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Australian Sporting Events This Summer
With COVID starting to ease, borders opening up and spectators gradually allowed back into venues, a lot of Australians are excited to get back to one of our favourite past times: watching sport. Despite a couple of setbacks and cancellations, the majority of the big sporting events are (at this stage!) going ahead - many with spectators permitted. This summer promises to be a scorcher, and there's tons of sporting events on, so pack your zinc and let YHA host your trip to make sure you miss NONE of the action!
Follow the links below to our sport-specific breakdowns of what's on this summer...
Cricket
Cricket is Australia's national sport, at least during the summer months, and in terms of love for the sport, only India has a realistic claim to edge us out. With that in mind, it's not surprising that matches between the two nations are must-see events in the Australian sporting calendar and attract monumental viewership both in their home nations and across the sporting world.
This summer will feature a glut of matches as part of India's tour of Australia, including One Day Internationals, T20 matches and the four test matches (test matches are considered some of the biggest sporting events in Australia). With numerous international contests taking place across Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra, plus the men's Big Bash League starting up again, there's tons of opportunity to experience elite-level cricket all over Australia. YHA has incredible value stays wherever you're headed, so if you're stumped for accommodation, you know who to turn to!
Click here to learn more about all the cricket on this summer
Tennis
There are only a handful sports in which Australia hosts a truly elite-level event that makes the world pay attention every year, but tennis is one of them. Though the sport is generally an all-year-round affair, when Melbourne hosts the prestigious Australian Open (one of the four grand-slam events of tennis) each year, it tends to put the nation into a tennis frenzy for the summer.
This year is expected to be no different. Though plans were until recently up in the air due to social-distancing concerns, the latest word from Tennis Australia has indicated the tournament is going ahead in the Victorian capital from February 8th, while the normal slew of warm-up tournaments will be moved to Victoria to reduce unnecessary travel. We've got you covered in Melbourne with friendly, convenient and affordable stays throughout the tournament and beyond, so book today!
Find out more about the summer of tennis
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Sydney To Hobart
The ancient pastime of sailing is not usually considered among the most followed sports in Australia, but all that changes every year on Boxing Day, when the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race sets sail from Sydney Harbour. The race is a gruelling 40+ hour marathon across the turbulent and frigid Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean, attracting competitors from all over the world. Aside from getting yourself onto one of the competing vessels (you'd better know how to hoist a sail!), your spectating options come down to watching either the start or finish of the race in Sydney or Hobart respectively. The carnival atmosphere of the spectacle, combined with the relaxed feeling of a nation on holiday make for a pretty magical day out on the harbour. Both Sydney Harbour YHA and Hobart Central YHA offer mindblowing locations for viewing the race, so get slap on some boat shoes and zinc and go experience it!
We've got all the details on the race here!
MORE AUSTRALIAN SPORT TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS SUMMER:
FOOTBALL/SOCCER
Despite the iconic nature and historical significance of cricket and AFL to Aussie national identity, association football, aka Soccer, actually currently holds the title of the most popular sport in Australia in terms of participation, as well as being one of the fastest growing. It should hardly be surprising, as football (as it's known globally) is by far the most popular sport in the world at large. The A-League, our domestic competition, was only founded 2004 and still has a way to go compared to the universal appeal of overseas leagues, but it's developing rapidly with new teams and the occasional big name marquee player adding to its prestige. Normally a winter sport, the A-League runs over summer to avoid competing with the more popular spectacles of the NRL and AFL seasons, and this coming season will kick off on the 27th of December. The league is expected to be allowing spectators, so if you're a die-hard away fan and like to be at the grounds to cheer on your team, find the nearest YHA and save!
Cycling
Late 2020 sadly saw the cancellation of the Santos Tour Down Under, a major international road race that usually kicks off the UCI Pro Tour calendar (the circuit that also features the Tour De France!) and attracts all the top cycling teams from around the world. Despite this, its accompanying grassroots celebration, the Santos Festival of Cycling, WILL be going ahead in Adelaide with a more local flavour, and will feature a ton of smaller competitive events to watch like track cycling, mountain biking, paracycling, BMX and a smaller-scale road race, as well as an interesting 'virtual cycling' challenge you can enter using your exercise bike at home. The Festival kicks off on January 19th and ends on the 24th, and you can check out all the info on the official website. Needless to say, Adelaide Central YHA should be your go to if you're in need an affordable place to stay while you're in town...
