As Australian society became more commercialised and globalised, so did our sport. From an amateur, locally-based pastime, sport in Australia gradually evolved into a professional, highly lucrative industry with international scope.
The development of sport in Australia also reflects the gradual movement of our culture away from its British roots, towards a more Americanised, yet distinctly Australian cultural hybrid. While sports like cricket and the various codes of rugby point to our British heritage, modern sports like basketball demonstrate the penetration of American influence into our culture. At the same time, local sports like Australian Rules football continue to thrive.
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Sport is one area of Australian society that, for decades, resisted American influence and retained a strong British influence. Popular contemporary sports like cricket, horse racing, and rugby union were all originally transferred to Australia from Britain. Australia and Britain also share many great sporting traditions like rugby internationals and The Ashes cricket matches. Australians still relish beating England 'at her own game'.
From the 1970s, American culture was changing the nature of Australian sport. This was accelerated by advances in communications technology, which enabled more widespread, frequent and up-to-date broadcasts of American sport into Australian homes. From the 1970s, the American influence also changed the way sport was presented. Many Australian sporting matches began to feature American-style glitz and glamour, such as football games where players and the crowd were boosted by cheerleaders and mascots. The World Series Cricket tournament, developed in the late 1970s, was inspired by American baseball. It featured brightly-clad players, night games and shorter match times - all designed to appeal to a modern television