Sport in Sussex forms an important part of the culture of Sussex. With a centuries-long tradition of sport, Sussex has played a key role in the early development of both cricket and stoolball. Cricket is recognised as having been formed in the Weald and Sussex CCC is England's oldest county cricket club. Slindon Cricket Club dominated the sport for a while in the 18th century. The cricket ground at Arundel Castle traditionally plays host to a Duchess of Norfolk's XI which plays the national test sides touring England.[1][2] The sport of stoolball is also associated with Sussex, which has a claim to be where the sport originated and certainly where its revival took place in the early 20th century. Sussex is represented in the Premier League by Brighton & Hove Albion and in the Football League by Crawley Town. Brighton has been in the Premier League since 2017 and has been a League member since 1920, whereas Crawley was promoted to the League in 2011. Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. play in the FA Women's Super League from 2017. Sussex has had its own football association, since 1882[3] and its own football league, which has since expanded into Surrey, since 1920.[4] In horse racing, Sussex is home to Goodwood, Fontwell Park, Brighton and Plumpton. The All England Jumping Course show jumping facility at Hickstead is situated 8 miles (13 km) north of Brighton and Hove.
Sussex has often been an early adopter of sport for women; references to women playing cricket from 1677, and stoolball from 1747. Women were playing in a stoolball league in Sussex as early as the 1860s. In football, Brighton & Hove Albion's women's team was founded in 1967 as Brighton GPO, making the club one of the oldest extant football clubs in England fielding a women's team. Founded in 1969, the Sussex Martlets Women's League (replaced in 1990 by the South East Counties Women's League) was one of the earliest in England.
Active Sussex is the county sports partnership for Sussex and its main aim is to increase participation in sport and physical activity at a local level.[5]