ATTENDANCE AT SPORTING EVENTS

Attending sporting events can provide people with entertainment and a chance to spend time with families and friends.

In 1995 and 2005-06 the proportion of adults attending selected sporting events remained steady at 44%. In 2005-06, attendance rates at sporting events were higher for men (52%) than women (37%) in all age groups.

During the 12 months prior to interview in 2005-06, the most popular sport attended was Australian rules football (16% or 2.5 million adults), followed by horse racing at 13% (around 2 million adults). Over the same period 4% of adults attended a rugby union game (682,000), up from 3% in 1995 and 1999 (ABS 1999b). Conversely, there was a decrease in attendance at outdoor cricket matches and competitions between 1995 and 2005-06 falling from 8% to 5% (1.2 million adults to just over 700,000). Meanwhile, the proportion of adults who attended rugby league games remained relatively stable between 1995 and 2005-06 (10% and 9% respectively).