Vigoro was a popular sport over the last century and is still ‘alive and vibrant’ in Queensland.

Queensland is probably the last place on earth to keep vigoro’s unique, cricket-inspired sport alive.

Core items:

• Vigoro is a women’s sport based on the principles of cricket
• It was popular in schools in the early 20th century
• There are only four clubs left in Queensland

Ipswich, Boonah and Cairns remain the last towns and cities to have used school girls’ teams since around the 1920s.

The principles are the same as in cricket – there are two teams, players make runs after hitting a ball and can be caught, fold, run out and of course the winner scores more runs than the other team.

However, vigoro tournaments pit teams of 12 against each other, not 11 like in cricket, and two bowlers take turns bowling – one with a red ball, the other with a white ball.

The racquet is shaped like a kayak paddle with a shorter handle.

Rachel Savage, fourth-generation vigoro player and secretary of the Queensland Vigoro Association, told ABC Radio Brisbane’s Kat Feeney the sport is “alive and vibrant” although “not as big as it used to be”.

There used to be eight vigoro associations in Queensland, one in NSW and one in Tasmania, but only four remain.

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Originally marketed as a sport for girls – the hard cricket ball was considered far too dangerous for young ladies – Ms Savage said some clubs let boys play up to the age of 15.

However, girls and women remained the target group of the clubs.

“We don’t let the men play,” Ms Savage said, but “every club has its own rules”.

“There are a lot of younger lads who play our sport rather than cricket because everyone’s trying and it’s a lot quicker.

“They all think it’s easy until they get out of there.”

Callers to ABC Radio Brisbane were overwhelmingly in favor of restoring vigoro’s popularity, and one fan, Brisbane physiotherapist David Peirce, shared a picture of his mother’s school team.

Sport would be a great Olympic addition

Vigoro is played on a much faster time frame than traditional cricket games and has been compared to the popular T20 style of the game.

In fact, Ms Savage tongue-in-cheek claims that the T20 concept was “stolen” from vigoro.

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Regardless, she would also like to watch the game at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

“We have the facilities and it really is a great sport for all ages and all abilities. You don’t have to be the world’s best player, you don’t have to bowl,” Ms. Savage said.

“We just love that people can get out there and play our sport. It’s very family oriented. I’m the fourth generation of my family to play.

The vigoro season starts again this year in October.(Supplied: Queensland Vigoro Association)

“And it’s a very friendly sport, although our A-class squad is becoming very competitive.”

The season starts again in October.

Visit the Queensland Vigoro Association website for more information.

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Posted 43 million 43 minutes ago Wed, June 15, 2022 updated 32 mins ago 32 mins ago Wed Jun 15, 2022 at 1:35am