Australia - A Sporting Nation. What to watch in Melbourne
As befits a country with such a sporting pedigree as Australia, Melbourne offers so much for the sports enthusiast. One of the traditional events here is the Melbourne Gold Cup, Australian Horse racings equivalent to the Epsom Derby. The Gold Cup has been run every year since 1861, and draws crowds in excess of 100,000 to the Flemington Racecourse where it is held each November.
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There is also racing of a more technological nature, with the Formula 1 Grand Prix circus visiting Albert Park each year for the Australian Grand Prix. Melbourne has been home to the traditionally inaugural event of the season since 1996, having previously been held in Adelaide. Just remember that, if you have a hire car, you are not in the Grand Prix on the way back to the hotel!
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With England’s recent success in the Ashes series with Australia, the forthcoming event this winter in Australia has generated lots of excitement. Melbourne are hosting the fourth test at the MCG, beginning on Boxing Day, and it is sure to be a sell out crowd. With events such as this hotel accommodation is often difficult to find, so it is worth booking rooms as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment.
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No mention of sport in Melbourne can be complete without discussing “Aussie Rules”. Melbourne is where the sport began, and it is home to over half of the sixteen teams that make up the Australian Football League (AFL). Australian Rules Football is the most popular sport in Victoria, with the AFL Grand Final being one of the most watched events in the country on television, and a massive crowd attending the match itself.
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