Major Sporting Events Kick Off In Sydney Arenas This Winter

As Australia's global tourism and events city, Sydney is a fitting destination to host the nation's best sporting events. The jam packed Sydney sporting calendar has already included The Opening Series of Major League Baseball, international surfing, motor sports and the world class horseracing carnival - The Championships.

From football blockbusters to badminton championships, extreme sport challenges and high-octane car racing action, the winter months are filled with a variety of contests across the city's many sporting venues.

Footy Fever

The football action kicks off on Monday 26 May when Australia's Socceroos will meet South Africa's national team in a World Cup Farewell Match. Held at ANZ Stadium, the match will be the perfect opportunity for the nation to get behind the Socceroos before they depart for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the biggest event in football.

The farewell match is the second of two football blockbusters confirmed for ANZ Stadium this year, with Italian soccer giants Juventus to play Australia's A-League All Stars in a must-see glamour friendly on Sunday 10 August. The A-League All Stars will once again represent the best of the A-League, with players and coaching staff selected by football fans.

Rugby union fans will also be treated to first class games this winter. The ultimate trans-Tasman battle ignites as the Qantas Wallabies and All Blacks go head-to-head for the Bledisloe Cup. The match on Saturday 16 August will be a wrestle for the trophy that has eluded the Wallabies for the past 12 years. While from Friday 29 August to Sunday 31 August more than 25 competitive teams and thousands of rugby players, supporters and visitors are expected to visit Sydney to participate in the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014.

When it comes to rugby league, the show of epic rivalry comes to Sydney with the second State of Origin match on Wednesday 18 June. Considered by footie fans as the pinnacle of Australian rugby league, the New South Wales Blues will take on the Queensland Maroons, as they try to win back the coveted trophy for the first time in nine years.

Making a Racquet

Badminton's best of the best congregate in Sydney for the 2014 Australian Badminton Open at Sydney Olympic Park. From Tuesday 24 to Sunday 29 June, over 300 champion players from more than 30 countries around the globe will meet in Sydney to challenge the Australian National Squad. Spectators can see the world's top players show off their racquet sport skills, with some shuttle smashes recorded at speeds in excess of 300 kilometres an hour.

High-Octane Racing

Motorsport fans won't miss out on any action this winter when the highly anticipated V8 Supercars return to Sydney Motorsport Park for round nine of the V8 Supercars Championship. From Friday 22 to Sunday 24 August, V8 enthusiasts will enjoy a weekend of jam-packed racing action, with two 100km races on Saturday and a 200km race on Sunday.

Sporting Stays

The harbour city spoils for choice when it comes to accommodation options for sports fans. For those looking to be close to the action at ANZ Stadium, Accor offers a range of hotels conveniently located in the centre of the Park. Whether it is the budget conscious Ibis, the family friendly Novotel or the 5 star The Pullman, there is a hotel option for everyone.

If waking up in the city is more your game, the new ultra-hip ADGE Apartment Hotel overlooks the Surry Hills design and fashion precinct, and is close to endless options for an amazing breakfast and some of the city's best coffee. Or there's the PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, a family-friendly hotel conveniently located in the heart of the city.

When the big match has finished, the whole family will enjoy visiting nearby attractions such as SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, the IMAX Theatre, the Australian National Maritime Museum and WILDLIFE Sydney Zoo.=

Working Up An Appetite

The Sydney food scene's current passion for hearty, simple and tasty fare suits the winter months perfectly and a vibrant bar and pub scene offers endless new places to discover after a big game. Cosy old pubs include British-style The Lord Dudley in Woollahra, with a crackling fireplace, and the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel in The Rocks, with convict-mined sandstone walls built around a roaring hearth and microbrewery.

Sydney is home to a growing number of excellent craft brewers. The newest are Newtown's Young Henry's, Batch Brewery in Marrickville, and the multi-award-winning Australian Brewery, based in Sydney's The Rocks. They join stalwarts such as Rocks Brewing Co, newly-moved from Harts Pub in The Rocks to its own site in Alexandria, and the Schwartz Brewery Hotel in Surry Hills.

Burgers are a big trend in Sydney right now, and make the perfect meal after a day of sporting action. A new wave of dedicated burger joints are vying for top honours, while "dude food" such as pizza, po'boy - a traditional sandwich from Louisiana - and Mexican dominates the menus at new eateries, including Chur Burger, Surry Hills, Goodtime Burgers, Bondi Junction and Parlour Burger, CBD.

Calendar of Sporting Events

4 May: Ironman Australia, Port Macquarie

15 - 18 May: The Battle on the Border, Tweed Valley
26 May: Socceroos Farewell Match, ANZ Stadium
29 May - 1 June: Port to Port, Newcastle
18 June: State of Origin, ANZ Stadium
24 - 29 June: Aus Badminton Open, Sydney Olympic Park
6 - 10 July: Eastern University Games, Newcastle
10 August: FFA - Juventus vs A-League, ANZ Stadium
16 August: Bledisloe Cup - Wallabies vs All Blacks, ANZ Stadium
22 - 24 August: 2014 Sydney Motorsport Park Supercar Race Weekend, Sydney Motorsport Park
29 August - 31 August: Bingham Cup, Woollahra and Rose Bay
2 - 19 August: Aus Surf Festival, Coffs Harbour

For more information on sporting events taking place in Sydney and New South Wales this winter, visit http://www.sydney.com/events-sporting-events?from=footer or http://www.visitnsw.com/events-sporting-events?from=footer