Sports on the Gold Coast, Queensland facts for kids

Glitz and palm trees.

The Gold Coast has a really exciting history when it comes to sports! It's a popular place for holidays, so fun activities like golf and especially beach sports have always been a big deal. Many surf clubs line the Gold Coast beaches. They host cool events like swimming races and athletic competitions, often grouped into big "surf carnivals." These events grew from the important work of surf life saving.

Motor racing also has a long and fast history here. Races have been held in the area since 1954, and regularly since the late 1960s. The Gold Coast even hosts its biggest event, the Gold Coast 600 car race!

The city has had some ups and downs with professional sports teams. Since the 1980s, several teams in different sports like football and basketball have tried to set up clubs here. Often, rich owners helped pay for them. But many of these clubs struggled and closed down after only a few years. As of 2015, only the Gold Coast Titans in rugby league and the Gold Coast Suns in Australian rules football are playing in top professional leagues. No Gold Coast team has ever won a national championship in their sport yet.

The Gold Coast was also super proud to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Many sports venues all over the Coast were built or made better for the games. The main place for the games was Carrara Stadium.

Professional Sports Teams on the Gold Coast

Carrara Stadium, home of the AFL's Gold Coast Suns.

Australian rules football being played at Carrara Stadium.

Robina Stadium, home of the NRL's Gold Coast Titans.

The Gold Coast is currently home to professional sports teams in Australian rules football and rugby league. These teams are the Gold Coast Suns (who play in the Australian Football League) and the Gold Coast Titans (who play in the National Rugby League).

Many other professional clubs have played in national leagues since the 1980s. However, these clubs often found it hard to get enough money to keep going. They usually closed down within ten years of starting. Because of this, some people have called the city a "sporting graveyard." The teams also haven't done very well in their games. As of 2022, no Gold Coast team has won a major national championship.

The city also hosts successful professional events in sports that don't have club teams. These include golf, surfing, and motor racing.

Current Professional Sports Clubs

Past Professional Sports Clubs

Many other professional sports teams have played on the Gold Coast in the past. Here are some of them:

The Gold Coast Sports Challenge

The Gold Coast has a bit of a reputation for its professional sports teams. Many teams have struggled to do well in Australia's major sports leagues. They often end up closing down, changing their name, or moving to another city soon after they start.

Only one Gold Coast team has ever reached the Grand Final of a major sports league in Australia. This was the Gold Coast Titans women's team. They made it to the 2023 NRLW Grand Final but lost to Newcastle 24–12.

People sometimes call the Gold Coast "the graveyard" because so many professional sports teams have closed down here. Teams often run into problems because they don't play well, have money issues, or have problems with their owners. Even one of the current teams, the NRL's Titans, almost faced the same fate in 2015.

However, Gold Coast motor racing teams like Dick Johnson Racing, Stone Brothers Racing, Tekno Autosports, and McElrea Racing are different. They have won many championships and big races!

Rugby League Football

Rugby league football is played by the Gold Coast Titans club. They are based at Robina Stadium and play in the National Rugby League competition.

The Gold Coast's first team in national rugby league was the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants. They joined the New South Wales Rugby League competition in 1988. The club played at Seagulls Stadium in Tweed Heads. This town is just across the border in New South Wales but is very close to the Gold Coast.

In 1990, the team changed its name to the Gold Coast Seagulls. They still played mostly in Tweed Heads. The club faced money problems and left the league in 1995.

Later, a new team called the Gold Coast Chargers competed for three more years. But they also closed down as the NRL changed after a big league dispute.

The Gold Coast occasionally hosted NRL games between 1999 and 2005. Then, the Gold Coast Titans were formed in 2006 to join the National Rugby League in 2007. The Titans have played at Robina Stadium since 2008. Like the teams before them, the Titans have sometimes had money troubles. In 2015, the NRL had to take over managing the club's money to help them. In the 2021 NRL Finals Series, the Gold Coast Titans played the Sydney Roosters, but the Roosters won and knocked the Titans out of the finals.

Australian Rules Football

The Gold Coast is home to the Gold Coast Suns. This AFL team plays at Metricon Stadium in Carrara.

The Brisbane Bears were the first professional sports team based on the Gold Coast. They started in 1987 and played at Carrara Stadium. The club had financial difficulties. After a few years, the team moved to Brisbane in 1993.

Since moving to Brisbane, the Bears became the Lions in 1996. They have been much more successful, even winning three championships in a row!

Professional football returned to the Gold Coast in 2006. The Brisbane Lions and the North Melbourne Kangaroos started playing some of their home games at Carrara Stadium. This worked well, so the AFL decided to create a new club on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast Football Club was formed, nicknamed the Suns. The Suns have played in the Australian Football League since 2011.

Basketball

Two Gold Coast teams have played in the National Basketball League. The first team was called the Gold Coast Cougars. They started in 1990 and played at the Carrara Indoor Stadium. After their first season, they changed their name to the Gold Coast Rollers. The club had money problems in 1996 and lost its license to play.

On November 21, 2006, the NBL accepted a new Gold Coast team called the Gold Coast Blaze. They played at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. After five seasons, the Blaze also closed down because of money troubles.

Soccer

On June 3, 2008, it was announced that Gold Coast United FC would join the A-League for the 2009–10 season. They would play home games at Robina Stadium. A local billionaire, Clive Palmer, paid for Gold Coast United. After three seasons, the club struggled to become popular. Its A-League license was taken away. The owner's unusual decisions were thought to have made it harder for the club to grow.

Beach Volleyball

Surfers Paradise beach hosts one of Australia's three biggest beach volleyball events each year. These "Grand Slams" are the highest level of beach volleyball played in Australia. They help players earn points for national rankings and even for Olympic qualification!

Horse Racing

The Gold Coast Turf Club holds horse races every Saturday. You can usually go for a small entry fee. The club has places to bet and different areas for events.

Magic Millions is a very important horse auction and racing event held on the Gold Coast. This yearly event in January brings buyers and horse lovers from all over the world. One year, over $100 million was spent on young horses! The most famous horse race on the Gold Coast, also called the Magic Millions, happens every January at the Gold Coast Turf Club.

Golf

The Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast hosts two major golf events: the Australian Ladies Masters (for women) and the Australian PGA Championship (for men). The Ladies Masters first came to the Gold Coast in 1990. The PGA Championship was first held here in 1970.

Surfing

The Roxy Pro and Quiksilver Pro surfing competitions are held on the Gold Coast. They kick off the ASP World Surfing Tour calendar every year. The main office for the Association of Surfing Professionals is located in the Gold Coast suburb of Coolangatta.

Motor Racing

Many professional racing teams are based in the Gold Coast area. They compete in national championships for circuit racing and drag racing. The biggest teams have been in the Supercars Championship, including three-time champions Stone Brothers Racing and Australia's oldest touring car team, Dick Johnson Racing.

In the past, Surfers Paradise International Raceway hosted drag racing and was a regular place for the Australian Touring Car Championship. The Australian Grand Prix was even held there in 1975. The very first major sports event on the Coast was the 1954 Australian Grand Prix. It was held on a huge street circuit in Southport.

After that old circuit closed, the Gold Coast has held a street race in Surfers Paradise since 1991. This race is now known as the Gold Coast 600 and features the Supercars Championship.

Other Professional and Semi-Professional Sports

The Gold Coast has also had professional teams or events in baseball, basketball, ice hockey, rugby union, soccer, and tennis.

Baseball

The Gold Coast Clippers were one of the first teams in the old Australian Baseball League. They played their first season in 1989-90. The Clippers played at Carrara Stadium at first. A year later, they changed their name to the Daikyo Dolphins and moved to Palm Meadows. The Dolphins won the Gold Coast's first national championship in any sport in the 1991-92 season!

The team changed names again to the Gold Coast Cougars and moved back to Carrara Stadium. The Cougars won a second championship in the final season of the Australian Baseball League in 1998–99. Even though the national baseball league ended in 1999, the Gold Coast now hosts the Major League Baseball Australia Academy Program at Palm Meadows. This program has helped many players become Major League Baseball players since 2001.

Ice Hockey

In 2008, a semi-professional ice hockey team called the Brisbane Blue Tongues moved to the Gold Coast. They became the Gold Coast Blue Tongues. The team played at a venue called Iceland. In 2013, safety problems were found at the venue. The team was given two years to find a new home. But the team couldn't get money to build a new facility, so they officially closed down in 2015.

Rugby Union

The East Coast Aces rugby union team was based at Carrara Stadium in 2007. The league they played in stopped after just one season, so the Aces also stopped. The Australian Sevens rugby union tournament was held on the Gold Coast from 2011 to 2015 at Robina Stadium. It was called the Gold Coast Sevens. However, it has since moved to Sydney because not many people came to watch on the Gold Coast.

Tennis

In 1990, the Gold Coast hosted its first big tennis tournament. It was held at the Hope Island Resort Tennis Centre. In 1997, a new women's tennis event was created on the Gold Coast. It was called the Gold Coast Classic. This tournament became part of the women's tennis calendar. In 2006, Tennis Australia decided to combine the Gold Coast event with another one in Adelaide to create a bigger tournament in Brisbane. The last Gold Coast tennis event was held in 2008.

Local Sports

Australian Rules Football

The Gold Coast is home to the Southport Sharks. This semi-professional football team plays in the Victorian Football League. Other local teams like the Broadbeach Cats and Labrador Tigers also used to play in a higher league but now play in the amateur Queensland competition.

Rugby League

The Burleigh Bears are currently the only Gold Coast team that plays in the Queensland Cup. The Tweed Heads Seagulls also play in the Queensland Cup. They are based just over the border from the Gold Coast. The Bears are a "feeder club" for the Brisbane Broncos, meaning they help develop players for the Broncos. The Seagulls are a feeder club for the Gold Coast Titans.

Cricket

The Gold Coast District Cricket Club is a cricket club on the Gold Coast. They play in the Brisbane Grade Cricket competition. They are also known as the Gold Coast Dolphins. The club was started in 1990.

Rugby Union

The Gold Coast Breakers play in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition. This is the third level of rugby union in Australia.

Soccer

Gold Coast United FC and Gold Coast Knights SC compete in the National Premier Leagues Queensland competitions. This is the second level of Australian soccer, just below the A-League.

Gaelic Games

The Gold Coast Gaels started in October 2013. They play in the Queensland Gaelic Football and Hurling Association. The Gaels play their home games at Scottsdale Drive Oval.

Recreational Activities

The Gold Coast offers many fun recreational activities. These include surfing, fishing, boating, and golf.

Surfing

The Gold Coast is a very popular place for surfing. It has world-famous surf spots like TOS, Sandpumping Jetty, Burleigh, Currumbin Alley, Greenmount Beach, Kirra, Snapper Rocks, and Duranbah (just over the border in NSW). There are also many other surfing locations along the open beaches. The Roxy Pro and Quiksilver Pro surfing competitions are held here every year. The main office for the Association of Surfing Professionals is in Coolangatta.

Fishing

Fishing is a popular activity on the Gold Coast. There are clubs like the Gold Coast Game Fish Club and Surfers Paradise Game & Sport Fishing Club. Popular fishing spots include the Sandpumping Jetty on the Spit, Offshore reefs at Palm Beach, The Narrowneck Reef, the Gold Coast Broadwater, Jumpinpin, and many rivers and creeks. You can also fish in fresh water at Robina Lakes and Hinze Dam.

Boating

Boating is a very popular activity on the Gold Coast. There are areas for waterskiing and places for yacht, dinghy, and catamaran racing. The Gold Coast has a growing industry for large yachts and boat manufacturing. There are 35 public boat ramps across the city.

Golf

The Gold Coast has over fifty private and public golf courses. These include several resort courses where you can stay and play.

Gold Coast Sports Venues

The Gold Coast has many excellent sports venues. These range from outdoor stadiums to indoor arenas and even Olympic-level training facilities.

Surfers Paradise Street Circuit

The Gold Coast's biggest sports event isn't at a permanent stadium. It's held on a temporary street circuit in Surfers Paradise! The Gold Coast Highway becomes the main straight part of the track. This temporary setup disappears for 50 weeks of the year. Tens of thousands of fans come to the Gold Coast 600 every October to watch the V8 Supercar Championship Series. This is the third racing circuit to exist on the Gold Coast.

Carrara Stadium

Carrara Stadium is a large oval stadium that can hold 25,000 people. It's located in Carrara and is the main part of the Carrara Sports Precinct. It has hosted teams in many different sports. Currently, it's the home of the Australian Football League's Gold Coast Suns.

The stadium was greatly improved in the past. In late 2009, the old stadium was taken down, and a new one was built in the same spot for the Gold Coast Suns. The stadium was made even bigger to hold 40,000 people for the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

Robina Stadium

Robina Stadium is a rectangular stadium that can hold 27,400 people. It was finished in February 2008 and is located in Robina. It's right next to the Robina Train Station. It has hosted soccer and rugby union teams. Now, it's the home of the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans.

Carrara Indoor Stadium

The Carrara Indoor Stadium is next to Carrara Stadium. It has seats for almost 3,000 people. It used to be the home of the basketball team, the Gold Coast Rollers. A new sports and leisure center called the Carrara Sport and Leisure Centre has replaced it for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre is in Broadbeach. It opened on June 29, 2004. It used to be home to the National Basketball League team Gold Coast Blaze. The center is also used by the Queensland Firebirds netball team. It hosted basketball and netball competitions at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. It can hold up to 6,000 people.

Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre

This facility is at the northern end of the Gold Coast, in Runaway Bay. It's known as a world-class training facility. The center has special villas for visiting sports teams, a 50-meter outdoor swimming pool, a 10-lane running track with a stadium that seats 3,000 people, and a large gym. The Gold Coast Titans use it for training until their own facilities are built.

Nerang Velodrome

The Nerang Velodrome is a 356-meter asphalt track with lights for night use. It has a covered grandstand for 240 people. There are also three asphalt circuits for cycling. These include a flat 600-meter circuit and longer circuits with a hill.

It hosted training for the Great Britain Cycling and Triathlon Teams before the 2000 Olympic Games. The nearby Nerang State Forest is a favorite place for mountain bike riders because of its hills and trails.

Southport Aquatic Centre

The Gold Coast Aquatic Centre was updated in 2013 for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This venue is in Southport. It hosted the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, where the most successful Olympian ever, Michael Phelps, competed!