Launceston’s economy is receiving a massive boost this week with an elite sporting bonanza underway.

This weekend the north is home to the Supercars, NBL games and A-League soccer being staged around the City, ahead of the long awaited return of AFL football next Sunday.

In contrast to this time last year when COVID-19 forced many of these events to be cancelled, sporting fans have returned to Tasmania in droves with hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs reaping the benefits.

This week crowds have packed the Silverdome to see the New Zealand Breakers take the court, with a comfortable win over the Brisbane Bullets last night. The basketball frenzy is just a taste of what’s to come for Tasmanians, when the JackJumpers enter the competition in October.

Across the weekend, around 10,000 motorsport fans are expected trackside at Symmons Plains Raceway for the Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint. In a further boost for motorsport enthusiasts, Targa Tasmania gets underway on Monday. The ultimate tarmac rally will see hundreds of entrants battle it out over more than 2000 kilometres across six days, culminating in Hobart next Saturday April 24.

Tonight soccer fans will get their opportunity to see A-League outfit Western United host their first game in Tasmania at UTAS Stadium against the Central Coast Mariners.

While next Sunday marks the first AFL match to be played in Tasmania since 2019, with eight AFL games scheduled for Launceston and Hobart in 2021.

A re-elected majority Gutwein Liberal Government will continue to secure the future for elite sport, which provides player pathways to the national level, supporting jobs and our economy.