Australia. It's synonymous with sport, so strap yourself in for these five great sporting events hitting a venue near you in the coming months.
1. The start of the AFL footy season! It's back, "thank God," say many, and it all kicks off on Thursday night (April when Richmond and Carlton do battle at the home of sport, the mighty MCG. Will Malthouse and his Blues fail again? Will the Tigers finally realise expectations the whole football community has of them finally being a serious contender? Will Collingwood give former star Dayne Beams a welcome to Brisbane he'll never forget at the GABBA on Saturday? Then there's the rest who are all eager to get off to the best of possible starts in season 2015.
2. Rugby League’s showpiece event, the 2015 Holden State of Origin Series is being tipped as the best yet and the heat is on Queensland with the mighty Blues breaking one of the longest winning streaks in State of Origin history. Notably, it's the first time in 18 years that the MCG has hosted a State of Origin match, scheduled for June 17. Other games are at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on May 27 and Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 8.
3. The buzz this year is about "the gods of soccer" coming to the MCG in Melbourne for the International Champions Cup in July. The competition will be hot with all three participating clubs alive in the UEFA Champions League and vying for their respective national titles. AS Roma is second in Serie A, Real Madrid CF leads La Liga and Manchester City FC is second in the EPL. Mark down July 18, July 21 and July 24 in your calendar.
4. Sydney comes alive from August 12-18 as the world's best netballer's converge on the NSW capital for the Netball World Cup. All the big guns will be there as Australia defends its title against New Zealand, Jamaica, England, Scotland and more.
5. Looking for something different on the horse racing front? Forget the Melbourne Cup and head north-west for the Broome Cup on August 15 with punters entertained by live music, local performers and fashion on the field finals.
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