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Sports and recreational activities in Australia are popular and widespread. It
is said Australia has one of the highest levels of participation and numbers of
spectators in the world. This, though a generalization is not too far from the
truth as is evident from the country's level of achievement in the Olympic Games
and Commonwealth Games as well as other international sporting events. The performance
of Australia in water sports and team sports is particularly commendable. Though
a wide variety of sports are played and followed, the most popular are swimming,
Australian Rules football, golf, soccer, rugby football and cricket. Studies suggest,
the biggest sports in Australia, measured on parameters like interest, participation,
attendance and media interest are swimming which has the maximum popularity at
61%, Australian rules 54%, cricket 54%, tennis 52%, and football or soccer 50%,
rugby league 42%, and rugby union 40%.
Canberra the capital of Australia is no different from the rest of the country.
The sports that are popular in Canberra are discussed below.
Rugby: Rugby Union football is the most popular sport in Australian Capital
Territory in and Canberra. The most important provincial rugby competition is
the Super 14. The Act is represented by the Brumbies a Canberra based rugby
union club at the super 14. Of all the Australian teams, only the Brumbies have
won a Super Rugby Title, in 2001 and 2004. Rugby League is the second most popular
game in Canberra and the ACT.
Cricket: Australia has had a long history of superior performance in the world
of cricket. Cricket in Canberra and the Act region is governed by the Australian
Capital Territory Cricket Association which was formed in 1922. Canberra is
also home to the very famous Manuka Oval which hosts the Prime Minister's XI
annually.
Soccer: This game too has a sizeable following among the Canberra Socceroo
fans (the Australian national soccer team). In Canberra the governing body of
soccer is Capital Football also called the Australian Capital Territory Football
Federation Incorporated.
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