports within the state. Historically, Hobart annually hosted the prestigious Briggs Track Classic at the Domain Athletic Centre,[5] a highlight of the Australian Athletics Tour. Additionally, various regions host signature events like the renowned Burnie Gift. Notably, in 2015, the North-West town of Penguin hosted the esteemed Australian All Schools 12 and under Track and Field Championships.[6] Moreover, Athletics South oversees regional track and field competitions held during the summer season (October - March) and organises winter cross country events (April - September) in southern Tasmania.

Australian rules football[edit]

Capacity crowd at a Tassie Hawks "home" game against the Western Bulldogs at Aurora Stadium during the 2008 AFL Season.

Tasmania was the first place outside of Victoria to play Australian football, playing Victorian Rules since 1864. Tasmania has competed strongly in Interstate matches in Australian rules football since its first colonial match in 1884, forming a strong rival with traditional powerhouse Victoria, however played its last competitive match in the 1990 State of Origin series which resulted a victory over Victoria in Hobart.[citation needed]

In 2005, Tasmania's participation rate in Australian Rules for men between 5 – 39 years was 22%, the highest in Australia.[7]

The main leagues now are the statewide Tasmanian Football League (which has existed on and off since 1879) and its conferences, the Southern Football League and the Northern Tasmanian Football League. A representative club, the Tasmanian Devils participated in the Victorian Football League between 2001–2008 and attracted attendances of over 10,000 on two occasions.[citation needed]

Tasmania Football Club will enter the national competition, the Australian Football League, from the 2028 season.[8] Victorian AFL teams have been playing AFL Premiership season matches in Tasmania since 1991. Fitzroy (1991-1992), Hawthorn (2001-2020), St Kilda (2001–2006) and North Melbourne (2012-2016) have all played at least 2 home games in Tasmania in various seasons. [citation needed]

The Tasmanian Gaelic Football and Hurling Association run weekly training sessions and games in summer in Hobart to avoid competing with major winter sports.[citation needed]

Baseball[edit]

Baseball Tasmania is the governing body of baseball in the Australian Baseball Federation.

The first Australian championships were in 1910 in Hobart between New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania and won by NSW.[9] The sport became more structured with the formation of the Tasmanian Baseball Association in 1950.[10]

The sport saw significant growth during the 1970s and 1980s, but the Launceston League disbanded by the late 1980s due to declining player numbers. The Tasmanian Baseball Association operated until the early 1990s before financial issues led to its collapse.[11]

A revival began in the early 2000s, partly due to the involvement of former players in Masters baseball. In 2007, baseball returned to Hobart under the name Baseball Tasmania, which was later rebranded as the Hobart Summer Baseball League in the 2013/14 season. The league season runs from mid-October to mid-March, with games held at Prince of Wales Bay Recreation Ground and other locations. The league expanded from four to five teams in 2013/14 and has actively participated in the Victorian Masters Baseball Carnival.[11]

Basketball[edit]

Tasmania has hosted multiple teams in Australia's top basketball tiers, yet instability has been a recurring challenge. Contributing factors include limited financial resources, difficulties in attracting and retaining top talent due to Tasmania's geographical isolation, and fluctuating fan support. Historically, league restructuring has also affected Tasmanian teams.

National Basketball League[edit]

MyState Bank Arena during the 2022 NBL Finals

Although short lived, Launceston Casino City were the first Tasmanian team to participate in the National Basketball League (NBL) and the first to become NBL champions, being victors of the 1981 NBL season. The Hobart Devils were stalwarts of the league, commencing in 1983 and infamously becoming the first state team representing a capital city to have their NBL license revoked in 1996. Devonport was also briefly represented in the NBL by the Devonport Warriors between 1983–1984.

Following 26 years without state representation, the Tasmania JackJumpers joined the NBL in the 2021–22 NBL season.[12] The JackJumpers secured their maiden NBL championship in the 2023–24 season, marking Tasmania's first NBL title in 43 years.[13]

Tasmania is currently not represented in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), however following the JackJumpers' success, there is growing support for women's basketball in the state.[14] Historically, the Hobart Hustlers won the inaugural Women's Basketball Conference in 1984,[15] and the Hobart Islanders were champions of the 1991 WNBL season. The team was led by home-grown and three-time WNBL Most Valuable Player, Kathy Foster.[16] The Islanders withdrew from the competition in the mid-1990s.[17]

NBL1[edit]

Competing in the NBL1 South conference, Tasmania is represented by three teams in the semi-professional NBL1 league, the Hobart Chargers (men's and women's), the Launceston Tornadoes (women's) and North-West Tasmania Thunder (men's). Prior to the Chargers joining NBL1, the former Hobart Huskies competed in the inaugural 2019 season. The Chargers men's team won their first NBL1 South championship in 2022.[18]

In the former South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), the Hobart Chargers men's team were Conference Champions in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2008, and 2018, and SEABL League Champions in 2008 and 2018. The women's team were Conference Champions in 2014. North-West Tasmania were men's Conference Champions in 1996 and 2004, and the Launceston Tornadoes were women's SEABL League Champions in 1995. The league was superseded by NBL1 in 2019.

Combat sports[edit]

Boxing Tasmania is the governing body for amateur boxing in the Tasmania and is affiliated with Boxing Australia.

Cricket[edit]

England vs Australia at Bellerive Oval in Hobart

Tasmania is an integral part of Australian cricket. Prominent players from Tasmania include David Boon, Charles Eady, John Marshall, Laurie Nash, and Ricky Ponting.

Cricket Tasmania administers the Tasmanian Grade Cricket competitions of cricket in Tasmania, and selects the players for the Tasmanian Tigers, who are the state's first class cricket team for men. They are also responsible for the selection of players for Tasmanian Roar, the state's women's representative side.

The Tasmanian Tigers are based at Blundstone Arena and represent the state in domestic competitions such as the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup, the Sheffield Shield, and formerly in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. Blundstone Arena also hosts international matches (Tests and One Day matches) of the Australian cricket team and touring sides.

History[edit]

Cricket likely arrived in Van Diemen's Land with its earliest settlers.[19] The Rev. Robert Knopwood mentioned the game in a diary entry from 1814, and it was well established in Hobart and Launceston by the 1820s. By the 1830s, cricket was played in various settlements across Tasmania. Clubs in Hobart and Launceston soon followed, leading to the first intrastate match in 1850. In 1851, Van Diemen's Land won Australia's first intercolonial match against the Port Phillip District.

The gold rush of the 1850s slowed cricket's development in Tasmania. Although English touring teams included Tasmania, matches were often uneven, with Tasmania fielding extra players to level the competition. Regular eleven-a-side matches with mainland colonies resumed in 1889, but Tasmania was left out of early efforts to form a national cricket administration in the 1890s. Economic difficulties constrained Tasmanian cricket until after WWII, and attempts to join national competitions in the 1930s were unsuccessful.[19]

In the 1960s, Tasmanian cricket officials began a self-improvement program. By 1977, Tasmania gained restricted entry into the national Sheffield Shield competition and full membership in 1982. Despite early challenges, Tasmania's performance improved, reaching the Sheffield Shield final in 1994 and again in 1998 and 2002.[19]

T20[edit]

As of 2016 the Hobart Hurricanes represent Tasmania in the KFC Big Bash League. At present the Tasmanian Roar only compete in the Women's National Cricket League Twenty20 competition.

Cycling[edit]

Cycling is administered by Cycling Tasmania.

Football codes[edit]

Rugby league[edit]

The Tasmanian Rugby League reestablished a summer competition in 2009.[citation needed]

Rugby union[edit]

The Tasmanian Rugby Union[20] Statewide League consists of 10 Teams and was first established in 1933. The senior men's state representative side for the Tasmanian Rugby Union is the Tasmanian Jack Jumpers. Rugby union in Tasmania consists of the following divisions : Men's, Women's, Junior Under 18, Junior Under 16, Juniors Under 14.[citation needed]

Golf[edit]

Tasmania has numerous golf courses spread throughout the island. The town of Bridport in the northeast is home to Barnbougle Dunes, a public golf course designed by architect Tom Doak which opened in 2004 and is ranked among the top 100 courses in the world.[21]

Hockey and indoor hockey[edit]

Hockey Tasmania[22] governs and administers the sport of hockey and indoor hockey for most of Tasmania.[23] It also administers the senior Tasmanian representative club The Tassie Tigers which fields a Men's and a Women's team in the elite national domestic competition Hockey One which generally plays its annual home and away season in the months of September, October, and November across Australia.[24] Hockey One and the Tassie Tigers club replaced the now-defunct Australian Hockey League and the former men's and women's teams the Tassie Tigers and the Tassie Van Demons in 2019.[25]

Hockey is predominantly played on synthetic surfaces in Tasmania, although some junior and school competitions do still play on grass fields. There are five hockey centres around the state with synthetic pitches that host a variety of senior and junior competitions: The Tasmanian Hockey Centre, with three synthetic pitches, in Hobart;[26] the Northern Hockey Centre, with two synthetic pitches, in Launceston;[27] one synthetic pitch at Meercroft Park in Devonport; one synthetic pitch at McKenna Park in Burnie; and one synthetic pitch in Smithton.[28]

Horse racing[edit]

There are a number of thoroughbred and harness race courses in Tasmania including the Elwick Race Course and Launceston Racecourse in Mowbray which host the Hobart Cup and Launceston Cup respectively.

Motorsport[edit]

Tasmania hosts the Tasmania SuperSprint, a round of the Supercars Championship, each year at Symmons Plains Raceway, in the Northern Midlands of the state.

A number of racing categories compete for the Tasmanian Super Series at Symmons Plains and Baskerville Raceway near Hobart, each year.

The Australian Grand Prix was twice held in Tasmania, at the Longford Circuit, in 1959 and 1965.

Launceston, Tasmania is also the birthplace of Marcos Ambrose, who won the V8 Supercar championship in 2003 and 2004 before relocating to the United States to race in NASCAR.

Targa Tasmania is a six-day tarmac-based rally that has been held annually since 1992. A smaller version, the Targa Wrest Point, is also held annually. The Tasmanian Rally Series is held over four rallies annually.

Netball[edit]

Netball in Tasmania has grown significantly, with the state actively seeking entry into the national Suncorp Super Netball league. Traditionally, the league has featured a maximum of eight Australian teams, but there are increasing calls for expansion. Super Netball, established in 2017, allows unlimited international players, a policy that has sparked debate among fans who wish to balance showcasing international talent with nurturing homegrown players.[29]

Netball Tasmania currently partners with the Collingwood Magpies to host some home games in Launceston and aims to establish its own team based in Hobart. CEO Aaron Pidgeon is discussing the licensing process with the Australian Netball League and emphasises the need to provide more opportunities for Australian players, including experienced players like Caitlin Bassett.[29]

Tasmania has demonstrated potential with the Tasmanian Magpies winning the Australian Netball League title in 2018. The success of other Tasmanian sports teams, such as the Hobart Hurricanes and the JackJumpers, indicates a supportive market for elite sports in the region.

The Tasmanian Netball League (TNL) remains the pinnacle of netball competition in the state, with teams like the Northern Hawks competing since 1993. The Tasmanian Wild team represents the state in the Australian Netball Championships.

A partnership between Netball Australia, Netball Tasmania, and the Tasmanian Government will see the Melbourne Mavericks play Super Netball matches in Hobart in 2024. This partnership aims to enhance pathway programs and provide high-performance opportunities for Tasmanian athletes and coaches.[30]

Soccer[edit]

Melbourne Victory vs Adelaide United at Aurora Stadium

The Football Federation Tasmania (FFT) is the governing body for associational football (soccer) in Tasmania. FFT runs men's, women's and youth competitions in both the North and South of Tasmania. The main season is run in winter.

Since 2013 the highest male level of competition in Tasmania is the NPL Tasmania which forms part of the National Premier Leagues nationally. The NPL Tasmania includes teams from all major regions in Tasmania. At the conclusion of each season the premier team goes onto play the winners of other states in the national NPL finals series. The equal next levels of male competition are the Southern Championship and the Northern Championship .[citation needed]

Aurora Stadium has hosted two A-League pre-season games, attracting over 8000 spectators at the 2007–08 match.[31] FFT is actively pursuing the possibility of an A-League club based in the state.[32]

Softball[edit]

Touch football[edit]

Touch Football is played in the Summer months in Tasmania. Competitions are located in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.[33]

Vigoro[edit]

Tasmania is one of the three Australian states which play Vigoro.

Water sports[edit]

Swimming[edit]

Swimming Tasmania is the governing body for swimming in Tasmania. The Hobart Aquatic Centre has hosted significant championships including the Australian Swimming Championships. Other significant aquatic facilities include: Clarence Aquatic Centre and Launceston Aquatic.

Water skiing[edit]

There are a number of active water ski clubs in Tasmania. These include Meadowbank Water Ski Club, Northern Aquatic Club, Roseberry Ski Club, Kentish Aquatic Club and the Horsehead Water Ski Club.

Water polo[edit]

Water Polo Tasmania is the governing body of water polo in Tasmania. The Hobart Aquatic Centre is the main venue for these events and is host to local and national water polo matches. The main local event is the Club Water Polo Championships held in southern Tasmania between the four clubs: Clarence, Sandy Bay, UTAS Honey Badgers and Wet Magic. A schools competition is run for Grades 5-12 during Term 2/3 which many southern schools participate in. Tasmania fields many state teams which compete at national competitions and has had a number of athletes selected to national teams over the years.

Winter sports[edit]

Snow skiing[edit]

The Summit Run, Ben Lomond, Tasmania

The most southerly ski fields in Australia are located in Tasmania. Much of the State is subject to at least occasional winter snows. Mount Ossa is the highest point on the island at 1614 m, but Tasmania has eight mountains exceeding 1500 m and 28 above 1,220 m. Also notable is the Central Plateau, at an elevation of around 900 m. The capital city of Hobart is built at the base of Mount Wellington, which at 1270 m is snow-capped in winter.[34]

Tasmania's premier Alpine skiing operations are located at Ben Lomond 60 km from Launceston.[35] The village is at 1460m and the top elevation is 1570m.[36] Limited downhill ski operations also exist in the Mount Field National Park at Mount Mawson, which is approximately 89 kilometres north west of Hobart and rises from 1200 m to 1320 m altitude.[37]

One of Australia's most scenic alpine locations is located in Tasmania at Cradle Mountain, where cross country skiing is possible. Cradle Mountain is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, inscribed by UNESCO in 1982.[38]

Ice hockey[edit]

The Ice Hockey Tasmania[39] conducts, encourages, promotes, advances, controls and administers all forms of Ice Hockey in Tasmania. The main ice hockey venue is the Glenorchy Ice Skating Rink.

Racquet sports[edit]

Table tennis[edit]

First introduced in the early 20th Century Table Tennis is the most played sport in the world with all 226 Countries and Territories affiliated with the ITTF. In Tasmania it is played all year-round. There are large clubs in Burnie, Devonport, Port Sorell, Deloraine, Launceston, Glenorchy, Clarence, Kingston and at the University of Tasmania. see www.tttas.org.au

Tennis[edit]

Tasmania hosts the Moorilla International tennis tournament as part of the lead-up to the Australian Open. The tournament is a professional tournament involving women's singles and doubles competitions played at the Hobart International Tennis Centre on the Domain in Hobart.

Real tennis[edit]

The Hobart Real Tennis Club is one of the oldest sporting clubs in the Southern hemisphere, having been founded in 1875. The court is located at 45 Davey Street, Hobart, Tasmania. It is the oldest real tennis club in Australia and one of the oldest existing clubs in the real tennis world.

Yachting[edit]

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has taken place between Boxing Day and New Year every year since 1945. The race finishes at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart. Another popular annual race is the Australian Three Peaks Race.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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