Sports in Sydney

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Five days have gone by since we began our journey here in Australia and we have already seen and learned so much about the culture and habits of the local area. Since we have been here we have already taken hikes, seen beautiful beaches, learned about some of Sydney’s history, seen a play about a Torres Strait Islander, learned how to get around via the public transportation system and more. While on one of our daily excursions, (a walk along a coastal trail stretching 6 kilometers or a little over 3 ½ miles from Coogi Beach to Bondi Beach) I came a across a bowling club. When I first saw the sign for bowling my mind of course painted of a ball rolling down a lane toward 10 white pins, but as I got closer I quickly realized how wrong my mental image was. What I saw instead was a large grassy field with multiple groups of people playing in different sections. From what I could tell, the object of the game seemed similar to the bowling I am used to seeing—using one ball to hit something else—but instead of pins the ball was being used to hit other balls. The most interesting thing about watching the game in opinion had nothing to do with the game at all. What I noticed and found interesting was the people playing. They were well-dressed—women in dresses and skirts, men in button downs—and they seemed to be of a higher class (which contradicts with what we have learned so far about the class system in Australia).  Another thing about the game that communicated a slightly bourgeoisie message was the fact that the game was taking place at a club that seemed to require or encourage membership. It almost gave me the same feeling I imagine I would get watching a game of croquet at a fancy country club in England.
Seeing the bowling club and reflecting on it more as we moved on through trip helped me notice the culture of sports here in Australia. Like back home in the states, sports seems to consume the attention of many of the locals. The most popular sports I have noticed that Australians take interest in include rugby and even more so, cricket. Since arriving in Sydney, I have been exposed to cricket on multiple occasions in different public areas. Cricket has been described as “Australia’s favorite sport” and on January 6th we certainly got a good idea of Australians’ love for the sport. When we got on the bus that morning I noticed a great deal of people wearing pink and loading buses and trains. We soon learned that these people were headed to the Australia versus England game, dedicated to the Jane McGrath foundation, which works with people and issues surround breast cancer (hence the pink).  Even the central station was illuminated with pink to support the game and the cause.

It is not at all surprising to see the cultural significance and heavy support for sports in Australia, but it is interesting. What is interesting about it is seeing the support for sports that are unfamiliar to me. Of course I am used to seeing die hard football, baseball and basketball fans who live, breath and die for their favorite sports teams, but I enjoy seeing it in this context that is both so similar and yet so different. Sports is something that is known to bring people together and help them demonstrate pride in their country or region, and I find both interesting and comforting to see same excitement I experience at home here in Sydney thousands of miles away.




Devin Cooper

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