Whether you’re a spectator looking for a fun night out or are serious about your sport, you’ll definitely find something in Brisbane! You may know that Aussies are crazy about their sport so you’ll fit right in.
Join a QUT club
There are plenty of QUT student sports clubs so you are sure to find something you’ll love! Study abroad and exchange students often tell us they love the QUT Surfers and QUT Snowriders clubs (yes, you can ski and snowboard in Australia!). QUT clubs run fun events year-round and are a great opportunity to meet people and keep your fitness up while you’re studying abroad!
Read Caelan’s exchange experience with QUT Surfers and Aubrey’s tips on staying fit on a budget.
Here are some other sports clubs you should consider joining:
- Athletics
- Ball Stars
- Baseball
- Beach Volleyball
- Boxing
- Cheer and Dance
- Rockclimbing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Dance
- Football
- Golf
- Hockey
- Running
- Touch Football
- Volleyball
Follow QUT Sport on Instagram for updates.
Membership to student clubs varies but is usually not more than $15 for the semester. Check in with the club for more details!
Run the QUT Classic
The QUT Classic is a fun run held every year at the Gardens Point campus. You can get your heart rate up and join in on the fun in the 1km, 5km, or 10km events.
This is one of the bigger QUT events and is usually held in April (Semester 1) each year. Race your friends to the finish and afterwards, you can enjoy a cool down and entertainment.
Tip: If you’re at QUT in Semester 2, you may wish to run in the Bridge to Brisbane instead – it’s the biggest fun run in Brisbane each year.
Entry fees start around $15 in support of the QUT Learning Potential Fund. If you get in early enough, you can also get yourself a free t-shirt for the day.
Watch an Aussie Rules football match at the Gabba
As the name suggests, Aussie Rules, more commonly known as AFL (Australian Football League) is uniquely Australian. Each year 18 teams, including the Brisbane Lions, battle it out for the premiership in the Grand Final – Australia’s equivalent of the Super Bowl. AFL is the second-most-watched sport in Australia, behind cricket.
It all happens at the Gabba – short for ‘Woolloongabba’. Buses leave the Kelvin Grove bus station to the Gabba station every 15 minutes or so and from just across the river for the Gardens Point campus.
Tip: Watch this video before you catch a game to find out how AFL is played.
A Lions game at the Gabba will start at around $30. Make sure to take your QUT ID card to get a student discount! If you have a pre-purchased ticket, you can catch certain public transport to and from the game for free. Make sure you check the Translink website for conditions.
Catch a Broncos game at Suncorp Stadium
You’re probably wondering who the Broncos are and what sport they play… well, the Broncos are Brisbane’s only NRL (National Rugby League) team. Rugby League is a Queensland staple and you will find the stadium full of supporters wearing Broncos colours!
The game is best watched with a group of mates, so get together and get some tickets! You can easily get to Suncorp Stadium from either campus and with buses going from Kelvin Grove every 10 minutes or so.
Tip: Read up on the basics of the game before you watch so you will find it easier to follow along.
A Broncos ticket starts at around $30 (when you include ticket processing fees). If you have a pre-purchased ticket, you can catch certain public transport to and from the game for free. Make sure you check the Translink website for conditions.
Cheer on QUT at the State Netball Centre
QUT’s netballers are here to win! Cheer them on each week at the State Netball Centre as they make their way to the top of the ladder. Netball is the most popular women’s team sport in Australia, but males can also play in mixed female-male teams socially.
Tip: If you’re new to netball, read up on the rules so it’s easier to follow along.
Cheering on the QUT netballers costs nothing! If you’re looking to join a social team, get in touch with the QUT Guild or look out for the stalls at Orientation Week.
Do some laps in QUT swimming pools
A great way to maintain your fitness is to swim in QUT’s swimming pools! There is a 25-metre pool on the Kelvin Grove campus and a 50 metre at Gardens Point, both with discounted memberships for students. You can also join in on the gym and fitness classes while you’re there.
A casual day rate for a QUT student is around $5 for the pool and $15 for the gym. But, you can also look at getting a gym pass for value for money.
If you’d rather have a casual swim than doing laps, head on over to South Bank where you can relax in the Streets Beach waters.
Hear the roar for Brisbane’s Football (Soccer) team!
Watch the world’s game being played in Brisbane with the A-League. In Australia, we call football ‘soccer’ (mostly so that we don’t confuse it with the three other variations of football in Australia!).
Cheer on the Brisbane Roar in either semester for around $30 with your QUT ID student discount.
You can head over to Suncorp Stadium from either QUT campus quite easily on the bus. If you have a pre-purchased ticket, you can catch certain public transport to and from the game for free! Make sure you check the Translink website for conditions.
Catch a cricket ball at the Gabba
Cricket is the most-watched sport in Australia and is fundamental to Australian summer culture. There are 3 types of matches: Twenty20 (lasts a few hours), One Day Internationals, and Test Matches (which last 5 days!). If it’s your first time watching the game, we’d recommend you first cheer on the Brisbane Heat in the Twenty20 Big Bash League (BBL).
Make your way to the Gabba early in Semester 1 for the BBL or late in Semester 2 for the one day and test matches.
Tip: Watch the Cricket Australia Big Bash Basics video before you cheer on the Brisbane Heat so you know what to look out for.
A ticket to the BBL will start at around $25. If you have a pre-purchased ticket, you can catch certain public transport to and from the game for free! Make sure you check the Translink website for conditions.
Cheer on the Reds or the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium
You may have already heard of rugby union because it’s very popular around the world. Brisbane’s team, the Reds, plays against teams from around Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa in the Super Rugby.
Rugby is played in winter so you’re more likely to catch a game in Semester 2 at QUT. You can also see Australia play in other countries when the Wallabies take the field at Suncorp Stadium.
A ticket to the Reds will start at around $30, depending on which seats you’re after. If you have a pre-purchased ticket, you can catch certain public transport to and from the game for free. Make sure you check the Translink website for conditions.
For other sporting adventures, check out the Queensland events calendar, follow QUT Sport on Facebook or Instagram, and take a look at the Brisbane sporting events coming up.
This article was written by Brisbane local and QUT staff member, Emma, in August 2020. Any prices are a guide only so please be sure to double-check them before the events and activities. Please also check the activity is operating normally during COVID-19 restrictions.
Head back to the QUT Study Abroad and Exchange web page
