Love Every Second of Sporting Sydney

Bledisloe Cup

Thrilling world-class events, physical pursuits and red-hot action are set to take over Sydney in the lead up to summer and there’s never been a better time to visit. Grab some mates and cheer on the Qantas Wallabies as they take on the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup, bond with the boys as you enjoy every nail-biting moment of the NRL Grand Final or challenge yourself to reach your own P.B. during the Sydney Running Festival. You’ll love every second of Sporting Sydney.

See it Live

The fiercely contested trans-Tasman showdown between the Qantas Wallabies and the All Blacks reaches new heights in 2012 during the inaugural Bledisloe Cup Festival Sydney. Supporters can meet the Wallabies during a fan day at Tumbalong Park on Saturday 12 August and see an extensive collection of rugby memorabilia at the ‘Rivalry in Rugby, Brothers in War’ exhibition at the Museum of Sydney. The week culminates in the Bledisloe Cup clash at ANZ Stadium on Saturday 18 August.

The live sports action continues after the Bledisloe Cup Festival Sydney with a jam-packed calendar of AFL, NRL and Spring Racing action.

- The Sydney Swans have been sitting atop of the AFL ladder and with the countdown on to finals the last home games for the year are sure to be sell-outs. See the Swans take on Collingwood during a blockbuster game at ANZ Stadium on Saturday 11 August before the team returns to the SCG to take on Hawthorn on Saturday 25 August.

Greater Western Sydney (GWS)

- Sydney’s new AFL team, the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants, take on Port Adelaide on Saturday 4 August. Cheer on the GWS team as they play their final home game for 2012 at Skoda Stadium.

- NRL Grand Final fever takes over Sydney with a week-long celebration as the 2012 Rugby League competition reaches its exciting climax on Sunday 30 September at ANZ Stadium.

- The glamour, fashion and thrill of thoroughbred racing returns during the Spring Racing Carnival. Commencing on Saturday 1 September at Rosehill Racecourse the carnival continues until Saturday 10 November with feature races at both Rosehill and Royal Randwick racecourses.

- Firefighters from around the world will descend on Sydney during the World Firefighters Games. From 1-28 October, see the competitors in challenges including archery, wrestling, poker and the show-stopping Toughest Firefighter Alive.

Join in the Fun

Whether you choose to participate in the Marathon, Half Marathon, Bridge Run and Family Fun Run, the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival on Sunday 16 September gives you the opportunity to run, jog or walk over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge traffic-free and cross the finish line at the Sydney Opera House.

Why leave all the action to the professionals? Test your skills during one of these challenging pursuits around Sydney.

Sydney Motorsport Park

- Live the dream and experience the thrill of motorsport racing at Sydney Motorsport Park at Eastern Creek Raceway. During the Supercar Experience let one of the professional drivers take you for a spin around the circuit in a Lamborghini Gallardo or one of the V8 supercars.

- Be one of the 75,000 people making the 14km journey from Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD to Bondi Beach during The Sun-Herald City 2 Surf. The world’s largest fun run is one of Sydney’s favourite sporting events. www.city2surf.com.au

- Experience the thrill of flying past Sydney’s Harbour and coastline during a doors-off helicopter flight with Sydney HeliTours. The stunning view of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, combined with the wind blowing through your hair is the ultimate adrenalin experience.

- Pedal power will be in force during the 29th annual Spring Cycle on Sunday 21 October. 10,000 cyclists will begin their journey in North Sydney, cycling over the main deck of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and choosing to follow either the 15km City Ride to Pyrmont or the longer, 50kmClassic Ride to Sydney Olympic Park.

- There is no better place in the world than to learn to sail a yacht than Sydney Harbour. EastSail offer courses for a range of skill levels departing daily from Rushcutters Bay. From October, the Harbour comes alive with the Twilight Racing Series making it a perfect time to take to the water and see all the action up close.

Flight Simulator, Darling Harbour

- Experience the thrill of flying without leaving the city at Flight Simulator, Darling Harbour. The fully enclosed cockpit has 180 degree views and you can choose to fly to one of 24 destinations. The Flight Simulator experience is suitable for novice flyers embarking on a maiden flight, through to fully-trained pilots.

- Dive with sharks at the refurbished Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary.Swim inside the aquarium with huge grey nurse sharks, giant stingrays, sea turtles, turtles and a vast array of marine life during the Shark Dive Xtreme tour.

Sporting Tucker

Cyclists will love visiting the Town Bike Pitstop. The café hosts the Redfern Bike Depot, a free space to maintain your bike, borrow tools and to utilise the onsite workshop.

-Whether you’ve worked up a hunger after the game or need some R&R, there’s no shortage of dining options or watering holes in Sydney.

- Mobile food trucks are now feeding hungry revellers and tweeting their locations daily to a loyal army of followers. Cantina Mobil (@CantinaMobil) is the first truck to hit the streets, serving up Mexican fare and. Eat Art Truck (@EatArtTruck) doubles as a moving canvas for art while serving delicacies such as marinated charred spatchcock with rocket, pickled pear and grilled haloumi from former Tetsuya’s sous-chef Stuart McGill and Veggie Patch, where vegetarian versions of classic street food will be created using ingredients from the truck’s rooftop herb garden.

Crave Sydney International Food Festival

- Mr Wong is the hot new restaurant from the Merivale crew and head chef Dan Hong. Located in the CBD, the 240 seater restaurant is serving up contemporary Cantonese cuisine and the menu features over 60 dishes including Chinese roasted duck and a huge dim sum selection.

- During the month of October, satisfy your cravings at one of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival events ranging from Barbeque Madness to the Night Noodle Markets.