wombat42

Why does Australia with a population 3 times smaller then Britain consistenly defeat Britain at most sports. In the Commonwealth and Olympic games Australia always finishes way above Britain in the Medal Tally, Australia almost always defeats Britain in Rugby and Cricket, Australia has defeated
England in the last 8 Ashes series and although the British won the Rugby world cup they have performed badly since then, indicating that it was a one off victory. Is its Britains cold climate that discourages outdoor sports , lack of money spent on sport or a lack of a competitiveness in sports in schools.
www.ananova.com/sport/story/sm_840201.html

jad n rich

I take it this is a thread to beat inane posts - create a bit of debate.

OK Most australians would have trouble running to catch a bus, even if their life depended on it or if a double whopper bacon deluxe upsised to grand was on offer.

But yes 2000 or so australians recieve an obscene amount of money so australia can promote itself as a sporty nation, the other 19,000,980 just watch it from the couch.

wombat42

British soccer players get paid an obscene amount of money, much more then the top Aussie Cricket or Rugby players, yet the British soccer team has'nt won or even come close to winning the world soccer cup since 1966.

bondipom

You wouldn't be fishing for a bite now would you Wombat.

aussie73

Well somethings bought the Wombat out of his burrow.

soapy©

nah, he would win at that too

jad n rich

Not talking paychecks.

% of taxpayer money given to tiny % of population namely sport stars by australian government.

Biggest bu!!shit myth ever is that australians are generally fit and healthy as a nation, but again yes we do have 2000 odd elite athletes who get far more funding than the athletes of most other countries put together.

And recent polls showed most australians agreed that money would be better put into the health and education instead.

bondipom

Australia's most participated team sport is football. Australia's last world cup qualification was in 1974.

Current FIFA rankings

England 7
47 Mali
48 Bahrain
49 Australia

MikeStanton

Oz as a sporting nation is all part of its mythology.

Yes, Oz win a lot of international events, get loadsa Olympic medals. But, the reality is that most Aussies' exercise regime consists of:

i) finger exercises - changing channels on the remote control

ii) right-hand side brain exercises : eg "do I go for the triple cheese-stuffed elephantburger with roo sauce or the kilo of lard?"

iii) left-hand side brain exercises: eg "do I get a 2 metre thin'n'crispy or 3, 1 metre thick and gooey with added fat?"


If you want to go on a diet, take a trip to country Oz - and watch the people waddle down the high streets.

The sight will ensure that you'll never eat again.

OzTennis

The notion that 2,000 play sport and the rest don't is so laughable. In Melbourne's western suburbs alone more than 2,000 boys and girls play competitive tennis every Saturday morning (starting at first light with one set of matches and 10.00 am with the second set of matches) and a similar number of adults play in the afternoon.

I've done the sums, approx 1 mill in Melbourne's west produces more people competing regularly than in the whole of Scotland, 5 mill (and don't peddle the excuse about the weather). Almost 10% of the Australian population plays tennis regularly (the leading nation in the world participation-wise).

Despite what the FIFA world rankings say Australia beat England at soccer the last time they played (and Sven even brought on a fresh team at half time) and have you noticed how many Aussies ply their trade in the English Premier League, Championship etc. And what sort of a World Cup is it when the European and South American nations take up a disproportionate number of places? Surely Oceania is entitled to one measly place without having to play off with a South American or whatever nation? The Oceania winner was even promised a place in the last world cup and then they backtracked when their palms were greased.

And if Aussies are the only unfit slobs why has 'Tony' started up the Active Schools initiative to tackle obesity? In Dumfries and Galloway alone (pop'n 100K) 11 people have just been appointed full-time to encourage children in primary schools to exercise.

Just stirring the pot like the thread starter and the subsequent posters!

OzTennis

worzel

(Admittedly I am more a sports fan that an arts fan myself) If the UK government channeled the bulk of the money it gives to the arts (that relatively few people watch) and gave it to Sports (that millions of people across all classes watch) maybe the UK would produce better national teams. If UK national teams actually won some serious trophies on a regular basis maybe we would stop being so depressed about the weather/ crime /overcrowding etc and less people would want to leave. And if less people wanted to leave there would be less workload for DIMIA and thus I would have a better chance of getting to Australia faster.

eatstatic

Australia has so little in the way of culture and brain stimulation, the populas are fed sport to substitute this vacuum. Whilst football (soccer to you Wombat) is popular in Britain, it is not the be all and end all of life.

I personally found it laughable to watch all the fat Macca addicted Aussie rant on to me about how they stuff us in the cricket and Rugby. I honestly could not care 2 shits, neither do any of my friends in England.

There is far more on offer to stimulate the mind over here than if "Thorpedo" has swum 2000 metres 0.00003 seconds faster than the last time. I do not care for the idolisation of sports figures, life is too short and there is too much to preoccupy the mind with than such inane rubbish.

As has been said before the Aussie government bung loads to the sporting Acadamies. They realise that Sport is the one thing that gives a boring isolated colonial outpost like OZ some sort of identity. More importantly it makes them feel like they have got one over on the poms, let us not underestimate the colonial cringe and the REAL need to feel that maybe, just maybe they are better than the motherland.

Wombat, you a an Aussie through and through, now get back to your AFL, that well known international sport. The socceroos, your only true international sports team are what 73 in the world rankings!

Badge

not a bad point actually OzT. I didn't know this.

I wonder if soccer may be the biggest participation because it is easy to get jumpers for goalposts and get any ball. People can join in without having to worry about being safe, or have to worry about physical contact - to an extent.

Soccer is more arty/skill based, but you don't have to be good to have a kickabout.

BM

Big Galah

Shouldn't the question be more "why do Australians rate sporting success over other countries so highly?".

I mean, in the greater scheme of things, what's the big deal?

I get the impression - particularly after the last Olympics - that Australians are just beginning to realise how childish this attitude appears to the rest of the world.

Big.

Quinkana

So the font British sporting mediocrity is apathy?

Have noted a flicker of British stiff upper lip passion over soccer.