Sydney wins gold as Australia's number one destination for sports fans
You'd be hard-pressed to find a Sydneysider who hasn't watched, let alone played, a game of sport. Whether a Test Match at the SCG, an A-League tournament at Accor Stadium, or an NRL final at your local sports bar, cheering on our top athletes is just part of daily life Down Under. And it looks like Sydney is the best place to rally around your favourite sports team, with a new study crowning Sydney as Australia's best city for a 'sportcation'.
Sports travel has exploded in recent years, which Skyscanner's 2025 Travel Trends report largely credits to the rise of 'behind-the-scenes' sports shows like Netflix's Drive to Survive, Break Point and Full Swing. In 2023, Sydney hosted more than 600,000 football fans for the FIFA Women's World Cup, with thousands more set to take on our city in the inaugural Sydney World Major Marathon this August. On top of that, the report reveals that more than a quarter of Aussies plan to travel either domestically or internationally to see a sporting event in 2025. And honestly, we totally get it. Nothing beats the buzz of watching the action live, joining a Mexican wave, and maybe even having a cheeky tiff with the opposing team.
While Melbourne has long held the unofficial title of Australia's sporting capital, a new study by Compare The Market has handed the baton to its rival, Sydney – crowning it as the best city for a sportcation. To determine the ranking, the travel insurance site pitted the cities against each other on seven factors, including the number of sports teams, stadiums, bars, camps and parks.
Sydney took home gold as the ultimate city for sports spectators, with the highest number of sports bars and sports camps in all of Australia. We're sure this might ruffle some feathers among passionate Melburnian sports fans, who proudly took home silver. But hey, we'll give credit where it's due – Melbourne's the only city in the world to host both a tennis Grand Slam tournament and a Formula One World Championship race – both events that Sydneysiders happily travel to watch.
In terms of Aussie sports teams, it's more of an even playing field. Sydney is of course the NRL capital, with nine teams compared to Melbourne's one, while the Victorian capital is the undisputed heart of AFL, with ten teams compared to Sydney's two.
Sydney and Melbourne are the only two cities to have Olympic Games bragging rights in Australia, but Brisbane's time to shine is coming in 2032. The Queensland capital currently ranks as the third-best city for a sportcation, with many flying to Brissy to attend the NRL Magic Round – the world's largest festival of rugby league.
Australia's most recent Commonwealth Games host city, the Gold Coast, ranked fourth, while Adelaide swooped in at fifth. This year, the South Australian capital broke records for Adelaide Airport's busiest week, with approximately 200,000 travellers descending on the city for the AFL Gather Round. Missed out on the action? You can see what other major Aussie sporting events are coming up here.
The 5 best cities in Australia for a sports holiday:
Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Gold Coast
Adelaide
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
4 hours ago
- Time Out
Melbourne is the fifth best city in the world for green space and access to nature
Hot on the heels of news that the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne has been named among the world's top ten gardens, comes the big reveal that Melbourne has been ranked the fifth greenest city in a global list compiled by Time Out. Excuse us while we adjust our (flower) crown. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's had the pleasure of strolling through our city's many lush parks and gardens. From the grand beauty of the Royal Botanic Gardens to the peaceful tranquility of Fitzroy Gardens – and let's not forget the city's biggest bushland reserve, Yarra Bend Park – we Melburnians really are spoiled when it comes to easy access to nature. And have you even done Melbourne right if you haven't had a picnic and cheeky bev with mates in Eddy Gardens? That's right – so much of our socialising takes place in the city's green spaces. To determine the rankings, Time Out quizzed 18,500 locals across the planet about their green spaces and the access they have to nature. The 20 that made the list had the highest share of 'good' or 'amazing' ratings. Melbourne really did knock it out of the park, receiving an 86 per cent positive rating that saw it share fifth spot with Austin and Edinburgh. Dubbed the 'city of eternal spring', Medellín in Colombia ranks as the top city for green thumbs and nature lovers, where a whopping 92 per cent of locals positively rated its green spaces and access to nature. Boston claims second place with 88 per cent 'good' or 'amazing' ratings, while Sydney shares third place with London, both scoring 87 per cent. The only other Aussie city to (just) crack the top 20 was Brisbane, with 76 per cent of locals giving its nature spaces a big (green) thumbs-up. You can check out the full rankings below or study the results here. Here are the 20 greenest cities in the world according to locals: 1. Medellín, Colombia 2. Boston, US 3. Sydney, Australia = London, UK 5. Austin, US = Edinburgh, UK = Melbourne, Australia 8. Denver, US 9. Abu Dhabi, UAE = Cape Town, South Africa = Chicago, US 12. San Francisco, US = Stockholm, Sweden 14. Montreal, Canada = Munich, Germany 16. Mumbai, India 17. Beijing, China 18. Zurich, Switzerland = Ottawa, Canada 20. Brisbane, Australia Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Footy star Michael Jennings whose past is SO scandalous he was barred from getting one of the NRL's biggest honours has found a lifeline as a tradie
Michael Jennings has traded packed stadium crowds for job sites as he begins a new chapter in construction after quitting his highly controversial NRL career. The former Kangaroos, Tonga and State of Origin star was recently seen in a promotional video for 22 Civil, highlighting his work on a home build in West Ryde, Sydney. 'Hi there, Michael Jennings here from Introbuild and 22 Civil, come and have a look guys,' he said in the clip. The video showed Jennings coordinating with fencing crews and concreters to build a new home. The caption on the video read, 'When strong crews come together, results speak louder,' with 22 Civil praising Jennings' involvement in the project. For many fans, the footage marked the first public appearance of Jennings since a turbulent 2024 season that saw him reach, but not celebrate, one of rugby league's rare milestones. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 22 Civil (@22civil_) Jennings played for the Sydney Roosters in 2024 but was denied a formal acknowledgement of his 300th NRL match and did not appear on grand final day in the retiring parade Jennings made his NRL debut for the Penrith Panthers in 2007 and played more than 120 games for the club. He later joined the Sydney Roosters, winning a premiership in 2013, before signing with Parramatta, where he played over 100 games and became a senior team figure. At the representative level, he wore the blue of New South Wales 18 times and also played for Australia and Tonga. But his career was derailed in 2020 when he was provisionally suspended for testing positive to Ligandrol and Ibutamoren, both banned substances. In 2021, he received a three-year ban from the NRL Anti-Doping Tribunal, effectively ending his career. During this period, Jennings also faced serious legal challenges. His ex-wife Kirra Wilden filed a civil suit accusing him of rape and sexual assault during their relationship. While Jennings denied the claims, the court found him liable in 2023 and ordered him to pay almost $500,000 in damages. Despite this, he returned to the NRL in 2024 and made nine appearances for the Sydney Roosters. However, any hope of a triumphant return was short-lived. Plans to honour Jennings' 300th first-grade game were scrapped by the NRL in April. His ex-wife publicly criticised the league, saying it failed to take women's safety seriously. NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo confirmed the decision to withhold official recognition. 'Due to past conduct, Michael Jennings will not receive official NRL recognition on his 300th match,' he said. The decision followed consultation with ARL Commission chair Peter V'landys, Roosters chairman Nick Politis and coach Trent Robinson. Jennings was also absent from the 2024 grand final retiring parade, where veterans like Shaun Johnson and Aaron Woods were given a chance to farewell fans. After the season ended, Jennings signed with the St Mary's Saints in the Ron Massey Cup. On May 25, he scored a hat-trick in a 46–8 win, showing he still had something left on the field. In January, he joined fellow controversial figures Jarryd Hayne and Ben Barba in a Premier League Nines tournament on the Gold Coast.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Footy fan armed with a phone exposes the NRL's biggest secret with Lachlan Galvin video - as league looks at punishing Bulldogs
A savvy footy fan has exposed the NRL 's biggest secret - wantaway Wests Tigers star Lachlan Galvin is now a Bulldog. It comes despite the joint venture club not yet releasing the five-eighth from Concord - or Canterbury formally announcing they have secured the youngster on a multi-year deal until 2028. Staunch Wests Tigers supporter Rob Bechara, who runs the popular Westslife podcast, uploaded the vision to X on Friday morning from outside Belmore Oval. Galvin already training with the Bulldogs even though no official release made public by the Tigers and no official announcement from the Bulldogs — Rob Bechara (@BecharaRob) May 30, 2025 Galvin can clearly be seen in blue and white Bulldogs training gear at the club's base in Sydney 's west. In the same clip, a number of Galvin's new teammates were doing stretching exercises, with the NRL ladder leaders enjoying the bye this weekend. Bechara added on X: 'Galvin already training with the Bulldogs even though no official release made public by the Tigers and no official announcement from the Bulldogs.' It also follows Canterbury's General Manager of Football Phil Gould being accused of courting Galvin while he was under contract at the Tigers. On Friday afternoon it emerged that the NRL is quizzing the Bulldogs over Galvin's presence at training, which could result in the club being hit with a heavy fine. Meanwhile, Benji Marshall says the energy is 'really positive' as the rebuilding NRL club finally forges into its post Galvin era. On Friday, head coach Marshall sidestepped questions on whether he was disappointed to lose Galvin, whose immediate move to Canterbury is finally expected to be confirmed this week. The teen star was excused from Tigers training for Round 13 and omitted from the team to face North Queensland on Saturday while the Bulldogs and Tigers finalise a transfer fee for his mid-season switch. Since then, Galvin has been subject to social media ridicule from teammates Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva, served the Tigers with a legal letter over bullying claims, and dominated rugby league headlines during the State of Origin period. Understandably, Marshall is eager to move on from the soap opera. 'I guess everyone's probably a little bit sick of talking about it and it being reported,' the coach said. 'But we're just focused on the game. I know it's a cliched thing to say, but we have to be. 'It's been a great week at training. Everyone's looking forward to playing. 'We had a week off last week with the bye. The energy around the place has been really good, really positive.' Marshall shrugged off questions from the Townsville press as to whether he was disappointed to be losing the young gun around whom the Tigers had planned to continue their rebuild. 'I don't know if disappointment is the word,' Marshall said ahead of the clash with the Cowboys. 'We like the players we've got, we love the squad we've got, we're excited about some of the young players coming through for us. 'We want to try and make a mark on the competition this year. The squad we've got, we are confident we can do that.' Marshall has named Heath Mason to replace Galvin in the halves next to Luai.
