Many Australian regional and rural towns have or currently host major sporting events. These events are used to showcase the town and assist in developing community spirit. Increasingly they are being used to provide an economic stimulus to towns. Examples of current and former events are listed in the table below.
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Sport | Event | State | Brief History |
|---|
| Athletics | Stawell Gift | Victoria | Started in 1878 in a professional athletics meeting held during Easter Central Park, Stawell in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria. It is Australia's richest professional sprinting event. It is the world's oldest and Australia's most famous professional athletics meeting.[{{cite book|title=Oxford Companion to Australian sport|date=1994|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Melbourne|isbn=9780195535686|edition=2nd}}] |
| Athletics | Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon | New South Wales / Victoria | An annual ultramarathon foot race held between 1983 and 1991. It was sponsored by the Westfield Group, with the start being at Westfield Parramatta in Sydney and the finish at Westfield Doncaster shopping centre in Melbourne. It travelled through New South Wales and Victorian towns. |
| Australian football | NAB Cup | Various states | Australian Football League plays pre-season games and hosts community camps in regional cities throughout Australia to promote their game. In 2016, regional cities to host games: new South Wales – Wagga Wagga ; Queensland – Mackay ; Victoria – Wangaratta, Shepparton ; South Australia – Mount Barker ; Tasmania – Beaconsfield ; Western Australia – Mandurah.[{{cite web|title=2016 NAB Challenge Fixture|url=http://www.afl.com.au/fixture/nab-challenge|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102204404/http://www.afl.com.au/fixture/nab-challenge|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 November 2013|website=AFL website|accessdate=1 January 2016}}] AFL regularly hosts premiership games in Alice Springs and Cairns. |
| Boxing | Jimmy Sharman's Boxing Troupe[{{cite web |title=Jimmy Sharman, heir to the boxing tents, dies at 94 |date=26 April 2006 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918233633/https://www.smh.com.au/national/jimmy-sharman-heir-to-the-boxing-tents-dies-at-94-20060426-gdnfgv.html |archive-date=18 September 2021 |url-status=live |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/jimmy-sharman-heir-to-the-boxing-tents-dies-at-94-20060426-gdnfgv.html}}] | Various states | Jimmy Sharman's Boxing Troupe from 1912 attended agricultural shows in Australia. |
| Camel racing | Camel Cup | Northern Territory | First held in Alice Springs in 1970 and is now an annual event.[{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.camelcup.com.au/about-the-alice-springs-camel-cup/history-of-the-alice-springs-camel-cup|website=Camel Cuo website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Campdrafting | Warwick Gold Cup and Risdon Cups | Queensland | Its beginning can be traced back to the Tenterfield Show in 1885. Regular competitions are held in regional cities. The premier competitions are the Warwick Gold Cup and Risdon Cup which are held in Warwick, Queensland. |
| Canoeing | Murray River Canoe Marathon | Victoria / New South Wales | The event began in 1969 when 10 friends decided to raise money for the Australian Red Cross. It started in Yarrawonga, Victoria and finished in Swan Hill, Victoria.The event is now held in late November.[{{cite web|title=Murray River Marathon – Australian Kayaking Event|url=http://www.murrayriverguide.com.au/kayaking/murray-river-marathon-australian-kayaking-event/|website=Murray River Guide website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}][{{cite web|title=Event history|url=http://www.massivemurraypaddle.org.au/discover/event-history.html|website=YMCA Massive Murray Paddle website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Cricket | Imparja Cup | Northern Territory | Annual cricket tournament started in 1994 and held in Alice Springs. |
| Cycling | Tour Down Under | South Australia | The event started in 1999 and is held in January and visits many regional areas of South Australia. The race concludes in the streets of Adelaide.[{{cite web|title=The history|url=http://tourdownunder.com.au/en/the-race/about-the-tour/history|website=Tour Down Under website|accessdate=18 December 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515031353/http://tourdownunder.com.au/en/the-race/about-the-tour/history|archivedate=15 May 2016|df=dmy-all}}] |
| Cycling | Herald Sun Tour | Victoria | The event was first held in 1952 and traverses different regions in Victoria. It is currently held in early February.[{{cite web|title=Tour history|url=http://www.heraldsuntour.com.au/tour-history/|website=Herald Sun Tour website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Cycling | Tour of Tasmania | Tasmania | Established in 1930 but has not always been held annually. |
| Cycling | Australian National Road Race Championships | Victoria | The championships since 2007 have been held in Ballarat, Victoria. |
| Equestrian | Tom Quilty Gold Cup | Various states | 100-mile endurance horse event was established in 1966 after R. M. Williams asked his friend Tom Quilty, a great horseman and cattleman in the Kimberly area of Western Australia, for his support for the 100 miles ride. Quilty donated $1000, which was used to make a gold cup, the prize for the winner of the event.[{{cite web|title=Tom Quilty Gold Cup – A Brief History|url=http://www.tomquilty.com.au/history.html|website=Tom Quilty website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Horse racing | Birdsville Races | Queensland | The races were first held in 1882. The events in the isolated town of Birdsville, Queensland attracts up to 7,000 spectators. I is held in September and raises funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.[{{cite web|title=The History of the Birsville Races|url=http://www.birdsvilleraces.com/AboutBRC/History|website=Birdsville Races website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Horse racing | Picnic horse racing | Various states | Picnic racing in Australia has existed since the late 1800s. This was due to amateurs and pony racers being excluded from city race meetings. Picnic races were seen as a major social event in rural towns.[{{cite web|title=Picnic races in New South Wales|url=http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/society_art/races/picnic/index.html|website=State Library of New South Wales|accessdate=22 December 2015}}] |
| Motor sport | Bathurst 1000 | New South Wales | It is a 1,000 kilometre touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales. It is regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport in Australia and colloquially known as The Great Race among motorsport fans and media. The race concept originated with the 1960 Armstrong 500 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, before being relocated to Bathurst in 1963.[{{cite web|title=Early years|url=http://www.mount-panorama.com.au/history/bathurst-1000-history/25-early-years.html|website=Mount Panorama|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Motor sport | Finke Desert Race | Northern Territory | The race commenced in 1976 as a 'there and back' challenge for a group of local motorbike riders to race from Alice Springs to the Finke River and return. It is held annually on the Queen's Birthday long weekend.[{{cite web|title=About us|url=https://finkedesertrace.com.au/about-us|website=Finke Desert Race website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Motor sport | Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix | Various states | It has been held in Goulburn (1924), Bathurst (1940–1980 intermittently), Phillip Island (1989–1990, 1997 to present day) |
| Motor sport | Round Australia Trial | Various States | It was a motorsport rallying or rally raid event that was run on multiple occasions between 1953 and 1998, the first three being the Redex Trials. |
| Motor sport | Australian Rally Championship | Various states | The Championship has been held annually since 1968 and has been held in many Australian regional areas. |
| Polocrosse | World Cups | Queensland | Sport originated in Australia in 1939[ There are over 150 Tournaments held around Australia, from Mount Isa, Queensland to Launceston, Tasmania and Yorke Peninsula, South Australia to Humpty Doo, Northern Territory.][{{cite web|title=About the game|url=http://www.polocrosse.org.au/?page_id=2|website=Polocrosse Australia|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] The inaugural 2003 and 2007 World Cups were held in Warwick, Queensland.[{{cite web|title=History of polocrosse|url=https://polocrossevic.org.au/history-of-polocrosse/|website=Polocrosse Victoria|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Rodeo | Australian rodeos | Various states | Newspaper reports recorded public roughriding events that took place in Victoria during the 1880s. The National Rodeo Council of Australia currently runs rodeos is rural towns throughout Australia. |
| Rowing | Henley-on-Todd Regatta | Northern Territory | Since 1962, a "boat" race is held annually in the typically dry sandy bed of the Todd River in Alice Springs, Australia. |
| Rugby league | City vs Country Origin | New South Wales | The annual clash between a City and Country team originally started in 1911 and since 1995 has been played in a regional city in New South Wales.[{{cite web|title=City versus Country results|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/city-vs-country/results.html|website=Rugby League Project website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Rugby league | National Rugby League (NRL) Games | New South Wales/Queensland | There are several NRL teams located in regional cities – Newcastle Knights, St George Dragons (play games in Wollongong) and North Queensland Cowboys. NRL games have been held in regional cities: New South Wales – Albury, Bathurst, Cootamundra, Mudgee, Wagga Wagga ; Queensland – Cairns, Mackay[{{cite web|title=NRL venues|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/nrl/venues.html|website=Rugby League Project website|accessdate=1 January 2016}}] |
| Rugby union | National Rugby Championship (NRC) | New South Wales/Queensland | NRC includes two country teams – New South Wales Country Eagles and Queensland Country and they play matches in regional cities. |
| Sheepdog trials | Australian Sheep Dog Workers' Association (ASDWA) Events | Various states | The National Sheep Dog Trials have been held since 1943.[{{cite web|title=Our Story|url=http://www.nationalsheepdogtrials.org/our-story.html|website=National Sheep Dog Trials|accessdate=22 December 2015}}] |
| Surf boat racing | George Bass Marathon | New South Wales | The Marathon was first held in 1970 and it is the longest and hardest surfboat marathon in the world. The race starts at Batemans Bay with overnight stops at Moruya, Turross Head, Narooma, Bermagui, Tathra, Pambula, Merrmbula and finishes in Eden. The race covers part of the journey that George Bass made in 1797.[{{cite web|title=About George Bass|url=http://www.georgebassmarathon.com.au/about-george-bass|website=George Bass Marathon website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Tennis | Davis Cup | Various states | Several regional cities have hosted Davis Cup ties – Mildura, Victoria (Australia v Zimbabwe in 1998). Townsville, Queensland (Australia v Uzbekistan 1998 and v Thailand in 2008).[{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.tennistownsville.org/joomla/club-information/history|website=Tennis Townsville website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Tennis | Federation Cup | Victoria | Australia versus Switzerland in Mildura in 1999.[{{cite news|title=Federation Cup a 'coup for Mildura tourism'|url=http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2009-03-19/federation-cup-a-coup-for-mildura-tourism/1623452?pfm=sm&site=milduraswanhill|accessdate=18 December 2015|work=ABC News|date=19 March 2009}}] |
| Tennis | Australian Hard Court Championships | Various states | This defunct tournament was held in several regional towns: Toowoomba, Queensland – 1939 & 1970 ; Launceston, Tasmania – 1995, 1964 and 1968. |
| Tennis | Australian Pro Tennis Tour | Various states | This tour encompasses 36 weeks of competition with more than $900,000 in prize money. It holds tournaments in regional towns throughout Australia.[{{cite web|title=Australian Pro Tour|url=http://www.tennis.com.au/tournaments/pro-tournaments/australian-pro-tou|website=Tennis Australia|accessdate=22 December 2015}}] |
| Triathlon | Port Macquarie Ironman | New South Wales | Established in 1985 in North Coast town of Port Macquarie. The event consists of a 3.8 kilometre swim, 180 kilometre bike course and 42.2 kilometre run.[{{cite web|title=Ironman Australia Port Macquarie|url=http://www.visitnsw.com/events/ironman-australia-triathlon|website=Visit NSW website|accessdate=18 December 2015}}] |
| Wheelbarrow race | Black Rock Stakes | Western Australia | The Black Rock Stakes established in 1971. Men, women and children push a wheelbarrow full of iron ore 122 kilometres from Goldsworthy and into Port Hedland.[{{cite web|title=The Black Rock Stakes|url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2010/03/12/2844642.htm|website=ABC North West WA|accessdate=1 January 2016}}] |
| Woodchopping | Agricultural shows | Various states | Woodchopping events are now frequently held at major agricultural shows. The first recorded Australian contest was held in Tasmania in 1874. In 1891, a Latrobe, Tasmania tournament offered prize money of $2000. |
