Keeping community sport afloat: a national survey of the costs and financial strain of Australian community sports clubs

Introduction Community sport clubs are central to participation systems, yet tight fiscal environments may constrain their ability to deliver affordable sport. The “cost of sport” is often examined from the participant perspective, however less is known about the cost of delivering community sport and financial strain of clubs. Research question: What are the costs to deliver local community sports clubs in Australia? Methods Clubs reported financial position, income sources, expenditure categories, perceived cost pressures, recent changes in operating costs, registration fee options, volunteer and participation trends, and the presence of paid staff and player payments. The resource and capacity theories—Capacity to Serve, Resource-Based View, and Resource Dependency Theory were used as a lens for investigation and discussion. An online survey was conducted in collaboration with the Australian Sports Commission between October and December 2024. The survey was sent to National Sporting Organisations and National Sporting Organisations for people with a disability encouraging distribution to their associated community sports clubs and advertised through social media and a marketing campaign. Results A total of 2,659 clubs from all eight Australian States and Territories and 83 different sports were represented. Overall, 28% of clubs reported operating at a deficit, with deficits more common among metropolitan (31%) than regional and remote clubs (23%). Nearly all clubs (95%) reported increased operating costs in recent years, and 55% reported increasing participant registration fees since the last year/season. Affiliation fees were a common and persistent cost for all types of clubs, while staff employment represented the largest expenditure by dollar magnitude. Participation was more likely to increase than decrease (44% vs. 17%), but volunteer numbers were more likely to decrease than increase (27% vs. 17%). Discussion These findings indicate widespread delivery-side financial strain with flow-on affordability consequences, underscoring the need for policy responses that address club cost drivers alongside participant affordability.