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| - With the destruction of Melbourne, Australian Rules Football suffered a devastating, but not fatal, blow. Though the sport had its centre in Melbourne, supporters throughout the state of Victoria, and elsewhere in Australia, fought to keep the sport alive. Footy, as it is popularly referred to, has resurfaced as one of the most popular sports throughout the ANZC. The Australian Football League is the de facto sanctioning body of the sport, and is headquartered in Canberra. Its franchises are located in:
* Adelaide (Adelaide Crows, Port Adelaide Power)
* Auckland (Auckland Hawks)
* Brisbane (Brisbane Bears)
* Bunbury (West Coast Eagles)
* Canberra (Canberra Swans)
* Darwin (Darwin Buffaloes)
* Geelong (Geelong Cats)
* Gold Coast (Gold Coast FC)
* Hobart (Tasmanian Devils)
* Jervis Bay (Jervis Bay Bulldogs, St. Kilda Saints) Second-tier leagues exist in each of the Australian states, as well as in New Zealand and Hawaii. Rugby union has a storied history in both Australia and New Zealand. While rugby league is set up on the AFL/American football franchise model, rugby union's top domestic competitions are set up by state and associated territories, as seen in the annualSuper 12 competition, comprised of provincial sides from Australia, New Zealand and Samoa, plus the nations of Tonga and Fiji. The ANZC sends three sides, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa/Hawaii to compete in theSix Nations Series against Chile, the United American Republic and Oceania (Fiji, Tonga and other islands). There has been discussion about expanding the series by inviting sides from the RZA, Singapore and/or New Britain. Club competitions are lower profile than their counterparts in league and the AFL, but exist in every state, governed by their respective state's sanctioning body for union. In 2004, the CRB (Commonwealth Rugby Board) professionalized the sport as to allow for better competition with rugby league for players. Rugby league, with roots as the preferred rugby code in New South Wales and Queensland, has taken off in the last decade due to a perceived more-open, free-flowing style of play and the fact that the Australian Rugby League was willing to pay its players and, subsequently, was prevailing in competition with union for players through the early 2000s. The de facto sanctioning body for the sport, in the ANZC and worldwide, is the Australian Rugby League. The ARL was established in 1995 and is headquartered in Auckland. It is comprised of franchises, based on the American football model. Its franchises are:
* Auckland (Auckland Warriors)
* Brisbane (Brisbane Broncos)
* Canberra (Canberra Raiders)
* Gold Coast (Gold Coast Titans)
* Hobart (Tasmania Tigers)
* Jervis Bay (Jervis Bay Rabbitohs)
* Newcastle (Newcastle Knights)
* Papua New Guinea (PNG Rangers)
* Townsville (North Queensland Cowboys)
* Wellington (Southern Orcas) There is talk of expansion to Singapore, Fiji and/or Samoa in the next couple of years. Association football (soccer) is rapidly growing in popularity, especially among youth. The Football Federation of the ANZC (FFA) was formed in 2004 after a reorganization of the previous overseeing domestic body, Soccer ANZC. The FFA formed a domestic league, the A-League, in 2005. It operates the league which, unlike leagues in other countries built on a pyramid model (several levels of leagues with promotion and demotion), is franchise-based (this is under review, as the Asian Football Federation has requested that FFA change to a pyramid model). The current franchises are:
* Adelaide (Adelaide United)
* Auckland (Auckland FC)
* Brisbane (Brisbane Roar)
* Bunbury (Western Glory)
* Darwin (Darwin Wolves)
* Geelong (Geelong Victory)
* Gold Coast (Gold Coast United)
* Newcastle (Newcastle Jets)
* Townsville (North Queensland Fury)
* Wellington (Wellington Phoenix) Association football's popularity has been boosted by the national side's success in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in the Celtic Alliance. Some observers believe in the far future, association football will become the dominant code in the country. Cricket is the favored summer sport in the ANZC. The national cricket teams of Australia and New Zealand play a Test Match series with matches in Brisbane, Geelong (Boxing Day), Canberra (New Year's), Wellington and Christchurch. The ANZC cricket board is in discussions with its counterparts in New Britain, the Celtic Alliance, East Caribbean Federation and the Union Interim Parliament about restarting Test Matches and one-day international matches. Because of the logistical issues involved, such matches will not take place until 2013 at the earliest. Regional cricket leagues exist in every state in Australia and in New Zealand, and there is discussion of expansion into Samoa and Hawaii. Basketball, at the men's and women's adult levels, has had some success in recent years. ANZC athletes are approaching world-class status in several Olympic sports, such as swimming and track and field. The most popular women's sports include association football, basketball and netball (a variation of basketball played only by women). American football has gained longevity and popularity as a niche sport within the ANZC, its growth fueled by expats and refugees from the United States. The Oceanic Football League was founded in Samoa in 1991 as the American Football League, to tie it to the sport of American football and to distinguish the league from the Australian rules and rugby codes. Teams from across the Commonwealth and its associated states participate. The ten franchises are: In 2010, the Oceanic Football League consists of ten teams playing in two divisions:
* Samoa Dolphins (Pago Pago)
* Auckland Raiders
* Brisbane Cowboys
* Newcastle Giants
* Canberra Colts
* Darwin Bears
* Adelaide Rams
* Tasmania Browns (Hobart)
* Western Broncos (Bunbury)
* PNG Ropens (Port Morseby) American football has certainly not surpassed the traditional sports of Australia and New Zealand, but it has become an important niche sport. After much discussion amongst owners, the AFL approved a name change to the Oceanic Football League in a hastily arranged owners meeting in mid-December. The OFL owners are expected to vote in January 2010 on whether to retain its headquarters in Pago Pago or move to other proposed locations, including Auckland. During the 1980s and early 1990s it looked as if baseball would join American football as a popular niche sport in Australia. The Australian League was formed in 1986 with six teams, and lasted until 1995. The Claxton Shield, the AL's successor, lasted from 1997 to 2002. Today, baseball is played at an amateur and youth level by Australian enthusiasts and the children of expatriate Americans; the ANZC Baseball Federation governs the sport, most particularly the ANZC's participation in international competition. Supporters are not optimistic about the sport reaching the level of popularity and participation as American football, much less the other football codes. The highest-drawing sports in 2008 were the Australian Football League (36,000 per match), the Super 12 (21,000), the ARL 16,000), the A-League (15,000) and the American Football League (12,000). In accordance with the Remembrance Act of 1995, no sporting events of any kind are played in the Commonwealth on 26 September.
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