Sport in Rural and Regional Australia
Sport plays an important role in rural, regional, and remote Australia. It can bring communities together; contribute positively to community identity and sense of place; promote social interaction and inclusion; and, play an important role in providing opportunities for physical activity and improved health outcomes.
Additionally, rural and regional Australian centres are increasingly hosting sporting events that provide economic stimulus and instil a sense of community pride. Traditionally, these communities have also developed many of Australia's elite athletes due to their unique cultural characteristics and physical environments.
Governments at all levels, sporting organisations, and individuals can benefit from understanding the unique role that sport can have in these communities in order to better develop opportunities and achieve future goals.
Key messages

Sports participation in rural, remote, and regional Australian communities has been shown to improve social cohesion and population health outcomes.

Bidding for, and hosting, significant sporting events—individually or as part of a consortium of centres—is a strategy used by regional councils to gain an economic stimulus and to raise the public profile of their communities.

Some regional centres have produced a disproportionately high number of Australia’s most successful elite athletes.
Background
There are several methods of defining rural, remote and regional Australia.
Defining rural, remote and regional Australia
There have been several methods of defining rural, remote and regional Australia. Regional Development Australia has divided the Australia into 52 regions representing areas to coordinate economic development activity within state boundaries.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) categorises estimated Australian population levels into five zones - major cities, inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote. Their research indicates that approximately:
- 17.7% of people live in inner regional areas;
- 8% of people live in outer regional areas; and
- less than 2% of people live in remote or very remote areas.
Source: Regional population 2019-20, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (30 March 2021).
Characteristics
Characteristics of rural, remote and regional communities may include:
- generally lower incomes;
- reduced access to services such as health, education, and transport;
- declining or fluctuating employment opportunities;
- declining populations due to industry changes;
- distance and isolation;
- significant proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and
- older populations.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that around 28% of Australians live in regional or remote communities.
State of play
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Regional population 2019-20 statistics (March 2021) around 28% of Australians live in regional or remote communities.
Many of these communities have a strong connection to sport, but in recent decades have struggled due to natural disasters (e.g. drought, floods, bush fires), industry changes, and population movements. While many regional and remote communities have seen decreases in population, others have seen rapid increases. All of these factors can impact on sporting competitions, leading to high demands on volunteers, issues with availability of facilities, and even the merger or loss of sporting teams.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Rural and Remote Australian reports highlight that while Australians living in towns with fewer than 1,000 people generally experience higher levels of life satisfaction than those in urban areas and major cities, they also have, on average, poorer health outcomes—including shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury, and poorer access to health services—compared to people living in metropolitan areas.
Sport and physical activity participation can play a key role in improving physical and mental health outcomes.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
- Australia's health 2020: Rural and remote health snapshot, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (23 July 2020). Around 7 million people—about 28% of the Australian population—live in rural and remote areas, which encompass many diverse locations and communities (ABS 2019d). These Australians face unique challenges due to their geographic location and often have poorer health outcomes than people living in metropolitan areas. Data show that people living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, injury and also have poorer access to, and use of, primary health care services, than people living in Major cities. Despite poorer health outcomes for some, the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey found that Australians living in towns with fewer than 1,000 people generally experienced higher levels of life satisfaction than those in urban areas and major cities
- Rural and remote health, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (last updated 22 October 2019). On average, Australians living in rural and remote areas have shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury and poorer access to and use of health services, compared with people living in metropolitan areas. Poorer health outcomes in rural and remote areas may be due to multiple factors including lifestyle differences and a level of disadvantage related to education and employment opportunities, as well as access to health services.
- Bright Futures: Young people in rural and regional Victoria, VicHealth, CSIRO Data61, YACVic and NCFH, (2018). Young people living in rural and regional communities have different experiences and challenges from those who live in cities especially in relation to their education, employment and social opportunities, and access to mental health services. VicHealth partnered with the National Centre for Farmer Health, Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) and CSIRO’s Data61 to explore what the megatrends mean for young people living in rural and regional Victoria. The upside of regional living is being part of community clubs, which largely form the social glue of rural and regional communities. Participation in sport is significantly higher among young people in rural and regional areas (20%) than those living in metropolitan areas (13%) (Eime et al. 2016). Sports participation can provide both physical and mental health benefits. However, young people in the study who had interests and talents outside of sport, and were not members of their local football or netball clubs, spoke about feelings of social exclusion.
- The Impact of Changing Demography and Socioeconomic Environments, and Ageing in a Small, Rural Town in Australia, Pamela M. Irwin, Journal of Population Ageing, Volume 12, pp.247-269, (2019). In rural Australia, the recent global economic downturn was heralded by a highly competitive, global market neo-liberalisation, coupled with the effects of climate change, and a downward spiral of rural depopulation. These structural changes enabled the erosion of once vibrant and independent agricultural regions, and the amalgamation and/or collapse of many of the long-term political, economic, and social institutions in small towns. This paper explores the intersection of these population and socioeconomic changes, and ageing, in a small town in rural Australia.
Since the 1980's there have been several national, state, and sport specific reviews and conferences that have examined the role, value, and potential issues with sport in rural and regional communities.
- A Review of Country Cricket in Victoria 2014/15, David Richards OAM, for Cricket Victoria, (27 April 2015). Richards met with stakeholders from all eight country Regions, the Victorian Country Cricket League (VCCL), Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria Regional Cricket Managers over a five-month period with the aim to assess the current condition of country cricket in the state and to examine the governance and structures impacting it.
- Review of Football in Country Victoria, AFL Victoria, (2011). Review found that country football needs to change its governance structures to provide greater strategic focus and investment of resources directly in regions. There were four major regions - Ballarat, Geelong, South East and Bendigo - with growth. These regions have strong population growth but there has been a decline in other regions. It found that AFL participation is not directly related to population growth but appears to be dependent on available resources, skills of administrators and coaches and the level of collaboration.
- Review of Sport and Recreation in Regional Western Australia, Watson P, Perth, Western Australian Government, (2008). Report found that "sport and recreation are inextricably linked to the notion of ‘community sustainability’, something clearly understood by regional Western Australians. "Sport and recreation was identified as important in regional indigenous communities in promoting participation and in building capacity. It found that a booming economy resulted in difficulties in sourcing and retaining a range of specialist personnel e.g. aquatic and recreation centre managers, horticulturalists, sport development officers; in building sport and recreation facilities and the ability of community-based organisations to attract and retain volunteers. Solutions that were suggested included improved use of technology, developing ‘family friendly’ fixturing across sports and the development of alternative club structures to better harness the available volunteers.
- Inquiry into Country Football - Final Report, Submission and Government Response, Victorian Parliament Rural and Regional Services Development Committee, (2005). Report found that football was not in decline even though there had been club amalgamations and mergers since 1990. The major issue was the impact of population shifts and an ageing of the traditional volunteer base. The Government’s response was centred on the long term sustainability of country football. Through the A Fairer Victoria policy new place-based approaches will support rural communities to overcome disadvantage caused by population decline, including greater investment in new and redeveloped services and infrastructure.
- Community sport counts: local sport and recreation in Victoria, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Melbourne, Dept. for Victorian Communities, (2005). This series of summary reports provides information on the local sport and recreation scene in Victoria and identified the commonalities and differences between and within Victoria's regions.
- The status of sport in rural and regional Australia: literature, research and policy options, Mugford S, Canberra, Sport Industry Australia, (2001). Comprehensive review of sport in rural and regional Australia. It provides a review of the literature and findings of an online survey. Report found that rural and regional Australia does not exist as a single, meaningful social entity – each area has its own structure and issues. Mugford’s conclusion was “Sport contributes to national identity and well-being. It is also a major source of social capital, especially in rural and regional Australia. However, it is precisely in rural and regional Australia that sport is in trouble - under-funded and declining because of the many difficulties faced by people and institutions in the country. Therefore we should actively support sport in rural and regional Australia and shore up sporting organisations so that they can continue to provide these important services to Australia”
- Country sport report, Western Australian Sports Council, (1987). Report identified the needs and priorities of country sport in Western Australia. Outcomes included the poor dissemination of information throughout country areas, the need to strengthen sports councils at local and regional levels and the administration of grants by regional sports councils rather than Department of Sport and Recreation. The most notable issued raised was providing travel assistance to country areas.
Conferences
- Sport in Regional Australia. Hosted by Latrobe University, (2015).
- Who's Looking After the Bush. Hosted by Central Queensland University and the Australian Sports Commission, (2002). Conference proceedings were published and focused on developing sport education opportunities in rural and regional Australia.
- Regional Sport and Regional Games Seminar. Hosted by Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education (now Charles Sturt University) and the Australian Sports Commission, (1988). Conference proceedings were published and examined issues such as regional games, talent development and participation.
Sport can play a positive role in increasing physical activity participation and improving broader health, wellbeing, and community outcomes for regional and remote communities.
Role of sport
Sport can play a positive role in increasing physical activity participation and improving broader health, wellbeing, and community outcomes for regional, rural and remote communities. Most frequently sport is cited as a positive vehicle for community connectedness, social cohesion, as well as improving individual education, health, social and emotional wellbeing, life skills, and, higher likelihood of meeting PA guidelines and continuing PA long term.
Research highlights the fact that sport plays an important role in social cohesion in rural and regional communities. Local sporting clubs offer community interaction and the flow on benefits of social ties, social capital, social networks, and a sense of belonging.
Mental health
The Rural and remote health snapshot (July 2020) highlights findings from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey that found Australians living in towns with fewer than 1,000 people generally experienced higher levels of life satisfaction than those in urban areas and major cities.
The Rural and remote health report (October 2019) also indicates that mental and behavioural problems were higher in inner regional areas (26%) compared with outer regional and remote areas (22%), and major cities (21%).
However, although the prevalence of mental illness and high levels of psychological distress are similar to that of people living in major cities, health outcomes are often worse. People living in rural and remote areas generally have higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, injury and also have poorer access to, and use of, primary health care services, than people living in major cities.
The lack of services and stigma attached to mental illness contribute to higher rates of self-harm and suicide in more remote areas, particularly for young men, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, farmers, and older people.
While there is there is limited research on mental health and sport specifically in these communities, evidence supports the role of sport—particularly team-based sport—in providing outcomes including: improved resilience; improved mental health; positive role models; and, social connectedness.
For more information on the role and value of sport and physical activity see the Physical Activity topic.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
- Commemoration of Athletes and Racing Animals in Regional and Rural Australia, Greg Blood, Australian Sport Reflections, (May 2020). This paper will endeavour to expand research in this area by examining the role of sport in community identity through the examination of sports statuary, sports museums and halls of fame in rural and regional cities and towns in Australia. [Orginally published in the Australian Society for Sports History Bulletin No.71, February 2020]
- Australia's health 2020: Rural and remote health snapshot, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (23 July 2020). Around 7 million people—about 28% of the Australian population—live in rural and remote areas, which encompass many diverse locations and communities (ABS 2019d). These Australians face unique challenges due to their geographic location and often have poorer health outcomes than people living in metropolitan areas. Data show that people living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, injury and also have poorer access to, and use of, primary health care services, than people living in Major cities. Despite poorer health outcomes for some, the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey found that Australians living in towns with fewer than 1,000 people generally experienced higher levels of life satisfaction than those in urban areas and major cities
- Rural and remote health, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (last updated 22 October 2019). On average, Australians living in rural and remote areas have shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury and poorer access to and use of health services, compared with people living in metropolitan areas. Poorer health outcomes in rural and remote areas may be due to multiple factors including lifestyle differences and a level of disadvantage related to education and employment opportunities, as well as access to health services.
- Bright Futures: Young people in rural and regional Victoria, VicHealth, CSIRO Data61, YACVic and NCFH, (2018). Young people living in rural and regional communities have different experiences and challenges from those who live in cities especially in relation to their education, employment and social opportunities, and access to mental health services. VicHealth partnered with the National Centre for Farmer Health, Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) and CSIRO’s Data61 to explore what the megatrends mean for young people living in rural and regional Victoria. The upside of regional living is being part of community clubs, which largely form the social glue of rural and regional communities. Participation in sport is significantly higher among young people in rural and regional areas (20%) than those living in metropolitan areas (13%) (Eime et al. 2016). Sports participation can provide both physical and mental health benefits. However, young people in the study who had interests and talents outside of sport, and were not members of their local football or netball clubs, spoke about feelings of social exclusion.
- Mental Health in Rural and Remote Australia, National Rural Health Alliance, fact sheet, (December 2017). Despite a similar prevalence of mental illness in urban and country areas, the lack of access to mental health services and a reluctance to seek help contribute to the fact that rates of self-harm and suicide increase with remoteness. Specifically, poorer access to a GP and specialised mental health services, a fear of the stigma associated with mental illness, and socio-economic factors compound difficulties in treating mental health issues in more remote areas. Young men, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, farmers and older people are noted as groups particularly vulnerable to poor mental health and higher rates of suicide.
- The Health of People Living in Remote Australia, National Rural Health Alliance, fact sheet, (April 2016). Remote Australia is characterised by small, isolated communities with the highest rates of ill health. Despite their high needs, people in remote Australia have the lowest numbers of health professionals per population as well as poor access to health services which results in higher rates of hospitalisation and earlier death.
- The social impact of a regional community contemporary dance program in rural and remote Western Australia, Julia Anwar-McHenry, Annette Carmichael, Mark P. McHenry, Journal of Rural Studies, Volume 63, pp.240-250, (2018). This research sought to establish the social impact of a regional community contemporary dance program, Ausdance WA's Future Landings 2013. Specifically, whether the project enabled participants to ‘belong’ more to the local community and whether the projects increased capacity for contemporary dance in regional Western Australia. The findings suggest that the three Future Landings projects were successful in achieving the stated aims. That is, more than 90% of post-project survey respondents felt they had a good bond with, and were connected to their community, and over 80% of audience survey respondents felt the performance had a moderate to strong impact on their opportunities to socialise and feel part of the community. All the participants who responded to the post-project survey stated that their views on contemporary dance had changed as a result of participating in this project. These benefits were thought to extend to the audience as well, whose understanding of contemporary dance changed to something that is more accessible, relevant, and something that they can enjoy.
- Expanding social inclusion in community sports organizations: evidence from rural Australian Football clubs, Frost L, Lightbody M, Halabi A, Journal of Sport Management, Volume 27(6), pp.453-466, (2013). This paper utilised the evidence from the Parliament of Victoria’s Inquiry into Country Football (2004) to explore the current focus of rural Australian Football clubs regarding social inclusion, in the light of changes occurring in society in general and in rural towns in particular in the 21st century. It found that country football clubs have become more family friendly particularly with their merger with netball clubs. In addition, women are taking on leadership roles in this new environment.
- Warlpiri warriors: Australian Rules football in Central Australia, Mackinnon B, Campbell L, Sport in Society, Volume 15(7), pp.965-974, (2012). Yuendumu, located in the Tanami desert of the Northern Territory, is home to the largest Warlpiri community in Australia. This study examined the role of Australian Rules football in this remote indigenous community. Football in Yuendumu was revealed as a vehicle for social cohesion, group identity, pride and joy, and as an expression of manhood, enabling its young men to see themselves as modern-day Warlpiri warriors.
- Alive and Kicking Goals!: Preliminary Findings from a Kimberley Suicide Prevention Program, Tighe J, Mckay, K, Advances in Mental Health, Volume 10(3), pp.240-245, (2012). Alive and Kicking Goals! (AKG) was a pilot program in the Kimberley, Western Australia that took an innovative approach to suicide prevention peer education. This region has high suicide rates in young indigenous males. Players from the Broome Saints Football Club undertook training in suicide prevention in order to become Peer Educators (PEs) for the Kimberley region. At the conclusion of the pilot, 16 young men became PEs where they were equipped with practical skills in suicide awareness and prevention.
- Competitive sport and the construction of place identity in rural Australia, Tonts M, Atherley K, Sport in Society, Volume 13(3), pp.381-398, (2010). This paper explored the notion that competitive sport is a central component of Australian rural life. Through a case study of two rural communities in Western Australia, it demonstrated that sport does indeed contribute to the formation of place identity through diverse local and regional social interactions, practices and memories.
Sport and physical activity participation
There is often considerable variation between sport, physical recreation, and physical activity participation rates in different areas across Australia. A variety of factors may have higher impact on participation, and non-participation, in sport and physical activity in regional, rural and remote communities.
Participation in sport and/or physical activity in regional and remote communities.
Statistics
The benefits of regular sport and physical activity are numerous and supported by a broad body of research and evidence. Participation in sport and physical activity generally varies significantly across an individual's life course.
Physical activity (PA) is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure. It can be undertaken in many different ways: walking, cycling, sports and active forms of recreation (e.g. dance, yoga, tai chi). PA can also be undertaken at work and around the home. All forms can provide health benefits if undertaken regularly and of sufficient duration and intensity.
The Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines are a set of recommendations outlining the minimum levels of physical activity required for health benefits at different ages.
Sport in its many forms can serve as an excellent platform for individuals, families and communities to be more active and to increase their levels of PA.
For broader information see the Physical Activity and Participation in Sport topics.
Various reports provide data on participation in sport and physical activity. Due to differences in methodology (e.g. interviewee selection, sample design, sample size, questionnaire design and how the surveys are conducted) it can be difficult to compare data from different sources. Some of the primary data sources include:
Adults (18+)
According to the AIHW Insufficient physical activity report (October 2020) a similar proportion of adults (18+) living in all remoteness areas are not meeting the current physical activity guidelines (note: based on an analysis of 2019 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data and includes work related physical activity):
- 55% for outer regional and remote areas
- 53% for inner regional areas
- 54% for major cities.
The AusPlay Survey (AusPlay) is a large scale national population tracking survey funded and led by the Australian Sports Commission that tracks Australian sport and physical recreation participation behaviours to help inform investment, policy and sport delivery.
Data from 2020 shows that sport and physical recreation participation tends to be highest in major cities and declines for more remote areas. For example the percentage of adults (18+) who participated in sport/physical activity at least once per week was:
- 83.1% for major cities
- 77.8% for inner regional
- 76,4% for outer regional
- 73.8% for remote or very remote
Children and young people (5-17)
The trends for children and young people (5-17) are slightly different to those of adults.
The 2018 AIHW Physical activity across the life stages report (based on ABS data) indicated that the proportion of children (aged 5–12) who met the physical activity guideline was lowest in major cities (23%) and the highest proportion was among those living in inner regional areas (35%).
Young people (aged 13–17) living in outer regional/remote areas were significantly more active, with 18% meeting the physical activity guideline, compared with 6.8% of those living in major cities and 6.2% of those in inner regional areas. This analysis is based on the 2011–12 Australian Health Survey, which is currently the most recent ABS data available on physical activity in children and adolescents.
For children (5-17) the AusPlay survey collects data on participation in organised sport or physical recreation outside of school hours. Data from 2020 shows the highest levels of participation being in major cities (73.2% participating at least once per year), but lowest in inner regional areas (67.3%) before rising again for outer regional (70.3%) and, remote or very remote (71.6%).
The higher levels of physical activity in regional and rural areas in the AIHW report could be because children and young people have greater opportunities to participate in increased levels of free play and/or active transport, due to the availability of more open space, lower density living, and lower perceived risk from traffic or strangers.
The differences in organised sport and physical activity participation is most likely because of less opportunities to participate due to more limited options (e.g. less available sports, longer travel times for competition, etc.) in these areas.
Research from Victoria highlights that there is often considerable variation beetween overall participation rates in different local government areas. Planning for programs and facilities should take participation figures into account but also consider other available data to build a total picture of the needs of the local community.
More information about physical activity and sport participation can be found in the Physical Activity and Participation in Sport topics.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
- The AusPlay Survey (AusPlay) is a large scale national population tracking survey funded and led by Sport Australia that tracks Australian sport and physical activity participation behaviours to help inform investment, policy and sport delivery. New data is released twice a year in April and October.
- Victorian participation in organised sport, VicHealth, (last updated 16 April 2021). This summary outlines key findings and insights from the 5th year of VicHealth and Sport and Recreation Victoria’s joint research into organised community sport participation in Victoria across 12 popular sports including Australian football, basketball, bowls*, cricket, football (soccer), golf*, gymnastics, hockey, netball, sailing, swimming and tennis. The report illustrates participation across age, sex and location in 2019 and compares this with participation in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The report indicates that sport participation rates are higher in regional Victoria compared to metropolitan Melbourne. Metropolitan-growth areas have considerably lower sport participation compared to all other regions. The report cautions however, that there is considerable variation in overall participation rates in these sports across local government areas. An understanding of how participation rates differ can inform local planning for facilities, programs and an overall approach to increasing physical activity. However, this information should be considered in conjunction with other available data to build a total picture of the needs of the local community. Lower participation rates do not necessarily mean the area has lower overall physical activity levels. It may mean, for instance, that there is a lack of sporting facilities and instead the community has higher rates of walking, cycling or other active recreation.
- Insufficient physical activity, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (October 2020). Insufficient physical activity is a key risk factor contributing to disease burden in Australia. Given it plays a role in chronic conditions, it is important for Australians to achieve the levels of activity outlined in Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary behaviour guidelines. There were similar levels of insufficient physical activity among adults living in all remoteness areas: 55% for Outer regional and remote areas; 53% for Inner regional areas; 54% for Major cities.
- Active and Inactive Young Australians: An Independent Review of Research into Enablers and Barriers to Participation in Sport, Active Recreation and Physical Activity among Children and Adolescents, Bellew, B., Rose, C., Reece, L., Produced for the NSW Office of Sport by the SPRINTER Research Group, Prevention Research Collaboration, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, (2020). The purpose of this review is to identify what is known about barriers and enablers of participation in physical activity (including sport and active recreation) among children and young people aged 3-18 years, living in Australia. It has been compiled at the request of the NSW Office of Sport and primarily for consideration by the Committee of Australian Sport and Recreation Officials (CASRO). The report concludes that Rurality and Remoteness, Larger family size, CALD status – all affect participation. AusPlay (2018) also shows the impact of other variables as barriers to participation; Rurality and remoteness appear to act as barriers - 58% of children from remote areas participate in organised PA outside of school, compared to 69% of children in regional areas and 76% of children living in major cities of Australia.
- Physical activity across the life stages, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2018). This report presents information on the physical activity and sedentary participation rate of Australians across the life stages, reported against Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.
- Physical activity of rurally residing children with a disability: A survey of parents and carers, Luke Wakely, Jessica Langham, Catherine Johnston, Disability and Health Journal, Volume 11(1), pp.31-35, (2018). The children in this study were from rural areas and face similar barriers to children in metropolitan areas. However, they are also confronted with the same barriers children without a disability in rural areas face, participating in physical activity. This may have detrimental effects on their health and development.
- Surviving, not thriving: a qualitative analysis of parents' perceptions of physical activity participation for rurally residing children with a disability, Timothy Robinson, Luke Wakely, Jodie Marquez, Rural and Remote Health, Volume 18(3), (2018). This investigation of parents’ perceptions suggests that the physical activity participation of rurally residing children with a disability is currently insufficient to adequately support the health of this population. It appears service providers need to address the factors that impede participation, including issues surrounding access, ability and isolation, but should also support the parents’ behaviours, community opportunities and the child’s own drive to participate. Existing support structures aimed at promoting physical activity should be enhanced and more inclusive, and accessible strategies should be developed.
- Associations between multiple indicators of socio-economic status and muscle-strengthening activity participation in a nationally representative population sample of Australian adults, Jonathan Freeston, Joanne Gale, Yorgi Mavros, et.al., Preventive Medicine, Volume 102, pp.44-48, (2017). Muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) (e.g. weight training), confers unique health benefits. While socioeconomic status (SES) correlates with leisure time physical activity, little is known about its relation with MSA. Cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 8993 Australian adults (> 18 years) who participated in the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011–12. Information was collected on SES (income, education, socio-economic disadvantage and remoteness) and MSA participation. Remoteness, and to a lesser degree, education, income and social disadvantage, were independently associated with MSA participation. Public health interventions should improve access to strength training facilities, and/or increase home-based muscle-strengthening activity in remote areas.
- Physical activity and screen time behaviour in metropolitan, regional and rural adolescents: A -sectional study of Australians aged 9–16 years, James Dollman, Carol Maher, Tim S. Olds, et.al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 15(1), pp.32-37, (2012). While there is consistent evidence that rural adults in Australia are less active than their urban counterparts, studies relating geographical remoteness to activity patterns in Australian adolescents have yielded inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to describe objectively and subjectively measured patterns of physical activity and sedentary behaviours across remoteness categories in a representative sample of 9–16 year old Australians. Adolescents living in major cities self-reported 11–29 min less moderate to vigorous physical activity each day than their counterparts living in geographically more remote areas, and took 150–850 fewer steps each day. While there were no differences in time spent in sport or active transport, differences in free play participation were significant. Males in major cities also reported higher levels of screen time. Differences were somewhat more marked among males than among females. Conclusions: Activity levels among Australian adolescents show contrasting patterns of geographical differences to those found in Australian adults. Higher levels of free play among rural Australian adolescents may be due to more available space and less fear of traffic and stranger risks.
There are hundreds of factors that can influence sports participation or non-participation.
Factors influencing sport participation
There are hundreds of factors that can influence sports participation or non-participation. Many factors are similar across all geographic regions such as: cost (direct financial and time); competence (physical literacy and confidence in ability to play/be physically active); role models; coaching; and, capacity of organisations to support individuals and programs. More information about these generalised factors is included in the Sport Participation in Australia topic.
There are some factors identified in the literature that are specific to—or have a high impact on—participation, and non-participation, in sport and physical activity in regional, rural and remote communities, such as:
Facilitators
- Enjoyment (sport is often considered fun, while exercise may be considered a chore).
- Absence of safety concerns results in considerable PA opportunities for both women and children.
Barriers
- Transportation, including a lack of public transport or ability to get transport to training and/or events, particularly in remote and regional areas;
- limited number of sports facilities including heated swimming pools and commercial gymnasiums;
- Climate related factors (e.g. hot and/or humid environments, heavy seasonal rains, etc.);
- belief that ‘rural work’ provides sufficient physical activity so that it is not necessary to pursue physical activity during leisure hours;
- lower socio-economic status resulting in inability to pay for sporting equipment and fees; and
- reduced access to health professionals that encourage participation in physical activity.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
- VicHealth Research Practice Fellowship –Physical Activity Final report, Eime, Rochelle, Sport and Recreation Spatial, (March 2016). This research report examined participation trends for seven sports - Australian football, tennis, netball, basketball, cricket, hockey and bowls – played in Victoria. Findings related to rural and regional sports included: males (10-14 years) from non-metropolitan areas had the highest participation rate ; there was an increase in participation rate from 2010 to 2012 for non-metropolitan compared to metropolitan people ; non-metropolitan participation compared to metropolitan areas was higher during adolescence (14–18 years) and throughout mature adulthood (30+ years) ; rates of regular physical activity participation decreased as remoteness increased ; and the rate of participation for Australian football, cricket, netball, hockey, bowls and fishing was higher as geographical remoteness increased.
- Physical activity in rural Australia, fact sheet, National Rural Health Alliance, (2011). Research studies conducted in rural Australia have identified various barriers and challenges faced by rural residents in undertaking physical activity. They include lack of time, confidence and motivation to engage in physical activity, as well as limited transport to sporting facilities and events. Certain sports facilities, such as
heated swimming pools and commercial gymnasiums, are less readily available in rural than metropolitan areas. Other barriers are cultural. They include the belief that ‘rural work’ provides sufficient physical activity so that it is not necessary to pursue physical activity during leisure hours. Other barriers to physical activity are related to the lower socio-economic status of rural residents, making them less able to afford sporting equipment and fees. Rural residents also have less access to healthcare professionals who can potentially provide support and encouragement for participation in physical activity.
- Going on a 'witch hunt': investigating the lived experiences of women working in male team sports in regional Australia, Hotham, Gabriella; Litchfield, Chelsea; Osborne, Jaquelyn, Sport in Society, Volume 24(3), pp.396-Mar2021, Vol. 24 Issue 3, p396-411, (2021). Male dominated team sports potentially provide many opportunities for women, through both voluntary and paid employment. However, very few studies focus on the experiences of women at a regional (or rural) level in sport. By examining the experiences of women working with male team sports at this level, insight into why women choose to be involved within male dominated sporting spaces can be explored, including the benefits and the barriers faced within these spaces. Such information is pertinent to the wider discussions relating to women in sport in Australia. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the lived experiences of female coaches, trainers, strappers, umpires, exercise scientists and administrators involved in regional male team sports in NSW (sports such as rugby league, Australian rules football, soccer and rugby union).
- Sink or Swim? A survival analysis of sport dropout in Australian youth swimmers, Kylie Moulds, Shaun Abbott, Johan Pion, et.al., Scandinavian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, Volume 30(11), pp.2222-2233, (2020). To examine long‐term participation and dropout rates in Australian youth swimming using survival analyses and to determine whether multiple individual, socio‐demographic, and competition‐related factors influenced dropout. Part 1—Registration data from N = 17 161 female (n = 9400) and male (n = 7761) New South Wales (NSW) swimmers aged 10‐15 years (inclusive). Part 2—Competition level involvement in a subsample of female (n = 1011) and male (n = 811) swimmers, aged 12‐15 years, was also examined. Residential proximity to major cities was associated with dropout, with urban swimmers reporting a 24.8% higher Hazard Rate than rural swimmers. In a large representative sample of swimmers, survival analyses identified age‐group, competition level, and city proximity were associated with increased swimming dropout rates.
- Participant-Centered sport development: A case study using the leisure constraints of women in regional communities, Kyle Rich, Matthew Nicholson, Erica Randl, et.al., Leisure Studies, (31 January 2019). Women in rural and regional communities experience social, cultural, and geographical constraints to sport, physical activity, and leisure participation. This study uses leisure constraints theory to explore the development and delivery of a casual, recreational physical activity program, stand up paddleboarding, for women in regional Victoria, Australia. In this study, we explore a collaborative approach to crafting a program that ensured the prescriptive, proscriptive, and descriptive constraints experienced by the women productively informed the development and delivery of a sustainable participation opportunity. We conclude that a participant-focused rather than an activity-focused approach to program development and delivery may be more effective in producing sustainable participation opportunities, particularly for underserved communities.
- Who are the future volunteers in rural places? Understanding the demographic and background characteristics of non-retired rural volunteers, why they volunteer and their future migration intentions, Amanda Davies, Leonie Lockstone-Binney, Kirsten Holmes, Journal of Rural Studies, Volume 60, pp.167-175, (2018). A greater proportion of the rural Western Australian population was involved in volunteering than the Australian population. Sense of community and connectedness is very important for those who volunteer. 50% of those indicating they were to leave their rural community in the survey had volunteered in the previous three months. Lack of essential services was the key reason for volunteers leaving their community. Further research is required to understand changes in the nature of volunteering in rural areas over the life course.
- The facilitators and barriers of physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander regional sport participants, Claudie Péloquin, Thomas Doering, Stephanie Alley, et.al., Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Volume 41(5), pp.474-479, (2017). Participants were 12 Indigenous Australian adults, and 12 non‐Indigenous Australian adults matched on age, sex, and basketball division. Most participants reported engaging in regular exercise; however, the Indigenous group reported more barriers to PA. These factors included cost, time management and environmental constraints. The physical facilitators identified by our Indigenous sample included social support, intrinsic motivation and role modelling. This study is the first to compare the perspective of Indigenous Australians to a matched group of non‐Indigenous Australians and provides useful knowledge to develop public health programs based on culturally sensitive data.
- 'Sacrifice and compromise': the lived experiences of regional adolescent girls in regional Victoria, Australia who have dropped out of organised sport [thesis], Carey, Lukas Peter, University of Southern Queensland, (2017). Recent research has demonstrated that the rate of dropout from sport by adolescent girls throughout regional Australia continues to increase. In response to this phenomenon and to the nature of the research into it, this study investigated the lived experiences of 12 female participants from a regional Australian area who had dropped out of sport during their adolescent years. More specifically the studies main research question was “What are the lived experiences of regional adolescent girls in relation to their participation in and dropout from sport?" The identified themes indicated that the dropout from sport by adolescent girls is individualised depending upon the individual girl concerned, and it is complex for girls more generally. It involves negative influence from peers, families, coaches, sporting clubs and the media, all of whom influence the girls’ decision to dropout from sport. The study demonstrates that the participants were required to make undue compromise and to deal with unwanted pressures via individual, community and situational means. Pressures from these were shown to often result in the adolescent girls premature dropout from sport. In order to address these concerns, the study recommends that a combination of institutional, educational and structural changes in sport, education and the media are required to deal with the phenomenon of adolescent girls’ dropout from sport.
- Environmental barriers and enablers to physical activity participation among rural adults: a qualitative study. Cleland V, Clarissa Hughes B , Lukar Thornton, et al. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 26(2), pp.99-104, (2015). This study explored the environmental factors that act as barriers or facilitators to physical activity participation among rural adults in three regions of rural Tasmania, Australia. It highlighted the importance of shared-use areas, particularly those that were family and dog-friendly. Participants had realistic expectations of what was feasible in rural settings.
- Opportunities, Barriers, and Constraints To Physical Activity in Rural Queensland, Australia. Eley R, Bush R, Brown W, Journal of Physical Activity and Health Volume 11(1), pp.68-75, (2014). Research in six diverse rural Queensland shires found that half the respondents failed to meet Australian physical activity guidelines and 1 in 5 reported no activity. Some barriers to physical activity (i.e. family commitments) were similar to those from urban areas. Rural barriers included climate, culture of exercise, and community leadership. It was concluded that the promotion of healthy lifestyle in rural environments need to be tailored to the local community and not necessarily replicate urban programs.
- Location, location, location: women’s leisure in rural Australia. Campbell A, Leisure Studies, Volume 32(3), pp.249-263, (2013). This paper investigated the impact of geographical location in shaping the leisure activities of rural women living in the Yass Valley Region of NSW. Research found that the specific geographical location had a strong impact on the types of leisure activities available in which they were able to participate. It concluded the specific geographical location can facilitate or inhibit the degree of involvement in community leisure activities that engender social capital among older women living in these locations.
- ‘You're no-one if you're not a netball girl’: rural and regional adolescent girls’ negotiation of physically active identities. Mooney A, Casey M, Smyth J, Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 15(1), pp.19-37, (2012). This paper reported data collected through interviews and focus group sessions with 138 females ranging from 14 to 16 years of age across six rural and regional communities in the state of Victoria. It examined the impact that dominant discourse-power relations operating in the context of rural and regional sport and physical education can have in the negotiation of physically active identities for adolescent girls.
State and local governments are primarily responsible for developing and maintaining sport facilities.
Facilities
In rural and regional communities, state and local governments are primarily responsible for developing and maintaining sport facilities. The Australian Government has two programs that may assist:
- Community Development Grants Programme. Supports needed infrastructure that promotes stable, secure and viable local and regional economies.
- Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF). Invests in infrastructure or community investment projects located in, or benefiting eligible areas outside the major capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra.
The Participation Grants and Funding topic provides more detailed information relating to potential funding opportunities from federal, state, and territory governments.
Reports and Plans
These reports and plans may assist in planning rural and regional sport facilities.
- Sport and Recreation Strategies, City of Ballara (VIC), (accessed 11 May 2021). Strategies include: active women and girls, cycling, skate and youth, lawn bowls, play and open space planning.
- Regional Sport and Recreation Strategy 2018-2028, Bundaberg Regional Council (QLD), (2018).
- Sports and Recreation Strategy (2018-2028) Strategic Plan, Mackay Regional Counicl (QLD), (2018).
- Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Hub Feasibility Study, Executive Summary, Macedon Ranges Shire Council (VIC), (2018).
- The Murraylands and Riverland Region Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities Needs Review: Phase 2 Report, Tredwell, (October 2017).
- Sports Facility Strategy 2015 – 2020, Lake Macquarie City Council (NSW), (2015).
- Sport and Recreation Plan, Lockyer Valley Regional Council (QLD), (2014)
- Common Ground: A Unified Plan for Victorian Cricket Facilities Development, Cricket Victoria, (2014).
Events are important for social cohesion, identity, and economic stimulus.
Events
Rural and regional communities have a long history of organising major sporting events. These events are important for social cohesion, identity, and, increasingly, economic stimulus and raising the public profile of their communities.
The increase in events in rural and regional communities has led researchers to investigate the economic and social effectiveness.
Notable regional events
- Alice Springs Masters Games. Established in 1986. Several other regions have established their own Games and these include: Maryborough Masters Games, Great Barrier Reef Masters Games, Lismore Workers Masters Games and Barellan Masters Games. The Australian Masters Games were held in Newcastle in 2001 and will be held in North West Tasmania 2017.
- Bathurst 1000. Held at Mount Panorama, Bathurst since 1963 and colloquially known as 'The Great Race' among motorsport fans and media.
- Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Cycling event first held in 1952 and traverses different regions in Victoria. It is currently held in early February.
- Murray Valley Canoe Marathon. Began in 1969 when 10 friends decided to raise money for the Australian Red Cross. It starts in Yarrawonga, Victoria and finishes in Swan Hill, Victoria. The event is now held in late November.
- North Queensland Games. Held biennially since 1984, the NQ Games rotate between Cairns, Townsville and Mackay. In 2022, the Games in Townsville attracted more than 4,000 competitors across 40 sports.
- Port Macquarie Ironman. Established in 1985 in NSW North Coast town of Port Macquarie. The event consists of a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike course and 42.2 km run.
- Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals. A series of carnivals consisting of track running, velodrome cycling and woodchopping held in towns in Northern Tasmania. Since the 1880’s they are held directly after Christmas Day and include the prestigious Burnie Gift.
- Stawell Gift. Started in 1878, is a professional athletics meeting held during Easter at Stawell, Victoria. It is Australia's richest professional sprinting event.
Several sports with rural origins host events throughout Australia. These sports include: equestrian (show jumping, dressage, three-day event), polo, polocrosse, rodeo, campdrafting, tent pegging, endurance horse riding, woodchopping, shearing sports, and sheep dog trials.
Major Australian sporting codes are also increasingly hosting events in rural and regional communities to promote their code. These include:
- Australian Football League. Plays pre-season games in country areas and plays premiership games in Alice Springs and Cairns.
- Australian Rugby Union. National Rugby Championship includes two country teams - New South Wales Country Eagles and Queensland Country and they play matches in regional cities.
- Basketball Australia. NBL includes teams from Cairns and Wollongong; and WNBL includes teams from Townsville and Bendigo.
- Cricket Australia. Hold Sheffield Shield games in regional communities and Alice Springs hosts their annual Imparja Cup.
- Football Federation of Australia. A-League includes teams from Newcastle and the Central Coast and W-League a team from Newcastle.
- National Rugby League. Historically has played City v Country games and frequently holds NRL games in regional communities.
List of major sports events in rural and regional Australia [Wikipedia]
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
- North Queensland Games Launched, Northern Queensland Sports Foundation, (22 February 2022). Townsville is set to host the largest multi-sport event in regional Australia from April to May this year, attracting over 4,000 participants across 40 sports. As the most inclusive games ever, sporting communities in Townsville, the Burdekin, Charters Towers and Hinchinbrook will host a range of sports from inclusive events such as Orienteering, a Community Fun Run, to high performance events such as regional and state championships.
- Two years working on rural Australia's largest ever international sporting event, Tilma Group, (16 May 2019). Polocrosse is one of only three sports born in Australia (the other two are Aussie rules football and campdrafting). It is hugely important in rural Australia where a whole community forms around the sport, with up to three generations playing on the same team! In 2017, the Polocrosse World Cup 2019 host, Warwick Polocrosse Club contracted Tilma Group to manage the World Cup’s sponsorship and marketing for two years. Event outcomes included:
- 50,000 attendances and 44,700 visitor nights - 80% from outside the Shire, including 21% interstate (all states) and 8% international (10 countries), and 71% overnight visitors
- $10m in economic impact for the drought-affected region, including $5.8m expenditure by overnight visitors
- online ticket sales of more than $100,000 to support cash flow prior to the event
- millions of impressions across digital and traditional media to raise the profile of the sport, including 50,000 unique website visitors, hundreds of thousands of engagements on social media, and 500 local, state and national media mentions
- Identifying social impact from supplemental events: a research framework, Leonie Lockstone-Binney, Gerry Urwin, Scott Bingley, et.al., Leisure Studies, Volume 39(6), pp.877-892, (2020). This paper develops a framework for identifying and fostering social impact for ‘supplemental’ (cultural, sporting and other) events which run in tandem with major sporting events. The framework links the aims of supplemental events with a classification of event activities in terms of achieved social impact and potential social benefits. Data supporting the study were collected from over 150 interviews conducted with tourists and local attendees at two supplemental events (Fan Zone and Trophy Tour) held in Australia as part of the 2015 International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup. Short-term social impacts emerging from the findings included a shared sense of community resulting from the atmosphere and ambience of the events. Potential longer-term social benefits, such as healthier lifestyles, were also identified by both tourists and locals. The framework enhances the current understanding of strategies for fostering social impact and potential social benefits by providing an analytic tool to examine supplemental events and their effects on tourists and locals.
- Simple economic frameworks to evaluate public investments in sporting events in regional Australia, Rolfe, John, Economic Analysis and Policy, Volume 63, pp.35-43, (2019). Increasingly communities and government are using sporting, recreation and festival events as drivers of economic growth in regional areas, particularly where these can be used to align with tourism activities. However a key challenge is to evaluate and prioritise investments in facilities and services for these types of events. It is difficult for local government and communities to identify exactly which opportunities to pursue, because of issues such as the large costs involved in providing infrastructure, maintaining facilities and hosting events, competition from other centres, the variety of sport and recreation possibilities, and the variation in potential market segments. In this paper we develop a framework to evaluate proposals as well as provide a simple assessment tool to help prioritise between options. A case study application to a regional city in Queensland, Australia, demonstrates that the majority of economic benefits from a sporting event can be estimated as the number of extra visitor nights generated by $45 per visitor night. For this case study, these benefits should be at least equal or greater than any investment of public funds.
- Enhancing the usability and benefits of open space for older people in regional Australia, Alexandra Knight, Rosemary Black, Rachel Whitsed, et.al., Australian Planner, Volume 55(2), pp.73-83, (2018). Open space planning and design can play an important role in ameliorating health and social issues associated with the increasing ageing population in regional Australia. We undertook a case study at Albury, NSW using an online survey, focus groups and park observations to explore the way older people (>65) value and use open spaces. While exhibiting diverse views, older Australians’ voices provided recommendations that can maximise the benefits of open space. Well-designed facilities support walking and other physical activity, social interaction and neighbourliness, and potentially reduce feelings of vulnerability. Issues associated with access are complex and require early and ongoing strategic planning. Ensuring open space is responsive to these needs requires both State and local government development and environmental planning and attention to the design and maintenance of park microfeatures.
- Building social capital from sport event participation: An exploration of the social impacts of participatory sport events on the community, Ran Zhou, Kyriaki Kaplanidou, Sport Management Review, Volume 21(5), pp.491-503, (2018). Participatory sport events have the potential to generate substantial social value in the local community. One important social benefit of such sport events is the development of social capital. However, little is known about the development and outcomes of social capital in the context of participatory sport events, such as running events. Taking a qualitative approach, the authors explored the social capital building among active participants in running events. The findings revealed that bonding capital is developed by all participants in the study while the bridging and linking capital varies by event type and involvement level. Moreover, four positive outcomes of social capital were identified: supportive attitude and behaviors, positive influence on others, prosocial behaviors, and increased everyday socializations. By generating these positive outcomes among the participants of this study, social capital has the potential to contribute to the community development and well-being.
- Event tourism and event imposition: A critical case study from Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Tourism Management, Volume 64, pp.73-86, (2018). Events are increasingly a focus for destination marketing organisations because of the tourists numbers and spending they attract. As a result, an event tourism phenomenon has emerged which seeks to exploit events as tourism assets for growing tourism. Such practices may have significant consequences for local communities. This article offers a case study analysis of the 2011 Kangaroo Island Pro-Surf and Music Festival to illustrate how such dynamics can play out. This event was developed by event tourism authorities without pre-consultation with the impacted community, which led to community opposition. This opposition undermined the event's success and future.
- The Evaluation of Event Sport Tourism on Regional Economic Development, Huei-Wen Lin, Huei-Fu Lu, International Journal of Economics and Management Engineering, Volume11(1), pp.38-48, (2017). The main purposes of this study are to investigate stakeholders’ insights into the feature of hosting Event Sport Tourism (EST) and using them as a regional development strategy. Additionally, this study examines key considerations and issues that affect and are critical to reliable understanding of the economic impacts of hosting EST on the regional development, and it will be able to benefit future management authorities (i.e. governments and communities) in their sport tourism development endeavors in defining and hosting successful EST. Furthermore, the insights gained from the qualitative analysis could help other cities/regions analyzing the economic impacts of hosting EST and using it as an instrument of city development strategy.
- Assessing the contribution of a major cycle race to host communities in South Australia. Mackellar J, Jamieson N, Leisure Studies, Volume 34(5), pp.547-565, (2015) and Sport Tourism Events as Community Builders—How Social Capital Helps the “Locals” Cope, Journal of Convention and Event Tourism, Volume 15(1), pp.57-68, (2014). These papers examined the process of event development and the impact upon social interactions in seven rural communities in the 2012 Tour Down Under cycling race in Australia. It explored the role of the Tour Down Under event in stimulating community interaction and social capital. A model of sport event development was utilised to explain the impact of the event development process on community relations in this rural context. It discussed the issues of managing the relationships between communities and event management.
- Special Considerations in Medical Screening for Participants in Remote Endurance Events. Joslin J, et al. Sports Medicine, Volume 45(8), pp.1121-1131, (2015). Sporting events can be held in remote locations. This paper emphasises the importance to screen participants for potentially problematic medical conditions.
- Engaging business in regional sport events, Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT), (June 2014). More than 1,000 regional sport events are held in Australia each year, ranging from small contest with 100 competitors to national championships attracting thousands. One event can contribute AU$12 million to the economy.
- Events: Drivers of regional tourism – Summary August 2014, Austrade, Tourism Research Australia, (2014). This summary provides brief information on regional events, particularly sport spectator events, as key potential events to drive tourism.
- An Exploration of a Niche Sport Event’s Role in Visitors’ Perception of a Rural Destination: The Case of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Robertson M, Newland BL, Darby P, International Journal of Sport Management, Volume 15(2), pp.193-218, (2014). This article investigated whether a niche sport event in a rural location influenced visitor perceptions of a destination. A case study of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Fort William, Scotland was used. The investigation explored the ways in which mountain bike tourists construct perceptions of both the event and the destination. The findings suggest that the initial creation of meanings is helpful to establish the destination as a mountain bike destination.
- World Rally Championship 2009: assessing the community impacts on a rural town in Australia. Mackellar J. Sport in Society, Volume 16(9), pp.1149-1163, (2013). This paper examined the perceived social impacts of the 2009 World Rally Championship on the small community of Kyogle, NSW during the event's Australian stage. The results suggest that while the event was predominantly perceived to have benefited the community, community division was also identified as a significant issue, which provided negative publicity and management issues for the event organizer and the host government, and affected the continued management and location of the event.
- When the spin stops…it’s more than a bike race : an exploratory study of the role of a sport tourism event, the Tour Down Under, in building social capital in rural South Australia, Jamison, NI, PhD Thesis, Lismore, Southern Cross University, (2012). This thesis examined seven South Australian towns and the role a particular sport tourism event, cycling's Tour Down Under (TDU), played in building the social capital of the community involved. The author found that "the TDU contributed to the building of bonding social capital in the communities investigated but had a negligible effect on the bridging social capital".
- The Use of an Event Portfolio in Regional Community and Tourism Development: Creating Synergy between Sport and Cultural Events. Ziakas V, Costa CA, Journal of Sport and Tourism, Volume 16(2), pp.149-175, (2011). This research was conducted in the rural community of Fort Stockton, Texas. The study argued that a holistic approach in event portfolio planning can integrate economic, sport, and tourism, as well as social development purposes and foster synergies between sport and cultural events.
Available studies suggests that incidence and severity may be greater in rural and regional areas.
Sports injuries
There is limited research into sports injuries in Australia, but available studies suggests that incidence and severity may be greater in rural and regional areas.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
- Increasing trend in the frequency of sports injuries treated at an Australian regional hospital, Wong Shee, A, Clapperton A, Finch CF, Australian Journal of Rural Health, Volume 25(2), pp.127-127, (2016). Study examined data from the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit for one regional hospital for the financial years 2003/04 to 2011/12. Found that there were significant increases in both the number of sports injury hospital admissions and Emergency Department presentations over time. The reasons for the increasing trends in sports injuries are likely to be multifaceted, including changes in the risk of injury, sports participation or data completeness/accuracy over time.
- Sporting injuries, seasonal trend and impact on rural Australian hospitals: Implications and recommendations, Matthew Birdsey, Rafiqul Islam, Arshad Barmare, Australian Journal of Rural Health, Volume 24(6), pp.402-408, (2016). Five years of data between 2008 and 2012 from the Victorian Emergency Minimal Dataset showing sports injuries presenting to Goulburn Valley Base Hospital Emergency Department (ED) were analysed. We observed a total of 4537 Emergency presentations and 235 hospitalisations between 2008 and 2012 with sporting injuries. About 78% of injuries presented in the winter sporting months; the rate of injury was higher in the month of ‘May’ across the most data reviewing years. Also, there was a higher proportion of hospital admissions recorded in winter sporting months. We reported that those who played sports in winter were significantly younger than those in summer. Sprains and strains due to different sporting activities were the commonest cause of ED presentations, while falls and collisions were the mostly reported mechanism for sporting injuries. Many of these sports injuries are preventable and community risk reduction strategies should be applied to reduce the burden to the regional hospitals.
- Rural v metro: geographical differences in sports injury hospital admissions across Victoria, Wong Shee, A, Clapperton A, Finch CF, Medical Journal of Australia, Volume 203(7), p.288, (2015). This study found there was a higher rate of sports injury hospital admissions for people residing in rural/regional compared to metropolitan areas. This could be due to a number of factors that are different for people residing in metropolitan areas: hospital administrative practices, health care accessibility, level/nature of sports injury risk, or sports participation levels.
- Special Considerations in Medical Screening for Participants in Remote Endurance Events. Joslin J, et al. Sports Medicine, Volume 45(8), pp.1121-1131, (2015). Sporting events can be held in remote locations. This paper emphasises the importance to screen participants for potentially problematic medical conditions.
Programs and practices
There are a number of published programs and practices from sports organisations, local and state governments designed to improve participation in rural and regional communities.
State, territory and local government programs
- Regional Sport Events Fund, Sport Australia, (applications close 8 April 2022). Funding opportunity for Councils in eligible LGAs to host sporting events that encourage visitation to regional Australia, engage communities and reinvigorate local economies.
- Regional Sport and Active Recreation Plans, NSW Office of Sport, (accessed 17 May 2021). The objective of this project is to implement a more cohesive and holistic regional service delivery model that connects entities in each region and leverages the strengths of the Office of Sport to lead the sport and active recreation sector.
- The draft plans represent a new approach to the collaboration, planning and delivery of sport and active recreation across the stateregions of NSW. Each draft Regional Sport and Active Recreation Plan focuses on achieving six outcomes by undertaking a series of region and non-region specific strategies over the next decade.
- Each plan provides recommendations for activities that could be implemented in each region. They provide a list of possibilities which can be prioritised by each region’s Sport and Active Recreation Planning and Delivery group.
- Regional Events Acceleration Fund, NSW Government, (accessed 25 May 2021). To support the social and economic recovery of our regions, the NSW Government’s $20 million Regional Events Acceleration Fund helps organisations to attract new major international and domestic events to regional areas and supports existing regional events to grow even bigger and better. Major sporting and lifestyle events are eligible for funding.
- The Game Plan: A plan for organised sport And Active Recreation in the Central Highlands, Central Highlands Regional Council, (2017). The Game Plan is a 10-year plan for organised sport and active recreation in the Central Highlands region. It outlines the goals and aspirations for our sporting clubs, facilities and programs. More than 100 sports clubs and 250 sports people participated in 352 hours of community engagement, 144 hours of face-to-face consultation, multiple surveys and roadshow stops. Indicators of long-term success will include increased participation in sport and active recreation, healthy sports clubs and communities and efficient and adaptable multi-user facilities.
- Facility Development Resources. Initiated by the Local Government Recreation Forum and Jointly funded by the Local Government Association of South Australian and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, the South Australian Regional Level Recreation and Sport Facilities Planning Guidelines have been developed to assist Councils, State Government and State Sporting Organisations to better plan, design, develop and manage major (Regional Level) recreation and sporting facilities. In addition, the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing has produced the following Guides to supplement the South Australian Regional Level Recreation and Sport Facilities Planning Guidelines
- How to Establish Regional Planning Groups – Guide, (July 2018).
- How to Develop a Regional Recreation and Sport Plan - Guide, (July 2018).
- How to Plan For a Community Recreation and Sports Hub - Guide, (July 2018).
- Recreation and Sport Facility Design – Guide, (July 2018).
- Recreation and Sport Facility Management – Guide, (July 2018).
- Community gyms a step by step guide for the establishment of not-for-profit community gyms in rural and regional South Australia, Government of South Australia - Office for Recreation and Sport, (2011). Resource provides relevant information, case studies, research and resource links to motivate and assist regional and rural communities throughout South Australia to consider a community gym as a means of providing alternative low cost physical activities.
- Regional Sport Victoria (RSV) is the peak body which supports nine independent organisations across regional Victoria. These nine organisations are classed as Regional Sports Assemblies and are charged with the critical role of supporting the sport and recreation sector within their regional catchment. The RSV cluster is the only agency in Victoria that supports locally based community sport and recreation provision on a statewide basis. This support involves the provision of training, information, advice, skill development, linkages and advocacy with and for clubs, organisations and communities.
- Regional Sports Assemblies Network Youth Charter (accessed 18 May 2021). This charter reflects the Regional Sports Assemblies (RSA’s) commitment to empowering the young people of regional Victoria, by enabling their voice and influence regarding decisions made in youth focused sport and active recreation.
- Regional Sport Program 2018-21, VicHealth, (2018). An investment under the VicHealth Physical Activity Strategy 2018-23 that aims to engage less active Victorians in rural and regional areas in sport. Through this program, VicHealth will partner with Victoria’s nine Regional Sports Assemblies to improve the health of regional Victorians.
- Sport and recreation in regional WA, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, (accessed 18 May 2021). Engagement with regional development stakeholders is a particular focus of the regional service. As each Regional Development Commission develops its Regional Investment Blueprint, the department ensures sport and recreation is positioned so that future investment decisions ensure liveable regional communities and it supports healthy and active lifestyles.
Sporting organisation programs
- Common Ground: A Unified Plan for Victorian Cricket Facilities Development, Cricket Victoria, (2014). Common Ground has been developed by Cricket Victoria in consultation with its key stakeholders, including local governments, cricket Associations and clubs across the state. The purpose of the plan is to provide direction to facilities development in Victoria and articulate strategies for working together with our partners to deliver facilities that meet current and future needs. Strategic priority 2 relates to regional development. Cricket Victoria recognises that, in many regional and rural areas of the State, there is an inadequacy of facilities suitable to maintaining cricket’s vital pathways from junior levels to elite performance. In response, Cricket Victoria aims to develop regional centres where talented cricketers are provided with the appropriate level of facilities and coaching resources. Regional centres with suitably equipped grounds are also important to enabling the hosting of representative cricket events, which in turn promotes and inspires participation at junior levels. The administrative needs of regional cricket will also be served by the development of appropriate infrastructure in central locations.
- Beach to Bush Program. This program is the largest educational initiative ever undertaken by surf life saving in Australia. It was the outcome of research conducted by Surf Life Saving Australia, which highlighted that 50% of people rescued from the surf lived more than 50km from the beach. The program has been running successfully in NSW since 1994 and went national in 2003.
High performance sport
Rural and regional communities play an important role in developing high performance athletes.
Rural and regional communities play an important role in developing high performance athletes.
Athlete pathways and development
Rural and regional communities play an important role in developing high performance athletes.
In the mid 2000’s, research identified that certain cities had developed disproportionately large number of high performance athletes. The phenomenon was called the ‘Wagga Effect’ named after Wagga Wagga NSW. The Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame highlights the large number of athletes that it has developed.
Damian Farrow, a researcher at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), argued that regional cities with certain population sizes produced a disproportionately high number of high performance athletes due to children having more space for play and sport, being exposed to a range of sports and often participating with adults due to limited number of competitions.
Examples of other regional cities that have developed international high performance athletes include:
- Mackay, Queensland– Cathy Freeman (Athletics), Geoff Huegill (Swimming), Linda McKenzie (Swimming), Benita Johnson (Athletics), Nicole Pratt (Tennis), Sandra Brondello (Basketball).
- Bendigo, Victoria - Kristi Harrower (Basketball), Sharelle McMahon (Netball), Glenn Saville (Basketball), Faith Leech (Swimming), Billy Murdoch and Don Blackie (Cricket)
Olympic swimmers that have been nurtured in rural and regional communities include: Terry Gathercole (Tallimba, NSW), David Thiele (Maryborough, QLD), Ian O'Brien (Wellington, NSW), Faith Leech (Bendigo, VIC), John Monckton (Armidale, NSW), Brad Cooper (Rockhampton, QLD), Michelle Pearson (Bundaberg, QLD), Linda Mackenzie (Mackay, QLD) ,Karen Phillips (Nowra, NSW), Duncan Armstrong (Rockhampton, QLD), Matthew Dunn (Leeton, NSW), Clementine Stoney (Albury, NSW), Petria Thomas (Mullumbimby, NSW), Adam Pine (Lismore, NSW), Hayden Stoeckel (Berri, SA), and Belinda Hocking (Wangaratta, VIC).
Hockey is a sport with many international representatives from rural and regional communities. The 2015 Kookaburras (men) and Hockeyroos (women) squads highlighted this point. Of the 18 players in each squad 14 Kookaburras, and 11 Hockeyroos were from rural or regional backgrounds.
Kookaburras - Matthew Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD), Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA), Kieran Govers (Wollongong, NSW), Blake Govers (Wollongong, NSW), Tim Deavin (Launceston, TAS), Jamie Dwyer (Rockhampton, QLD), Simon Orchard (Muswellbrook, NSW), Kiel Brown (Toowoomba, QLD), Mark Knowles (Rockhampton, QLD), Matthew Swan (Mackay, QLD), Dylan Wotherspoon (Murwillumbah, NSW), Simon Orchard (Maitland, NSW), Glenn Turner (Goulburn, NSW), Fergus Kavanagh (Geraldton, WA)
Hockeyroos - Casey Sablowski (South Coast, NSW), Kristin Dwyer (Mackay, QLD), Teneal Attard (Mackay, QLD), Karri McMahon (Berri, SA), Georgie Parker (Berri, SA), Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW), Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC), Kellie White (Crookwell, NSW), Gabrielle Nance (Kingscliff, NSW), Mariah Williams (Parkes, NSW), Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW).
These lists could also be developed for other major Olympic and Paralympic sports.
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In 2010, an Australian Research Council Research Grant was awarded to further investigate the issue of talent development 'hot spots' in regional and rural communities raised by the 'Wagga effect' thesis. The Improving determinants of Australian sports talent identification and development: a multi-disciplinary approach grant was managed by Griffith University and involved the Australian Football League, Australian Sports Commission, Cricket Australia, and Tennis Australia. Research outcomes include:
- Improving the identification and development of Australia’s sporting talent, Toohey K, Funk D, Woolcock G, MacMahon C, Hahn A, Auld C, Farrow D, Bauman A, Weissensteiner J and Gulbin J, Australian Research Council Linkage Project, LP1001000324 (April 2015). Report identified and analysed the individual, combined and interactive effects of athlete, environmental and system determinants of talented athlete identification, confirmation and development (TID) in Australia. The research team investigated environmental, psychological, socio-cultural and developmental attributes previously overlooked in research specific to athlete recruitment and development. Findings from this research project provide sport organisations with strong evidence to help them refine their TID strategies, resource provision, and program design. This research represents a significant step towards a more detailed and nuanced understanding of sport participation and pre-elite development than has previously been undertaken in the Australian context.
- Improving the Identification and Development of Australia's Sporting Talent Symposium, Australian Institute of Sport, (10 December 2014). The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) hosted this Symposium as part of the ‘Sporting Talent’ research program, enabled through an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant. This project, led by Professor Kristine Toohey from Griffith University, represents one of the most comprehensive analyses of talent identification and development ever conducted. The project has been running for four years, over which time the research team has collaborated to understand how a number of factors may influence the identification and development of athletes, including community environments, athlete development and training, social and organisational factors, and psychology and participation.
- Measuring spatial variations in sports talent development: the approach, methods and measures of ‘Talent Tracker’, Woolcock G, Burke M, Australian Geographer, Volume 44(1), (2013). Paper in Griffith University Online provided data from AFL draft records, informants and secondary sources identified the place of junior talent development for the 1,290 players who were drafted and played at least one game of senior AFL football in the period 1997-2010. Data is displayed by regions throughout Australia.
- The impacts of transport accessibility and remoteness on Australian Football League (AFL) talent production: findings from the ‘Talent Tracker’ project, Burke M, Woolcock G, Australasian Transport Research Forum, ATRF 2012 - Proceedings, (2012). Authors researched AFL players from 1997-2010 to identify their place of junior development, defined as the club or school where they were registered whilst playing during the ages of 11 to 15. Study found that as transport accessibility increases and remoteness decreases, a region is more likely to produce talented AFL players. But the strength of the association is limited. The research raised questions about locations such as the Wheatbelt of Western Australia, as to what has allowed them to produce so many AFL players? Is there something about transport and the sports landscape at the regional scale that allows them to overcome these problems? Or are other non-spatial factors – such as the Western Australian Football League’s considerable investment in regional and remote community development – working to overcome these limitations?
- AIS support of regional athletes 1981 to 2013, Greg Blood, Australian Sport Reflections, (9 February 2021). Research found that 27.5 percent of 2016 Australian Olympic Team grew up in rural and regional Australia. Other research on this issue includes more than 16 per cent of professional NRL players (1998-2010) started as a junior in a town with a population less than 10,000 people and country Victoria has provided 22% (279 of a total of 1281) of the draftees into the AFL competition since 1997.
- Matt Denny: Grassroots to Greatness, Liana Buratti, Australian Olympic Committee, (22 October 2020). With talent to burn and a penchant for excelling at every sport he played, he went from rugby league prodigy to the town’s first Olympian, a feat he says he could never have achieved without his small town behind him.
- Review of Football in Country Victoria,Peter Jackson, AFL Victoria, (2011) Highlighted that country Victoria provided 22% (279 of a total of 1281) of the draftees into the AFL competition 1997-2011.
- First club location and relative age as influences on being a professional Australian rugby league player, Cobley S, Hanratty M, O’Connor D, Cotton W, International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, Volume 9(2), pp.335-346, (2014). This research found that players who began their participation as juniors in a country club are statistically overrepresented in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. It examined the ages and first clubs of NRL players' between 1998 and 2010. The findings supported the idea that small rural communities have a more beneficial playing or social environment that helps to nurture professional players in the long-term. More than 16 per cent of professional NRL players started as a junior in a town with a population less than 10,000 people.
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- AFL Talent Hotspots and the 'Wagga Effect' [video], Associate Professor Geoff Woolcock, Smart Talk Presentation, Australian Institute of Sport, (18 March 2009). The 'Wagga Effect', a term used frequently in the Australian media to describe the disproportionately large number of elite sportsmen and women that originate from the city of Wagga Wagga in southern New South Wales, highlights that not enough is known about why this occurs in Wagga Wagga or other similar sport development 'hotspots'. It is generally acknowledged that critical social factors such as family upbringing and the socio-economic status of resident communities are likely predictors of sporting talent development but in Australia, aside from a few ad hoc and sport-specific case studies, little rigorous and longitudinal empirical data has been collected and collated to advance causal claims in this area. It is speculated - via the 'Wagga Effect' - that the phenomenon may arise in rural areas where the population is large enough to sustain the presence of a large number of sporting codes, but small enough to ensure that talented individuals are exposed to adult-level competition at an earlier age. However, this speculation remains just that in the absence of rigorous data collection and analysis across a range of sports. Associate Professor Geoff Woolcott presented his findings of a pilot study looking at AFL talent hotspots. [note: available to Clearinghouse 'High Performance' members only].
Regional academies work to provide athlete support, training and competition opportunities for talented youth.
Regional Academies of Sport
Regional academy programs may be state government or community organisations. They generally have close working relationships with their respective State Institutes of Sport (part of the National Institute Network (NIN)), but maintain their own governance structure.
State and local government authorities help to fund regional academies. They work cooperatively with state sporting organisations (SSOs) to provide additional athlete support and training/competition opportunities for talented youth, between the ages of 12 and 18 years.
More information on the structure and governance of the high performance system in Australia is available in the Structure of Australian Sport topic.
NSW Office of Sport supports and provides annual grants to the network of Regional Academies of Sport (RASi). A total of nine independent community based academies.
The NSW regional academies help developing athletes reach their potential by providing specialist services within a local environment. Regional academies provide a stepping stone for athletes on the pathway to elite athlete development as they progress from local club to NSW Institute of Sport support.
- Central Coast Academy of Sport (Mingara)
- Hunter Academy of Sport (Newcastle)
- Illawarra Academy of Sport (Wollongong)
- North Coast Academy of Sport (Lismore)
- Northern Inland Academy of Sport (Tamworth)
- South West Sydney Academy of Sport (Campbelltown)
- Southern Sports Academy (Wagga Wagga)
- Western Region Academy of Sport (Bathurst)
- Western Sydney Academy of Sport (Parramatta)
The Gold Coast Academy of Sport (GCAS) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to offer the community inclusive sports development programs for youth who are committed to high achievement. The Academy is the first in Queensland. The business partners of the GCAS include the Gold Coast City Council, local business on the Gold Coast, and a host of other corporate sponsors.
All Victorian regional academies of sport are community based organisations that have established comprehensive programs to provide talented regional athletes with access to coaching and education programs of excellence, assisting them to reach their full sporting potential and enhance their access to pathways into state and national representation. Regional academies assist in the identification and nurturing of young athletes by providing programs and services to bridge the gap between club and elite levels. Considerable effort is focused on overcoming possible disadvantages faced by regional athletes, such as limited local resources and greater travelling time and distances.
- Mid West Academy of Sport (MWAS), Geraldton, WA. Promotes, develops and services sporting talent (athletes, coaches, and officials) throughout the Mid West Region of Western Australia. The Academy concept was proven to be financially viable and has continued to attract support from the WA Department of Sport and Recreation with local businesses also providing a significant in-kind and financial support.
- South West Academy of Sport (SWAS), Bunbury, WA. Is styled after the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) and successful regional models in the eastern states of Australia. It supports identified SWAS athletes to their reach potential through identified pathways and programs delivered in the South West with support services such as nutrition, fitness, injury prevention, and mental skills training to hold them in good stead for a future in sport.
Many of the larger NSOs and their state partners fund athlete development programs in regional areas.
Sports organisations
Many of the larger national sports organisations (NSOs) and their state counterparts fund athlete development programs in regional areas. This may be through state associations or regional academies of sport. In addition, these organisations have developed competitions for the development and identification of rural and regional athletes. Examples include:
- AFL. AFL Victoria Country Championships
- Basketball. Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup (ACJBC). The first cup was held in 1985. Each year, upwards of 60 teams and 700 players, coaches and officials take part including teams from Tasmania and New Zealand in the U14, U16, and U18 age groups.
- Cricket. Australia Country Cricket Championships. The Championships have proved to be a successful breeding ground for Australian test players. Approximately 45% of Australia's cricketing talent has been drawn from country regions, the most famous being Sir Donald Bradman. These Championships have included players such as Michael Bevan, Shaun Tait and Andy Bichel who have gone on to represent Australia.
- Rugby League. NSW Country Rugby League Regional Championships. Covers Under 14, 16 and 18 age groups
- Rugby Union. National Rugby Championship. Includes country teams from New South Wales and Queensland
- Tennis. Australian Made Foundation Cup. Cup provides young people from rural and regional Australia the opportunity to compete nationally. The event forms part of the Australian Made Summer of Tennis.
Reviewed by: Australasian Sport Information Network
Last updated: 25 May 2021
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