Hundreds to flock to Ballarat for Australian Ultimate Championships

A Frisbee frenzy is coming to Victoria Park, with Ballarat preparing to once again host the Australian Ultimate Championships.

The national championships will bring together the top 12 Women's and 12 Open clubs from across Australia and New Zealand to battle it out and be crowned the Australian Ultimate Champions for 2024.

To be held from 19-22 April, the event is expected to bring more than 500 people to Ballarat for the event, including competitors, supporters, fans and families.

It is estimated the four-day event will contribute almost $600,000 to the Ballarat economy.

It will be the third time Ballarat has hosted the event, having held it last year and previously in 2016.

Seven Victoria Park sporting ovals will be used for the event, transformed into 10 different playing fields.

The sporting event is the latest in a series of diverse uses of Victoria Park this year, including:

• Hosting the Red Hot Summer Tour and the SummerSalt music festivals in March.
• Becoming the temporary home for 300 firefighters for a CFA basecamp during February bushfires in the region.
• Hosting regular Ballarat Cricket Association matches, as well as being the home of the Ballarat Dog Obedience Club, Equestrian Precinct and disc golf course.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said attracting diverse sports to Ballarat helped cement the city’s reputation as a sports events destination.

"The Australian Ultimate Championships is looming as another great event and we are thrilled they have chosen to host the championships in Ballarat once again,” he said.

“Victoria Park is a jewel in Ballarat’s crown and we are thrilled to be able to continually use the park in so many different ways.

“If you’ve never seen the sport played, I encourage you to come on down and check it out.”

Ultimate is a non-contact team sport played with a flying disc (Frisbee), combining elements of netball, touch football, and grid-iron into a fast paced, athletic sport.

It is unique because the sport is self-refereed – due to the 'Spirit of the Game', players are responsible for adhering to and overseeing the rules themselves.

During a game, the basic aim is for the team with the disc to pass it up the field to others on their team and complete a pass into the endzone.