Sport is a big part of Australian culture, and if you live in Brisbane, you are lucky enough to be in Australia’s best sporting city according to BCW rankings (and locals).
Attending sporting events in Brisbane is a great way to learn more about Australia (and its sports slang) and meet like-minded fans!
Rugby League (NRL & NRLW)
The teams
Brisbane is home to two professional rugby league teams the Brisbane Broncos and the Dolphins (based in Redcliffe).
The league: NRL
The National Rugby League is made up of 17 teams based in Queensland, NSW, ACT, Victoria and New Zealand.
The men’s season runs from March – October, and the women’s season from July – October.
Where to watch
Both teams play home games at Suncorp Stadium in Milton and tickets can be bought through the Ticketek website or at the venue on gameday for approximately $20-$40.
Getting to the games is easy by public transport by bus, or by train to Roma Street or Milton stations.
Brisbane also hosts “Magic Round” every year in which 8 matches are played across a weekend in a truly epic festival of footy.
Australian Rules Football (AFL & AFLW)
The teams
The Brisbane Lions are the hometown team and have experienced success throughout their history with three men’s premierships and two women’s premierships (including the most recent season).
The league: AFL
The Australian Football League or “Aussie Rules” is the most popular sport in the country, both in terms of attendance and total spectatorship.
The men’s season goes from March to September and the women’s season from August to December.
Where to watch
The men’s team play home games at the GABBA which is located in the inner south suburb of Woolloongabba – well connected by bus and train for fans attending home games. The women’s team play at Brighton Homes Arena located in Springfield.
Tickets can be bought online through Ticketmaster or at the gates on gameday starting at $17 for concessions subject to availability (home games can often be sold out).
Cricket
The teams
Cricket is Australia’s most popular summer sport and fans can enjoy both domestic and international matches in Brisbane.
Brisbane is home to the Brisbane Heat and Queensland Bulls professional teams.
The Australian National team also hosts opposing countries (such as India, England and South Africa) every summer.
The league
The Brisbane Heat compete in the men’s and women’s Big Bash League, which is the most entertaining and fast-paced league in Australia.
International matches are played throughout the summer and are played across Australia and dates can be found here.
Where to watch
Brisbane Heat matches are played at the GABBA during the summer from October to January. Information on ticketing can be found here.
Tickets for the Australian national team matches played at the GABBA can be found here and cost around $25.
Netball
The team
The Queensland Firebirds are the professional netball team from Brisbane.
Netball is one of the most popular sports in Australia and its national team (The Australian Diamonds) are consistently ranked one of the best in the world.
The league
The Firebirds compete in the Super Netball League in Australia which features 8 teams from across Australia.
Where to watch
The Firebirds play their home games at Nissan Arena located in Nathan. Tickets can be bought online through Ticketek and the season runs from April through July.
Rugby Union (Super Rugby)
The teams
The Queensland Reds are the hometown team for Brisbane in rugby union. The Reds have a men’s and women’s team.
The league
The Reds play in the Super Rugby Championship which is a club competition featuring teams from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Pacific Islands.
Teams are separated into conferences based on their location and play from February – June.
Where to watch
Home games are played at Suncorp Stadium and ticket information can be found here.
Other sports
Basketball: Brisbane Bullets
Soccer: Brisbane Roar
Baseball: Brisbane Bandits
Where to watch sport if you can’t attend the games
If you can’t get to a game, here are some of the best sports bars and pubs to enjoy alongside passionate fans.
NRL: Caxton or Normanby Hotel.
AFL: Pineapple Hotel
Cricket: The Regatta Hotel
For broadcast rights, channel 9 airs NRL games free to air, channel 7 shows the AFL and the Cricket, while KAYO and Fox Sports show sports matches but are subscription-based streaming services.
