Great Debate: The Rivarly Of Two World Super Powers Soccer And Basketball

[Broncos fan]

I thought Bobsledding was the #1 sport there ;-)

SNOW IN THE WEST INDIES??????????????

 

[Broncos fan]

By the way Taiwans national sport is baseball. Any other non football countries that you know off????

 

[hrundi99]

The only countries that I know of where soccer is not the national sport are
1. Canada (ice hockey)

Hockey is the biggest sport in Canada, but the "national sport" is actually lacrosse.

 

[hrundi99]

The popularity of a sport should really be based on a combination of participation and patronage and ratings of the professional sports within the country.

That is why soccer would then shift to 4 or 5 in Australia after AFL, NRL and cricket.

By the same token, that is why the NHL is way off the radar in the USA, apart from in cities like Boston, Chicago, Detroit and St Paul.

 

[perth sharkie]

Football is the number one code in South Africa, not rugby. That's because in general the black majority like football, while only the white minority follow rugby.

 

[Broncos fan]

Football is the number one code in South Africa, not rugby. That's because in general the black majority like football, while only the white minority follow rugby.

That means soccer could be the number one sport in every country in AFRICA.

 

[Broncos fan]

Nope, on SBS they said that soccer was atleast 9 times more popular than Cricket and Union.

I think soccer could be even 100 or even 200 times more popular than Rugby Union. Why? well New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga and probably Wales are probably the only countries were Rugby Union is more popular than soccer. Rugby Union is the strongest international brand of all the football codes in Australia and probably in South Africa, but the participation within soccer surpasses that of Rugby Union. Also in China where there are a billion people, soccer ranks as the number 1 sport, were rugby union probably doesnt even exist except for Hong Kong.

Remember this out of a total of 189 independent countries and 46 dependent nations, were only 5 countries have Rugby Union having a real edge than soccer.

 

[tiburon]

Wales number one sport is soccer not Union.

Also soccer may be the most participated sport in Australia but that comes down to it being seen as a 'safe sport' by many parents and others and this is why it is taken up by a large majority of juniors.

 

[Broncos fan]

Wales number one sport is soccer not Union.

Also soccer may be the most participated sport in Australia but that comes down to it being seen as a 'safe sport' by many parents and others and this is why it is taken up by a large majority of juniors.

Are you sure?? Because of all the countries in the northern hemisphere, I think only Wales would claim that rugby union is their national sport. So deeply embedded is the game in the Welsh psyche and so deep is the love for it in wales that rugby union is almost a national barometer charing the state of the nation. Success on the rugby fields is for many welshmen one of the main props of their national identity and self esteem and the Welsh have long acted as rugby missionaries. Rugby Union in Wales is sewn inton the fabric of the whole of Welsh society.

However Tibuton you do have a point because soccer would probably be the most participated sport in Wales as it is strongly influenced by its neighbours England, and the annual FA Cup which has been played in Wales for a at least 4-5 seasons have been one of the most popular sports events in Wales. So I guess they could have embraced soccer as their national sport.

Note. If Soccer is to be the number 1 sport in Wales, that means that the only countries where rugby union is more popular than the mighty World Game is New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. That means that's 4 out of 245 nations. WOW!!!

 

[Broncos fan]

By the way I dont really follow Rugby Union. I just simply get bored watching it.

No offence to Rugby Union fans

 

[Broncos fan]

Note. If Soccer is to be the number 1 sport in Wales, that means that the only countries where rugby union is more popular than the mighty World Game is New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. That means that's 4 out of 245 nations. WOW!!![/QUOTE]

Actually probably make that 6 out of 245 because you have the Cook Islands and Niue both New Zealand dependencies. Any more that you know of ???

 

[Broncos fan]

Basketball is the second biggest sport in Asia and it has over 50% of the worlds population.