Sport in Tasmania

Clarence vs Lauderdale in a TSL football match at Blundstone Arena, 2024.

Sport is a significant aspect of the culture on the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Outside general recreational activities such as walking, gym or bushwalking, the most popular sports in Tasmania are swimming, athletics/track and field, cycling/mountain biking, golf and Australian rules football.[1] Netball ranks as the most popular team sport for female participation, while cricket leads among male participants.[2] The most widely played team sport is soccer, with an estimated 36,773 Tasmanians, comprising 6.8% of the state's population, participating annually.[3]

In 2009, Tasmania's most watched sports were Australian rules football, motor sports and horse racing,[4] however there has been a sharp increase in basketball attendance since the addition of the Tasmania JackJumpers in the National Basketball League commencing in the 2021–22 NBL season.[5] Other current professional franchises in national competitions include the Tasmania cricket team, the Hobart Hurricanes (Big Bash League) and the Tassie Tigers (Hockey One). The Tasmania Football Club was founded in 2022 and is set to compete in the Australian Football League (AFL) from the 2028 season. A-League expansion in Tasmania has been proposed since the establishment of the A-League in 2005. Major sporting events on the Tasmanian calendar are the Royal Hobart Regatta, Hobart International, Hobart Cup, Tasmanian Derby, Targa Tasmania and the conclusion of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in Hobart.

According to the 2023 Sports Australia AusPlay survey, 78% of Tasmanian adults[6] and 33% of Tasmanian children[7] engage in some form of sport or physical activity at least once per week. While adult participation is on par with the national average,[6] figures for child participation are significantly below the national average of 52%.[7]

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.[8]

  1. ^ AusPlay 2023b, p. 8.
  2. ^ AusPlay 2015, p. 30.
  3. ^ "Football remains Tasmania's most played team sport". Football Tasmania. 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  4. ^ "Spectator Attendance at Sporting Events" (PDF). Australian Bureau of Statistics. p. 3. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  5. ^ Champ, Manika (2023-02-04). "Surge in Tassie basketball interest from JackJumpers success hurting grassroots clubs". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  6. ^ a b AusPlay 2023a, p. 95.
  7. ^ a b AusPlay 2023a, p. 99.
  8. ^ "2020-21 Budget Paper 2 - Chapter 2 - Department of Communities Tasmania". www.treasury.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 2021-05-16.