• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Regional Sport Events Fund, Australian Sports Commission. 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 16 November 2023). The NSW Office of Sport has developed nine Regional Sport and Active Recreation Plans.

Each 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.

These outcomes are:

• Increase the PARTICIPATION of adults and children in regular sport and active recreation.
• Improve ACCESS to sport and active recreation for everyone in the region, regardless of participant background or ability.
• Integrate PERFORMANCE PATHWAYS for participants in sport.
• Deliver fit for purpose FACILITIES in the region.
• Deliver sporting EVENTS which are valued by the region.
• Improved COLLABORATION within the sport and active recreation sector.

Regional Events Acceleration Fund, NSW Government, (accessed 16 November 2023). To support social and economic recovery of our regions after the devastating effects of floods, drought, bushfires and COVID-19.

The Game Plan: A plan for organised sport And Active Recreation in the Central Highlands, Central Highlands Regional Council . 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.

State Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Plan, Government of South Australia, Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (accessed 16 November 2023). The Plan has been created to support sport and recreation from the grassroots to the elite level by ensuring that the facilities required to achieve this are available to all South Australians.

In addition, a number of supporting resources have been created to help organisations when considering a new facility, planning of a new facility and management of a new facility.

• 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).

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 16 November 2023). 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 Partnership, VicHealth (accessed 16 November 2023). To improve the health and wellbeing of young people living in rural and regional Victoria, VicHealth has partnered with 9 Regional Sports Assemblies. The assemblies will then partner with local sport clubs and associations, active recreation providers, local councils, recreation facilities and other community grassroots organisations to deliver the physical activity and social connection opportunities young people want and need.

Sport and recreation in regional WA, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, (accessed 16 November 2023). 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.

• 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.