The great divide and the Barassi Line
Aussie Rules and its high-flying origins
Rugby and the ultimate state warfare
Cricket and the ashes of national pride
matilda Build your tiny turf to learn why sport is a national religion down under.
matilda The Boxing Day Test
Ninety thousand strong, ninety thousand strong! We cheer for the Boxing Day Test all day long!
matilda This unifying sport bridges the Barassi Line, making the national cricket captaincy the second most important office after the prime minister
Which position in Australian public life is culturally said to be second in importance only to the Prime Minister?
matilda Traditional cricket pitches hosted the historic 1882 clashes that defined Australia's sporting identity.
In what year did Australia defeat England at The Oval, leading to the creation of the Ashes?
What did the satirical newspaper obituary state would be done with the 'body' of English cricket?
The tiny trophy: The actual Ashes trophy is a tiny terracotta urn standing only eleven centimeters tall, despite the massive rivalry.
At which famous sporting venue did the controversial 1981 underarm bowling incident take place?
Which Australian captain ordered his brother Trevor to bowl underarm against New Zealand in 1981?
The powdery residue remaining after the combustion of a substance. Australia first won this symbolic cricket trophy after defeating England at The Oval in 1882.
In which year did the Boxing Day Test at the MCG become a permanent, annual fixture on the cricket calendar?