[4][6] Its sporting colours black and white are likely from the white-backed magpie, an Australian bird found on its crest and the state badge.

[4][7] Its mascot is Gus, a black lion, which replaced the piping shrike on its historical crest.

[11] It is a member club of Rowing SA (South Australian Rowing Association) and operates from the Torrens River in the Adelaide city centre, and from West Lakes in the suburb of West Lakes.

[11][12] Olympians that were former members include Australia's first gold medalist in rowing Collier Cudmore, Kate Slatter (Women's Pair Gold and Silver medallist), Jaime Fernandez (Men's Eight Silver), Tim Willoughby (Men's Eight Bronze) and Amber Halliday (Lightweight).

The Adelaide University Lacrosse Club was founded in 1889 by Nobel Prize winning Professor William Henry Bragg.

It is heavily involved in flying training, which is carried out in the two-seat sailplanes under the guidance of club instructors and has trained many pilots from ab initio (complete novice) level through to cross-country, national and international (as members of the Australian Gliding Team[32]) competition.

The Adelaide University Football Club was officially formed on 26 March 1906 and became affiliated with the Sports Association two weeks later on 9 April 1906.

Prior to this time, there was no University Football team competing in a regular competition; however games were arranged on an irregular basis.

This was arranged for Wednesday 19 June 1885 and several League players and old scholars from PAC comprised the side.

Touch Football is a game derived from rugby league, where tackling and kicking are outlawed.

Established in 1906, the Athletics Club has a participatory focus and competes in events such as the City-Bay Fun Run.

In the early 1980s, the Murrell brothers, State triple jump champion, 1984 Rhodes Scholar and medical student George A.C. Murrell as President and 1982 Australian Junior Hammer Throw Champion[33] and State Junior Record Holder[34] and agricultural science student, Thomas A.C. Murrell, as Honorary Secretary switched from the highly successful St Peters College Athletics Club to rebuild the Club.

In 1984 he was awarded a Full Blue in Athletics and at the time had the longest hammer throw by an athlete ever to attend Adelaide University, was ranked fifth in the South Australian all-time senior listings and represented South Australia in the national competition for senior men's hammer throw.

The oldest university sailing club in Australia, it was established in 1959 and hosted the first intervarsity competitions in 1960 and onward.

It represents the interests of students at Roseworthy Campus and runs activities including orientation, sports and other social events.