Australia national speedway team

{{Short description|Australian national motorcycle speedway team}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2011}} {{Infobox national motorcycle speedway team |clubname = Australia |image = Flag_of_Australia.svg |imagesize = 250px |manager = |captain = |colour = Green/Yellow |swcwins = '''4''' (1976, 1999, 2001, 2002) Speedway of Nations '''2''' (2002, 2025) }}

The '''Australia national speedway team''' is one of the leading teams in international [[motorcycle speedway]], with the country regarded as the birthplace of the sport in the 1920s. The team are six-times champions of the world having won the sports premier team competition in [[1976 Speedway World Team Cup|1976]], [[1999 Speedway World Team Cup|1999]], [[2001 Speedway World Cup|2001]], [[2002 Speedway World Cup|2002]], [[2022 Speedway of Nations|2022]] and [[2025 Speedway of Nations|2025]].<ref>{{cite magazine |author= |title=Speedway of Nations Preview |url=|magazine=Speedway Star |page=22 |location= |publisher= |date=23 July 2022 |access-date=}}</ref>

== History == The national speedway team held test matches against the [[England national speedway team|England]] as early as 1928, although the first official test match is listed as 30 June 1930 at [[Wimbledon Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/unitedkingdom.htm |title=United Kingdom international matches |website=International Speedway |access-date=24 October 2023}}</ref>

The team won its first [[Speedway World Team Cup]] in 1976, with captain [[John Boulger]], [[Phil Crump]], [[Billy Sanders]] and [[Phil Herne]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Martin|title=The Illustrated History of Speedway|year=1978|page=134|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-904584-45-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bott|first=Richard|title=The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4|year=1980|page=99|publisher=Stanley Paul & Co Ltd|isbn=0-09-141751-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Oakes|first=Peter|title=1981 Speedway Yearbook|year=1981|pages=27–28|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-86215-017-5}}</ref> They had to wait over 30 years before winning three tournaments out of four, between 1999 and 2002. Key riders during the period were [[Jason Crump]], [[Leigh Adams]], [[Ryan Sullivan]] and [[Todd Wiltshire]], who all took part in three wins, while [[Jason Lyons]] rode in two (1999 and 2002) and [[Craig Boyce]] rode in 2001.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.speedwayworld.tv/en/swc/a2595 | title = Roll of honour | publisher = Benfield Sports International (BSI) | year = 2008 | access-date = 2008-09-16 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213807/http://www.speedwayworld.tv/en/swc/a2595 | archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref>

The fifth and sixth successes came in the [[2022 Speedway of Nations]] and the [[2025 Speedway of Nations]] respectively (the alternate competition to the World Cup) with the squad members being [[Jack Holder]], [[Brady Kurtz]], [[Max Fricke]] and [[Jason Doyle]].<ref>{{cite magazine |author= |title=Awesome Aussies |url=|magazine=Speedway Star |pages=3–10 |location= |publisher= |date=6 August 2022 |access-date=}}</ref>

Four times [[Australian Individual Speedway Championship|Australian]] champion [[Jim Airey]] is the only Australian rider to win the World Team Cup not riding for Australia. He won the [[1971 Speedway World Team Cup]] in Wrocław, Poland, as part of the [[Great Britain national speedway team|Great Britain]] team.

==Major tournament wins== === World Team Championships === {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; width: 60%; text-align: center;" |- ! Year ! Venue ! Standings (Pts) ! colspan="2" | Australia Riders and Pts |- | rowspan="5" |[[1976 Speedway World Team Cup|1976]] | rowspan="5" |{{flagicon|ENG}} London [[White City Stadium]] | rowspan="5" style="text-align: left;"| 1. {{flagicon|AUS}} '''Australia''' (31) 2. {{flagicon|POL}} [[Poland speedway team|Poland]] (28) 3. {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sweden speedway team|Sweden]] (26) 4. {{flagicon|Soviet Union}} [[Russia speedway team|Soviet Union]] (11) | [[Phil Crump]] | 11 |- | [[Billy Sanders]] | 7 |- | [[Phil Herne]] | 7 |- | [[John Boulger]] | 6 |- | [[Garry Middleton]] | - |- | rowspan="5" |[[1999 Speedway World Team Cup|1999]] | rowspan="5" |{{flagicon|CZE}} Pardubice [[Svítkov Stadion]] | rowspan="5" style="text-align: left;"| 1. {{flagicon|AUS}} '''Australia''' (51) 2. {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Czech Republic national speedway team|Czech Republic]] (35) 3. {{flagicon|USA}} [[USA speedway team|USA]] (29) 4. {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Great Britain speedway team|England]] (29) | [[Leigh Adams]] | 14 |- | [[Jason Crump]] | 13+1 |- | [[Ryan Sullivan]] | 12+3 |- | [[Jason Lyons]] | 10+3 |- | [[Todd Wiltshire]] | 2+1 |- | rowspan="5" |[[2001 Speedway World Cup Final|2001]] | rowspan="5" |{{flagicon|POL}} Wrocław [[Olympic Stadium (Wrocław)|Olympic Stadium]] | rowspan="5" style="text-align: left;"| 1. {{flagicon|AUS}} '''Australia''' (68) 2. {{flagicon|POL}} Poland (65) 3. {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden (51) 4. {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Denmark speedway team|Denmark]] (44) 5. {{flagicon|USA}} USA (30) | Jason Crump | 20 |- | Leigh Adams | 16 |- | Ryan Sullivan | 13 |- | Todd Wiltshire | 10 |- | [[Craig Boyce]] | 9 |- | rowspan="5" |[[2002 Speedway World Cup Final|2002]] | rowspan="5" |{{flagicon|ENG}} Peterborough [[East of England Showground]] | rowspan="5" style="text-align: left;"| 1. {{flagicon|AUS}} '''Australia''' (64) 2. {{flagicon|DEN}} Denmark (58) 3. {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden (54) 4. {{flagicon|POL}} Poland (48) 5. {{flagicon|CZE}} Czech Republic (36) | Leigh Adams | 17 |- | Ryan Sullivan | 17 |- | Jason Crump | 14 |- | Todd Wiltshire | 13 |- | Jason Lyons | 3 |- | rowspan="3" |[[2022 Speedway of Nations|2022]] | rowspan="3" |{{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens [[Vojens Speedway Center]] | rowspan="3" style="text-align: left;"| 1. {{flagicon|AUS}} '''Australia''' (30) 2. {{flagicon|GBR}} Great Britain (32) 3. {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden (30) 4. {{flagicon|DEN}} Denmark (28) 5. {{flagicon|CZE}} Czech Republic (27) 6. {{flagicon|POL}} Poland (26) 7. {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Finland national speedway team|Finland]] (16) | [[Jack Holder]] | 19+4+4 |- |[[Max Fricke]] | 11+3+2 |- | [[Jason Doyle]] | res |- | rowspan="3" |[[2025 Speedway of Nations|2025]] | rowspan="3" |{{flagicon|POL}} Toruń [[MotoArena Toruń]] | rowspan="3" style="text-align: left;"| 1. {{flagicon|AUS}} '''Australia''' (37) 2. {{flagicon|POL}} Poland (35) 3. {{flagicon|DEN}} Denmark (34) 4. {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden (27) 5. {{flagicon|GBR}} Great Britain (24) 6. {{flagicon|LAT}} [[Latvia national speedway team|Latvia]] (18) 7. {{flagicon|CZE}} Czechia (14) | [[Brady Kurtz]] | 20+4 |- |[[Jack Holder]] | 17+3 |- | [[Jason Doyle]] | res |}

== International caps (as of 2022) == Since the advent of the [[Speedway Grand Prix]] era, international caps earned by riders is largely restricted to international competitions, whereas previously test matches between two teams were a regular occurrence. This means that the number of caps earned by a rider has decreased in the modern era.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=6 October 2023}}</ref> {|class="sortable wikitable" |- !width="180"|Rider !width="50"|Caps |- |[[Leigh Adams|Adams, Leigh]]||71 |- |[[Jim Airey|Airey, Jim]]||36 |- |[[Gary Allan (speedway rider)|Allan, Gary*]]||1 |- |[[Kym Amundson|Amundson, Kym]]||4 |- |[[Robin Amundson|Amundson, Robin]]||1 |- |[[Jack Arnfield (speedway rider)|Arnfield, Jack]]||1 |- |[[Frank Arthur|Arthur, Frank]]||15 |- |[[Junior Bainbridge|Bainbridge, Junior]]||9 |- |[[Steve Baker (speedway rider)|Baker, Steve]]||13 |- |[[Greg Bartlett|Bartlett, Greg]]||1 |- |[[Chris Bass|Bass, Chris]]||7 |- |[[Troy Batchelor|Batchelor, Troy]]||9 |- |[[Stan Bear|Bear, Stan]]||4 |- |[[Lionel Benson|Benson, Lionel]]||3 |- |[[Les Bentzen|Bentzen, Les]]||1 |- |[[Jack Bibby (speedway rider)|Bibby, Jack]]||4 |- |[[Jack Biggs|Biggs, Jack]]||39 |- |[[Robbie Blackadder|Blackadder, Robbie]]||4 |- |[[Bobby Blake (speedway rider)|Blake, Bobby]]||1 |- |[[Ernie Blight|Blight, Ernie]]||3 |- |[[Johnny Board|Board, Johnny]]||1 |- |[[John Boulger|Boulger, John]]||65 |- |[[John Bowerman|Bowerman, John]]||1 |- |[[Shane Bowes|Bowes, Shane]]||51 |- |[[Craig Boyce|Boyce, Craig]]||45 |- |[[Tony Boyle (speedway rider)|Boyle, Tony]]||1 |- |[[Peter Bradshaw (speedway rider)|Bradshaw, Peter]]||1 |- |[[Bill Bryden (speedway rider)|Bryden, Bill]]||10 |- |[[Troy Butler|Butler, Troy]]||28 |- |[[Ken Cameron (speedway rider)|Cameron, Ken]]||3 |- |[[MArk Carlson|Carlson, Mark]]||6 |- |[[Dicky Case|Case, Dick]]||39 |- |[[Stan Catlett|Catlett, Stan]]||1 |- |[[Johnny Chamberlain|Chamberlain, Johnny]]||6 |- |[[Jack Chapman (speedway rider)|Chapman, Jack]]||17 |- |[[David Cheshire|Cheshire David]]||3 |- |[[Rod Chessell|Chessell, Rod]]||1 |- |[[Jack Chignell|Chignell, Jack]]||5 |- |[[Norman Clay|Clay, Norman]]||2 |- |[[Neil Coddington|Coddington, Neil]]||8 |- |[[Eric Collins (speedway rider)|Collins, Eric]]||9 |- |[[Rod Colquhoun|Colquhoun, Rod]]||3 |- |[[Keith Cox (speedway rider)|Cox, Keith]]||5 |- |[[Ray Cresp|Cresp, Ray]]||4 |- |[[Jason Crump|Crump, Jason]]||51 |- |[[Phil Crump|Crump, Phil]]||76 |- |[[Geoff Curtis|Curtis, Geoff]]||9 |- |[[Stephen Davies (speedway rider)|Davies, Stephen]]||27 |- |[[Ricky Day|Day, Ricky]]||10 |- |[[Frank Dolan|Dolan, Frank]]||8 |- |[[Glenn Doyle|Doyle, Glenn]]||20 |- |[[Frank Duckett|Duckett, Frank]]||20 |- |[[Ray Duggan|Duggan, Ray]]||14 |- |[[Vic Duggan|Duggan, Vic]]||30 |- |[[Peter Dykes|Dykes, Peter]]||1 |- |[[Ernie Evans (speedway rider)|Evans, Ernie]]||8 |- |[[Mike Farrell (speedway rider)|Farrell, Mike]]||12 |- |[[Eric Fenn|Fenn, Eric]]||8 |- |[[Mark Fiora|Fiora, Mike]]||6 |- |[[Wayne Forrest|Forrest, Wayne]]||3 |- |[[Billy Galloway|Galloway, Billy]]||1 |- |[[Dennis Gavros|Gavros, Dennis]]||3 |- |[[Jack Geran|Geran, Jack]]||11 |- |[[Max Grosskreutz|Grosskreutz, Max]]||57 |- |[[Gordon Guasco|Guasco, Gordon]]||10 |- |[[Gary Guglielmi|Guglielmi, Gary]]||14 |- |[[Keith Gurtner|Gurtner, Keith]]||23 |- |[[Arnie Hansen|Hansen, Arnie]]||3 |- |[[Merv Harding|Harding, Merv]]||11 |- |[[Harold Hastings (speedway rider)|Hastings, Harold]]||1 |- |[[Ron Henderson (speedway rider)|Henderson, Ron]]||2 |- |[[Phil Herne|Herne, Phil]]||41 |- |[[Les Hewitt|Hewitt, Les]]||1 |- |[[Buzz Hibberd|Hibberd, Buzz]]||1 |- |[[Craig Hodgson|Hodgson, Craig]]||8 |- |[[Chris Holder|Holder, Chris]]||17 |- |[[Bob Humphreys (speedway rider)|Humphreys, Bob]]||12 |- |[[Alec Hunter|Hunter, Alec]]||3 |- |[[Rod Hunter (speedway rider)|Hunter, Rod]]||3 |- |[[Vic Huxley|Huxley, Vic]]||47 |- |[[Jack Hyland|Hyland, Jack]]||2 |- |[[Dave Hynes (speedway rider)|Hynes, Dave]]||1 |- |[[Peter Ingram (speedway rider)|Ingram, Peter]]||2 |- |[[Clayton Isbel|Isbel, Clayton]]||1 |- |[[Dave Jackson (speedway rider)|Jackson, Dave]]||4 |- |[[Ron Johnson (speedway rider)|Johnson, Ron]]||59 |- |[[Steve Johnston|Johnston, Steve]]||16 |- |[[Danny Kennedy (speedway rider)|Kennedy, Danny]]||10 |- |[[Greg Kentwell|Kentwell, Greg]]||18 |- |[[Bert Kingston|Kingston, Bert]]||9 |- |[[Steve Koppe|Koppe, Steve]]||16 |- |[[Billy Lamont (speedway rider)|Lamont, Billy]]||15 |- |[[Bill Landels|Landels, Bill]]*||8 |- |[[Tony Langdon|Langdon, Tony]]||8 |- |[[John Langfield|Langfield, John]]||50 |- |[[Steve Langton (speedway rider)|Langton, Steve]]||2 |- |[[Aub Lawson|Lawson, Aub]]||70 |- |[[Don Lawson|Lawson, Don]]||4 |- |[[Ken Le Breton|Le Breton, Ken]]||12 |- |[[Les Leisk|Leisk, Les]]||9 |- |[[Mark Lemon (speedway rider)|Lemon, Mark]]||8 |- |[[Bob Leverenz|Leverenz, Bob]]||10 |- |[[Lionel Levy|Levy, Lionel]]||16 |- |[[Harry Lewis (speedway rider)|Lewis, Harry]]||1 |- |[[Norman Lindsay (speedway rider)|Lindsay, Norman]]||1 |- |[[Wally Little (speedway rider)|Little, Wally]]||13 |- |[[Bryan Loakes|Loakes, Bryan]]||7 |- |[[Bill Longley (speedway rider)|Longley, Bill]]||39 |- |[[Jason Lyons|Lyons, Jason]]||35 |- |[[Kevin MacDonald (speedway rider)|MacDonald, Kevin]]||1 |- |[[Bruce McCallum|McCallum, Bruce]]||1 |- |[[Glenn McDonald (speedway rider)|McDonald, Glenn]]||5 |- |[[Travis McGowan|McGowan, Travis]]||2 |- |[[Dudley McKean|McKean, Dudley]]||2 |- |[[Mick McKeon (speedway rider)|McKeown, Mick]]||11 |- |[[Doug McLachlan|McLachlan,Doug]]||2 |- |[[Rob Maxfield|Maxfield, Rob]]||1 |- |[[Bill Melluish|Melluish, Bill]]||2 |- |[[Andy Menzies|Menzies, Andy]]||6 |- |[[Garry Middleton|Middleton, Garry]]||1 |- |[[Dave Mills (speedway rider)|Mills, Dave]]||1 |- |[[Clem Mitchell|Mitchell, Clem]]||29 |- |[[Lindsay Mitchell (speedway rider)|Mitchell, Lindsay]]||2 |- |[[Charlie Monk (speedway rider)|Monk, Charlie]]||26 |- |[[Peter Moore (speedway rider)|Moore, Peter]]||22 |- |[[Ronnie Moore (speedway rider)|Moore, Ronnie]]||13 |- |[[Stuart Mountford|Mountford, Stuart]]||3 |- |[[Geoff Mudge|Mudge, Geoff]]||10 |- |[[Mick Murphy (speedway rider)|Murphy, Mick]]||7 |- |[[Ken Murray (speedway rider)|Murray, Ken]]||2 |- |[[Scott Norman|Norman, Scott]]||2 |- |[[Tim Nunan|Nunan, Tim]]||2 |- |O'Brien, Trevor||1 |- |[[Shane Parker (speedway rider)|Parker, Shane]]||20 |- |[[Arthur Payne (speedway rider)|Payne, Arthur]]||18 |- |[[Frank Pearce (speedway rider)|Pearce, Frank]]||8 |- |[[Mick Poole (speedway rider)|Poole, Mick]]||22 |- |[[Don Prettejohn|Prettjohn, Dave]]||2 |- |[[Ty Proctor|Proctor, Ty]]||3 |- |[[Allan Quinn|Quinn, Allan]]||1 |- |[[Steve Regeling|Regeling, Steve]]||28 |- |[[Steve Reinke (speedway rider)|Reinke, Steve]]||16 |- |[[Alan Rivett|Rivett, Alan]]*||9 |- |[[Bill Rogers (speedway rider)|Rogers, Bill]]||13 |- |[[Buck Ryan (speedway rider)|Ryan, Buck]]||6 |- |[[Jim Ryman|Ryman, Jim]]||2 |- |[[Billy Sanders|Sanders, Billy]]||67 |- |[[Lou Sansom|Sansom, Lou]]||3 |- |[[Les Sawyer|Sawyer, Les]]||1 |- |[[Sig Schlam|Schlam, Sig]]||1 |- |[[Rory Schlein|Schlein, Rory]]||10 |- |[[Jack Scott (speedway rider)|Scott, Jack]]||7 |- |[[Justin Sedgmen|Sedgmen, Justin]]||1 |- |[[Dick Seers|Seers, Dick]]||1 |- |[[Jack Sharp (speedway rider)|Sharp, Jack]]||14 |- |[[Bob Sharp (speedway rider)|Sharp, Bob]]||13 |- |[[Les Sharpe|Sharpe, Les]]||8 |- |[[Adam Shields|Shields, Adam]]||6 |- |[[Dave Shields (speedway rider)|Shields, Dave]]||1 |- |[[Mitch Shirra|Shirra, Mitch]]*||2 |- |[[Dicky Smythe|Smythe, Dick]]||10 |- |[[Bert Spencer|Spencer, Bert]]||6 |- |[[Charlie Spinks|Spinks, Charlie]]||26 |- |[[Col Stewart|Stewart Col]]||1 |- |[[Len Stewart (speedway rider)|Stewart, Len]]||1 |- |[[Neil Street|Street, Neil]]||9 |- |[[Ryan Sullivan|Sullivan, Ryan]]||33 |- |[[Dick Sulway|Sulway, Dick]]||3 |- |[[Alby Taylor|Taylor, Alby]]||2 |- |[[Chum Taylor|Taylor, Chum]]||28 |- |[[Glyn Taylor|Taylor, Glyn]]||8 |- |[[Ray Taylor (speedway rider)|Taylor, Ray]]||4 |- |[[Peter Thompson (speedway rider)|Thompson, Peter]]||6 |- |[[John Titman|Titman, John]]||61 |- |[[Kevin Torpie|Torpie, Kevin]]||14 |- |[[Nigel Tremmeling|Tremmeling, Nigel]]||1 |- |[[Terry Tulloch|Tulloch, Terry]]||2 |- |[[Doug Underwood (speedway rider)|Underwood, Doug]]||2 |- |[[Bob Valentine (speedway rider)|Valentine, Bob]]||24 |- |[[Lionel Van Praag|Van Praag, Lionel]]||54 |- |[[Peter Vandenberg|Vandenberg, Peter]]||2 |- |[[Ken Walsh (speedway rider)|Walsh, Ken]]||3 |- |[[Darcy Ward|Ward, Darcy]]||8 |- |[[Graham Warren|Warren, Graham]]||29 |- |[[Cliff Watson (speedway rider)|Watson, Cliff]]||14 |- |[[Noel Watson (speedway rider)|Watson, Noel]]||4 |- |[[Davey Watt|Watt, Davey]]||18 |- |[[Doug White (speedway rider)|White, Doug]]||7 |- |[[Bluey Wilkinson|Wilkinson, Bluey]]||63 |- |[[Todd Wiltshire|Wiltshire, Todd]]||29 |- |[[Dick Wise|Wise, Dick]]||4 |- |[[Len Woods (speedway rider)|Woods, Len]]||2 |- |[[Cameron Woodward|Woodward, Cameron]]||1 |- |[[Keith Wright (speedway rider)|Wright, Keith]]||1 |- |[[Frank Young (speedway rider)|Young, Frank]]||1 |- |[[Jack Young (speedway rider)|Young, Jack]]||32 |}

Riders marked with an asterisk represented Australia but were not Australian.

== See also == * [[Australia national under-21 speedway team|Australian under-21 speedway team]] * [[Australian Individual Speedway Championship]]

== References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:National speedway teams]] [[Category:Men's national sports teams of Australia|Speedway]] [[Category:Speedway in Australia|Team]] [[Category:Speedway World Cup champions|!]]