|
If you`re a sports fanatic then Perth is the city for you! West Australians take part in various local and national sports competitions, ensuring that on any given weekend, Perthis always hosting a major sporting contest. The main summer game is cricket, although inroads are being made by soccer and basketball. In winter the religion is Australian Rules Football, or "footy". The other main winter creed is Rugby League, but this is much more the game of New South Walesand Queensland. If tennis is your game be sure to find yourself courtside at Burswood Dome at the beginning of January when the world`s most prestigious invitational tennis tournament, the HopmanCup, hits off. Golf is also popular and Perthweather makes it a year-round obsession. With the river and ocean on its doorstep, sailing and fishing also figure largely in Perth`s sporting life. The main yacht clubs are Royal Freshwater and Royal Perth on the Swan, and the Fremantle Sailing Club on the coast just south of the port. Sailboarding (windsurfing) is also very popular and extremely fast off the ocean beaches. When the wind is brisk, Pelican Point on the river is packed with both novice and experienced enthusiasts. There are innumerable sports grounds, playing fields, and swimming pools throughout the metropolitan area. Many suburbs have their own tennis and bowling clubs. Some other sports that the people of Perthenjoy include badmington, ballooning, cycling, diving, hockey, horse racing, lawn bawls, orienteering, table tennis, triathlon and watersports. If there`s one thing that Australians enjoy more than playing sport, it`s watching. Horses provide year-round entertainment at the GloucestorPark trotting track, while flat racing attracts hefty crowds during the summer at Ascot, and winter at Belmont Park. Summertime sees the highly-rated State cricket team, the Western Warriors, play regular interstate games, and international matches are conducted both under blue skies and under lights at the WACA oval. Baseball rates highly, as does basketball, with the State team, the Wildcats, firm favourites. Winter sees regular league fixtures on the Australian Rules football calendar. The State is represented by two teams, the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers, in the national competition and pl
|
