Sport in Oceania

The most popular playing sport for men in Australia is Australian rules football,[1] while for women is netball.

Australian rules football is the most popular sport in terms of spectatorship and television ratings.

Also, Australia has hosted five editions of the Commonwealth Games (Sydney 1938, Perth 1962, Brisbane 1982, Melbourne 2006), and (Gold Coast 2018).

Oceania has been represented at four World Cup finals tournaments — Australia in 1974 and 2006 and New Zealand in 1982 and 2010.

The most successful Oceanian countries in international men's competitions have been Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, American Samoa, Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga.

In women's football, Oceanian team have been dominant, especially Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tahiti and American Samoa.

[13] Since 1971 the men's tournament has been held every four years, but was not played in 1999 due to contractual issues.

The women's tournament was introduced in 2003, and has doubled up as the preliminary qualifying competition for the Olympic Games since 2007.

[15] Football has also been held at several editions of the Pacific Mini Games, starting with the first tournament in 1981.

[21] Basketball is notably popular in Australia and New Zealand, in terms of their national leagues and teams, participation, as well as the NBA.

Australia has had a lot of NBA players, such as Andrew Bogut, Ben Simmons, Matthew Dellavedova, and Patty Mills.

New Zealand has also helped to create some NBA players as well, such as Kirk Penney, Steven Adams, and Sean Marks.

The Fiji national rugby league team, nicknamed the Bati (pronounced [mˈbatʃi]), represents Fiji in the sport of rugby league football and has been participating in international competition since 1992.

The 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups were Tonga's most successful to date, both winning two out of four matches and in a running chance for the quarter-finals.