Australian Sports Research

INTRODUCTION

Australian’s watch, play and compete in a variety of sports. Purdie and Wilss (2007) confirmed this notion that sport is a defining characteristic of being Australian.

However it is recognised that specific sports are more synonymous with individuals who live in some Australian states compared to others (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2010). Similarly, it is understood that individuals have a preference as to the medium they consume sport (Melnick & Wann, 2010).

Therefore, this study will examine the correlation between sports and Australian states, as well as, individuals preference as to the medium of sport consumption.

LITERATURE REVIEW

There is little research directly relating to the focus of this study. However, specific

The ABS (2010) published a report estimating the number of spectators at sporting events according to states or territories. It was found that AFL was the most attended sport in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Rugby League was deemed to be the most attended sport in New South Wales and Queensland. Rugby Union was the highest spectator event in only the Australian Capital Territory. Surprisingly, Motor Sports which include “car, motor cycle, speedway, drag and go-cart racing” was the most attended sport in the Northern Territory (ABS, 2010).

Historically, there is a basis as to why this is the case. Phillips (1994) demonstrates that Rugby was formed in New South Wales by the University of Sydney. Furthermore, Whimpress (1994) describes AFL as being established in Victoria by the Victorian Football Association in 1877.

Due to the statistics matching the historical evidence, Howard Giles’ theory of Communication Accommodation (CAT) can be applied. CAT aims to examine the manipulation of communication during interpersonal interaction (Parcha, 2014). Applying this to our study, individuals of a state would converge to their preferred sport to avoid being associated with the out-group. Williams (1999) defines convergence as “when people make their speech and communication patterns more like that of their” conversational

Much of the literature also focuses on preferential mediums used to consume sport. Melnick and Wann (2010) examined the extent to which Australian university students in Melbourne were influenced by socialisation and displayed sport fandom behaviour. Utilising the Sport Fandom Questionnaire and the Sport Spectator Identification Scale, the researchers identified that the respondents were more likely to engage in a sport related

P A G E 2

discussion than watch sport on television, attend sporting events, view sport on the internet, or listen to sport broadcasts on the radio (descending order).

It must be recognised that Melnick and Wann use an earlier edition of the ABS data to be used in the present study. However the researchers identified that generalisations where not possible because of their small sample (Melnick & Wann, 2010).

Due to the use of an updated edition of the same data, this study would be able to generalise similar results to the entirety population (H2).

Other factors also influence an individuals favourite sport. The research of Spaaij and Anderson (2010) outlines the reasons children support specific sport