About the Games

A celebration of a second chance of life, demonstrating the success of transplant surgery and promoting the need to raise public awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Australia’s most inspirational sporting event, the Australian Transplant Games is held every two years. The Games provide living proof of the success of transplantation and encourage all Australians to discuss organ and tissue donation with their families.

Many transplant recipients use the Games as motivation to a greater end goal, setting various health and fitness targets along the way as they train.

The Australian Transplant Games is also the country’s largest awareness activity for organ and tissue donation. Transplant Australia boasts an enviable record of influencing public understanding of organ and tissue donation through the staging of the Australian Transplant Games.

The Australian Transplant Games were first held over three days in Melbourne in 1988 with 150 recipient competitors competing in Tennis (at the Kooyong courts), Golf, Table Tennis, Lawn Bowls and for children, Quoits.

Thereafter, the Australian Transplant Games have been held every two years in different cities in different states or territories of Australia.  The Games were due to be held in Launceston in 2020 but wer cancelled due to COVID, the only time the Games have not been held.

The Games cover a multitude of sports and recreational activities, giving individuals the opportunity to try sports they have not participated in before.

The spirit of the Australian Transplant Games is to encourage individuals to be involved in a sporting competition, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Many competitors previously may not have been able to engage in any sort of sporting activity due to their illness. The quality and determination of competitors has led to many participants being selected to represent Australia at the Australian Transplant Games.

Key Messages:

  • Register your donation decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register online at donatelife.gov.au and tell your loved ones.
  • Organ and tissue donation is the ultimate gift – just one organ and tissue donor can transform the lives of ten or more people.
  • The Australian Transplant Games are the country’s largest organ donation awareness event.
  • There are currently more than 1,800 people on the waiting list.

History of the Games:

Games Year City State
1st 1988 Melbourne VIC
2nd 1990 Toowoomba QLD
3rd 1992 Bathurst NSW
4th 1994 Shepparton VIC
5th 1996 Adelaide SA
6th 1998 Ballarat VIC
7th 2000 Wollongong NSW
8th 2002 Gold Coast QLD
9th 2004 Adelaide SA
10th 2006 Geelong VIC
11th 2008 Belmont WA
12th 2010 Canberra ACT
13th 2012 Newcastle NSW
14th 2014 Melbourne VIC
15th 2016 Western Sydney NSW
16th 2018 Gold Coast QLD
17th 2024 Canberra ACT