Australia’s most dangerous sport named in landmark study that reveals shocking number of Aussies dying while playing the games they love

A new study has named the most dangerous sport in Australia, among other shocking figures that have stunned fans.

According to Lauren Fortington of Edith Cowan University, at least one Australian dies every week while playing sports.

Her research focused on coronal reports on deaths during or related to sports between July 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019.

A total of 1,192 deaths were studied, for an average of 63 per year. Men were responsible for 84.4 percent of these deaths.

Motorsport on wheels was considered the most dangerous sport in Australia, with 26.9 percent of deaths in the sport attributed to activities such as motorcycle racing.

Motor sports have been named the most dangerous sports in Australia

Non-motor sports on wheels, such as cycling, were responsible for a further 16.2 percent of deaths, while blunt force trauma was the most common cause of death at a whopping 85.4 percent.

However, the number of deaths in team sports was much lower. In total there were eight in rugby league and seven in Aussie Rules Football during that long period.

“It’s about making sure we stay active and safe and promoting that in Australia,” Fortington said of her research, which highlights the risks of sport.

Unsurprisingly, cycling sports had the highest number of injuries and hospital admissions, while cycling caused the most sports injuries last year: 9,800.

Motorcycle and car racing had the highest number of injuries requiring hospital admission, while more than half of all hospital admissions were for fractures, most commonly a broken arm or shoulder.

Less than 5 percent of all hospital admissions for sports injuries were related to concussion.