which is the biggest sport in oz-cricket or rules football

[mahim]

geez i ahve done all researches but cannot get a proper answer.

[Dogatlongon]

I disagree with a lot of the things said in this thread.
To my knowledge cricket is number one, and it's because whether you play/follow afl, rugby league, rugby union or soccer in the winter, everyone (give or take) follows/plays cricket in the summer.
Maybe according to some statistics more people play tennis or golf or something, only because every woman or elderly person can have a go.

The sports taken most seriously in australia are cricket in the summer, then either afl or rugby league in the winter, depending on where you live. Rugby union competes only because it crosses borders, but people in victoria, south australia, tasmania and western australia care more about afl than rugby union, and people in new south wales and queensland care more about rugby league than rugby union.
People in general are more passionate about sport in the winter I think. Cricket doesn't muster the same kind of fever that footy codes do.
Maybe the big legends of cricket are the biggest sports stars of all, like warney, but the afl and nrl have hundreds of idolised sports stars that are household names.

The reality is there aren't too many adults in australia that care about soccer, I'm only 23 but growing up soccer was a joke and only nerds played it and were ridiculed for playing it.
I think the evidence for this is seen in the socceroos, they're nerdy dudes, by no means our top athletes or even 2nd or 3rd or 4th tier athletes. No highschool in the country was pushing talented athletes towards soccer.
But, lots of kids these days are playing soccer due to the "soccer mum" phenomenon, as well as the increase in immigration, it's definately becoming cooler for kids and less disgracefull so watch out for the socceroos in the world cup after the next one and beyond.

But, anyway, the answer to your question is it depends where you are in australia, it's a big place.
In QLD nothing competes with the nrl, I disagree with people saying AFL is taking over, there was an afl phase when the brisbane lions won 3 championships in a row, but there is a well established nrl culture throughout qld, especially dominant in regional communities. I would say afl isn't even second, rugby union is the major sport in every private school. Ofcourse qld is very jaded on rugby at present because the state team has been woeful in recent years, and this comment could transcend across the country as australia hasn't been great in recent years either.

NSW is the same, although the stranglehold of the nrl isn't as tight and afl has a little more of a foothold, as does soccer due to the ethnic and cultural diversity, but still the nrl is what the average joe born and bred new south welshmen follows.
Again, you look to the rural areas to get a feel for which sport the state really has running through it's veins, and it's definately league in new south wales.

Victoria is insane about afl, nothing comes close except cricket, and cricket is more of a summertime distraction while waiting for afl to start up again. Most victorians define themselves as individuals by what afl team they rabidly support.
If basketball is taken seriously anywhere, it's victoria, but still no, it's not taken seriously anywhere (a great shame as it's my personal favourite sport).

Afl probably has the lock on every other state, only because the afl was smart enough to get teams for every other state, except for the northern territory, but they have their own league up there and love it anyway, especially the aboriginal communities who are naturally quite athletically suited to the sport.
Rugby union also has a team in every state and gets a consistently moderate level of support everywhere.
It might even get a little more interest from outside of the big 3 (qld, nsw and vic) because they aren't already consumed by a code.

To extend outside of australia for just a moment, papua new guinea is utterly crazy about the australian nrl and idolise nrl legends as gods. Rugby league is papua new guinea's number 1 sport with no close competition.

Back to australia, and in conclusion - cricket is number one for the uniform galvanised enthusiasm it musters across the country, tennis and netball also get a consistent enthusiasm across the nation, but it's a very restrained mild form of enthusiasm limitted to participation. Little girls play these games, lots of them, but no one actually cares or anything.
Afl is insane in victoria, and musters enthusiasm nation wide, but rugby league is the game in qld and nsw.
Union gets a lower level of enthusiasm, but it is nation wide.
Soccer is seen as a sissy sport to adult men in australia, but times are changing, and it seems it will be very popular in the future. There has been a high level of junior participation in the last 7 years or so, and it is growing, kids are getting quite keen on it and I'm sure tomorrows beer drinking adults will be keen on it as a result, and australia will be producing better soccer teams.

[mahim]

u r a champ

are cricketers as big stars as any in oz(including sportstars - movie stars - etc.)?

where in oz do u live?

will cricket be ever in danger zone as far as popularity in aus is concerned?

how would you rank the to 5 sports in australia overall(taking the average of the whole country)?

[Dogatlongon]

are cricketers as big stars as any in oz(including sportstars - movie stars - etc.)?

No, I don't think so. Only a handfull of cricketers are real super stars. A cricketer certainly has to at least play for australia to be known by the average person, only real cricket fans would notice a state player walking down the street.
Shane Warne and ricky ponting are big stars, but there aren't many big star cricket players.
On the other hand there are litterally hundreds of rugby league and aussie rules superstars, obviously many of whom will never make an australian side, but they'll still get everyone on the street recognising them and girls getting giddy etc. Little details of their lives will make headlines in newspapers and news stories on tv and so on and so forth.
Only a handfull of elite cricketers get this much attention.

where in oz do u live?

Qld, definately rugby league has always been the big thing around here.
But at the same time I'm sure participation in cricket is higher, just because it's the only legitimate thing to do in the summer, whether you grow up playing league, aussie rules, union, basketball, etc in the winter, cricket is what you play in the summer if you want to keep playing sport and lots of kids do.

I grew up playing rugby union, basketball and cricket, but rugby league was the sport I got pumped up about watching on TV and was the sport my whole family was interested in, and rugby league super stars were the big names in our household and I believe most households in the state.

will cricket be ever in danger zone as far as popularity in aus is concerned?

Possibly with public support, I'm not sure. The fact it's more lazily enjoyed than passionately obsessed over might end up being a positive though. It's just something everyone casually does, follow cricket in the summer, it doesn't seem likely that there would ever be too much fluctuation in it's popularity for that reason.
But I could be wrong.

I don't think there will ever be a problem with participation regardless.

how would you rank the to 5 sports in australia overall(taking the average of the whole country)?

Well I guess for a question like that the raw data would be most usefull, if it's suggesting tennis and netball and soccer then I suppose that is what it is.
But out of sports taken seriously -
1. Cricket
2. Aussie rules
3. Rugby league
4. Rugby union
5. Soccer

[mahim]

so last bit-

are international cricket players as big stars as any in oz?

in overall popularity(on a national level), will cricket be the no 1 sport in australia followed by aussie rules at no 2?

[acker]

Dogatlongon
I think you are providing our friend with a slightly over "Northern eccentric" and maybe a slightly "over zealous" cricket lovers view here. And I have no doubt he is receptive to your views.
I am receptive to your views, but in the context they should be put in the whole with the rest of the views earlier put in this thread.
If our friend asking the question is just seeking a pre-determined answer that suits fine.
But I hope our friend takes on board all the responses of this thread.

[mahim]

just please can u tell me the three most popular sports in australia overall and in what order

(a question only to residing aussies-do mention if u r living in oz or not)

thx in advance*

[mahim]

just please can u tell me the three most popular sports in australia overall and in what order

(a question only to residing aussies-do mention if u r living in oz or not)

thx in advance*

[mahim]

just please can u tell me the three most popular sports in australia overall and in what order

(a question only to residing aussies-do mention if u r living in oz or not)

thx in advance*