Words: Myffy Rigby

Finding a good pub to watch league of a Friday evening, AFL of a Saturday afternoon or cricket of a Sunday is a lot harder than it really ought to be. And, against all logic, the last thing you want to do is wind up somewhere that advertises itself as a “sports bar”. There you will be met by a bogan brethren that has been drunk since last week, along with soulless, metallic décor, dreadful beer and more TAB machines lining the walls than there are television screens.

No, what you want is a pub that is, at its most fundamental level, a pub, but a pub that understands the importance of sport to its cultured, attractive clientele (yes, you, you handsome devil). It will be a venue with an eclectic range of beverages, fine food and that all-important, so often elusive ingredient: atmosphere. So, with the cricket season in full swing and the 2012/13 NRL and AFL seasons but months away, we’ve kicked off the year with a round-up of the best bars for watching sport across the country.