The 2032 Olympics may still be almost a decade away, but Brisbane has already been named Australia’s top sports city, according to a new survey.
The Queensland capital is the only Australian city to make the top 100 in BCW’s annual Ranking of Sports Cities, slotting in 15th place just behind Chicago and Munich.
A new entry in the rankings, Brisbane is the only Australian city to make the top-100, with sports-mad Melbourne and Sydney both missing out.
Paris tops the rankings ahead of Los Angeles and London, with New York and Manchester in fourth and fifth place respectively.
Madrid and Barcelona follow suit ahead of Tokyo, who dropped from first last year to eighth in the current ranking, with Lausanne and Budapest rounding out the top-10.
Brisbane has been named Australia’s top sports city in BCW’s annual Ranking of Sports Cities
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The report noted ‘aligning themselves with big brands such as the Olympics and FIFA and major professional leagues’ was pivotal for cities to be internationally perceived as major sporting hubs.
To that extent, it was no surprise to see Paris and Los Angeles – the host of the next two summer Olympics – top of the list, ahead of London – the home of the 2012 Olympics.
And BCW attributed Brisbane’s ‘impressive debut’ to the River City winning the rights to host the 2032 Olympic Games.
‘Brisbane is already well known as a leading global sports city and that reputation is only going to be enhanced as we get closer to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,’ Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
‘We’ve got world-class stadiums near the city, vibrant precincts, year-round sunshine and great public transport, which all help to make Brisbane an ideal destination for fans to experience major sporting events.’
In February, the federal government signed off on $7billion worth of funding for new and upgraded stadiums, which include brand new $2.5billion Brisbane Arena.
To be built close to the city’s Roma Street cross river rail, the venue will host a drop-in swimming pool for the 2032 Olympics and will subsequently be converted into a music venue.
‘This will consolidate this great city as a global city, as a global powerhouse, but it benefits not just Brisbane,’ Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said as he unveiled the funding.
Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will be a host venue for the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2027 Rugby World Cup
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has unveiled plans to knock down and rebuild The Gabba at a cost of $2.7billion
‘This will make an enormous difference to our economy, to our lifestyle, to how Australia is perceived, as well, to the world.’
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also unveiled plans to knock down and rebuild The Gabba at a cost of $2.7billion, which will ‘anchor a major urban renewal project.’
The International Olympic Committee requires a 50,000 capacity stadium of a different shape to the Gabba in its current state. Funding from the redevelopment of the stadium will not come from the federal government.
Brisbane will also be a host venue for the Women’s World Cup later this month and the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
A concept image of the new $2.5billion Brisbane Arena, which will accommodate 17,000 fans
Queensland’s biggest city has staged the NRL’s Magic Round since its introduction in 2019, with the annual extravaganza drawing over 540,000 fans since its inception.
This year, a record 147,105 fans attended the eight games at Suncorp Stadium for an average crowd just north of 49,000.
A News Corp report last month revealed the event contributes an estimated $28million each year to the economy of the Sunshine State.
And the Queensland government is reportedly ready to table a $20million offer to the NRL to ensure Brisbane remains the host of Magic Round for the next decade.
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