Australians committed to Glasgow Games success: Thomas

The Australian Commonwealth Games team is set to embrace a “lighter and leaner” program in Glasgow, with chef de mission Petria Thomas vowing the athlete experience will exceed the last Games.

Team sports hockey, rugby sevens and cricket are among the big-name casualties, axed from the pared-back Glasgow program in 2026.

Next year’s Games, relocated to Scotland after Victoria’s withdrawal as host, will feature just 10 events, which is nine less than the previous edition held in 2022 in Birmingham, England.

Other sports to be left out include diving, badminton, beach volleyball, mountain biking, rhythmic gymnastics, squash and table tennis.

Athletics and swimming were the only sports guaranteed a spot on the program, which also includes track cycling, weightlifting, 3x3 basketball and lawns bowls - all of which include a para equivalent.

Netball, artistic gymnastics, judo and boxing round out the chosen 10, with the Games to run from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, August 2.

But Thomas said the experience would still be memorable for the Australian team, who topped the medal count in Birmingham with 180, including 67 gold.

“We knew the Games were headed to Glasgow, and we now know when they’ll be and the sports that will take part - it’s an exciting milestone in our preparations,” Thomas said in a statement.

“We are committed to an experience for Australia’s team that exceeds Birmingham, with no stone to be left unturned as we target both performance and memories that last a lifetime.”

As a cost-saving measure, the 10 sports will be spread across just four venues - Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Emirates Arena (including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome) and the Scottish Event Campus.

That dictated which sports were included although sevens could be considered unlucky given Scotstoun Stadium, which will host the athletics, is also the home of the Glasgow Warriors rugby union side.

About half the number of athletes who competed in Birmingham - 4822 - are set to be in Glasgow with the reduced cost contributing to the decision to cut weighty team sports.

Cricket was only reintroduced at the 2022 Games.

Athletes and support staff will stay in hotel accommodation rather than an athletes’ village while the event will have low-cost opening and closing ceremonies.

According to the Glasgow 2026 organising committee, the Games “is about delivering a lighter and leaner programme of sports to ensure that we strike a balance between ensuring the event has a high-quality multi-sport feel but that can be delivered to the highest level in a short time-frame on a budget which does not rely on public funds to deliver the Games”.

The multi-sport event had been endangered since the government of Victoria pulled out as host last year, citing spiralling costs, which, it claimed, had blown the budget out to $6 billion.

Victoria then paid $380 million in compensation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), of which $200 million has been directed to Scotland, who also hosted the event in 2014.

That figure will be topped up by $4.5 million from Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) to cover security.

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir said the Glasgow model would mean more countries could afford to host.

‘’The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow - an exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact - in doing so increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting,” she said in a statement.

‘’With the reassuring legacy of Glasgow 2014 providing existing sporting, transport and accommodation infrastructure, and world-class venues and expertise, we look forward to working with the Glasgow team to deliver a very special Commonwealth Games in 2026.”