rowing & sailing also anon.

Its a weird question, the answer is not clear.

The Scandinavian countries are good at multiple codes of snow sports - downhill, luge, ski jumping etc. And then some excel in hockey and curling.

We are good for example at multiple codes of rugby.

But we generally play Commonwealth oriented sports - Rugbies, cricket, netball, hockey which very few countries have high participation in.

Of the world sports, we do well at basketball, very well at cycling, so so at volleyball, relatively poorly at football, poorly at athletics, average at gymnastics but quite well in golf and tennis (perhaps not as well as we once did). Swimming is actually quite a contained sport - lots of countries participate but not that many have highly structured programs.

The Brazilians are world class at Volleyball, Basketball and Football - three true world sports and arguably the three most popular team codes. The Yanks are strong in basketball, swimming, gymnastics, golf, cycling, volleyball etc if you consider world sports.

Try reading it again. We "generally" play Commonwealth "oriented" sports. It did not attempt to be a definitive statement.

Handball, tennis, volleyball, table tennis, baseball, American football, etc. A few of these are amongst the most popular in the world.

Nice breakdown HO, how do we then rate along side NZ in the per head of capita stakes? Perhaps it is a perception that we are so good which people have become accustomed to when populations are also compared...

Aus punches above our weight in most sports we try our hand at -- great weather & great economy helps -- but NZ punches WAY above its weight I would think.

here is an interesting list, not sure if it is accurate..


http://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/popular-sport/federations.htm

495154

Spin the data how you want.

Being popular does not make it both widely and deeply played as a sport like football is.

Cricket is an excellent example of that. There are only 8 nations with test playing status and there is a large player base really because of one nation.

I think you are completely kidding yourself if you think that cricket or rugby are world sports of the nature of volleyball, football, basketball or athletics. Two exceptions (France and Argentina) don't make a rule. Rugby is probably more widely played in an organised and competitive way than cricket is.

Can you show me the authoritative reference for your commonly known sports statistics?

I'm just saying they're definitely 'world' sports despite being played by Commonwealth countries.

Basketball has very broad coverage as well. There are decent teams in Africa, NBA representation from the Middle East (Iran), it's strong in Asia (insanely popular in China, also in the Philippines, etc), many good teams out of South and Central America, quality league in Europe full of competitive countries, etc.

The Basketball World Cup had 24 teams, with some decent countries missing out (Germany, Russia, Italy, China, Great Britain, Canada).

The Rugby World Cup has 19 teams, of which four are from the British Isles.

Cricket's World Cup has 14 teams including three from the British Isles.

Obviously it's all very subjective, but you can surely see how someone would term something like cricket a Commonwealth sport and note that this would limit competition.

Interestingly, the team sport that has the most national federations aligned to it is the FIVB (volleyball). More than FIFA, FIBA, and the UN!

Good point re visited @Libertine, especially in Europe volleyball is huge but I have always seen soccer and basketball as the two absolute world games.

This can be a subjective argument, even athletics as huge as it is, mostly consists of different disciplines that some could argue are sports in themselves.

Statistically we can see one picture and of course spin the figures if we want to make a point for our own argument, but popularity and exposure will always give us another perspective.

Depending on what land mass you live in, whether you could male and female participants and which sporting culture you are from will determine your own point of view.

Ten-Pin bowlers will have their own argument, as will dart throwers and people who love to swim, but I think there is no argument that Australians and New Zealanders in their chosen sports are in fact quite good at them!

#495233

Another weird statement....

"If you put it that way then soccer is really the only 'world sport' as it's really the only sport that's played absolutely everywhere."

Pretty ignorant.

we just love the outdoors

I didn't post the Volleyball comment but here is a source:

http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/table-tennis/1020098-ittf-equals-fivb-for-most-national-association-members-of-any-sport


And Football is clearly not the only sport that meets your criteria. Volleyball claims many more participants than football, as does Basketball and both in as many if not more countries.

BTW, i think you still owe me a source.