In Melbourne in winter, it is Aussie Rules football. In Sydney, it is the Rugby League! Rugby League, which is very big in New South Wales and Queensland, started as a professional alternative to Rugby Union, the traditional rugby body. Rugby, as a game, is played not only in Australia, and is an international sport. It is played in France, Wales, South Africa, New Zealand etc.

Rugby is a physical rather than cerebral (i.e. thinking) game. Modern strategy is based on an uncompromising masochistic style of defence that prompted one American Football coach to comment: �Our guys could never stand up to that sort of constant punishment.� One does not need to play rugby to get a sense of how much it hurts. The game�s appeal rests in its strong gladiatorial image and macho confrontations as pairs of teams slam into one another head-to-head (known as the �scrum�). Fans love the dazzling backline movements resulting in a �try� (touch down), and it is truly one of the real joys in sports viewing.

The Australian national rugby team, known as the Wallabies, regularly hops through France and Britain for international test matches. The battles are usually furious. In 2000/2001, the Wallabies are the reigning world champions in rugby. Their traditional and biggest rival is the New Zealand/Kiwi national team called the All Blacks.