About Us
Remember when?
Remember when you'd rush home after school, throw your backpack on the ground, and sprint outside to meet your friends?
No phones. No DMs. No swiping right. Just you, your buddies, and a ball.
The grass stains on your knees, the breathless laughter, and that weird kid from down the street who always insisted on being goalkeeper.
That sweet, sweet '90s life.
Well, guess what? We're bringing it back! But this time, you're allowed to stay up past 9 PM and no one's mom is calling you home for dinner.
Who The Heck Are We?
What started as one slightly chaotic soccer game in 2014 (with questionable referee calls and even more questionable short-shorts) has somehow morphed into Brisbane's largest social sports club for grown-ups who want to feel like kids again.
SportUP now has over 12,718 players across Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast who are ditching their phones, closing their laptops, and logging off dating apps to actually see other humans in real life. Shocking, we know!
What We're All About
Our mission? Pretty simple:
Help you live your best dang life: Feel happier, laugh more, get fit with friends.
We currently have 12,718 members (yes, we counted) playing social Netball, Basketball, Soccer (that's Football for you rebel English), and Volleyball across 60 competitions at 18 premium venues.
And when we say "social sports," we MEAN it. This isn't about reliving your failed professional athlete dreams or intimidating everyone with your super-serious game face.
It's about:
- Having a giggle when someone trips over nothing
- High-fiving strangers who become friends
- Realising you're way less coordinated than you remember
- Celebrating epic fails as much as epic wins
- Actually looking forward to weeknights (what?!)
Our Very Serious Business Values
(Except we're not serious. Like, at all.)
- We really care (about you, your experience, and whether you're having fun)
- Solutions over problems (spilled beer? here's a napkin and another beer)
- We keep it simple (like your dating life before apps)
- We have fun (it's literally in our job description)
- No Jerks (if you're a jerk, please go be a jerk elsewhere)
Ready To Ditch The Screen And Join The Team? Choose your sport and jump in! No training, no pressure, just good old-fashioned social games with friends:
Social Netball Brisbane
Social Basketball Brisbane
Social Soccer Brisbane
Social Volleyball Brisbane
Your 10-year-old self would be so proud.
And your Apple Watch may finally stop judging you.
What SportUP does
One simple season fee. No training, no trials, no weekly match fees.
Social competitions for teams
Register your team into a 12-round season of netball, basketball, soccer or volleyball at one of our venues. You play one game a week, Monday to Thursday, between 6pm and 9:20pm. Every player pays their own share in the SportUP app, so the captain never fronts the whole fee.
Solo sign-ups placed on a team
Moved to a new city or your mates will not commit? Book as an individual and we place you on a SportUP team in the comp and night you choose. You get a full season, a team chat in the app and a subs pool when numbers are short.
Corporate and workplace teams
Work teams play in the same social comps as everyone else, with a single itemised invoice for the whole season. Corporate netball teams get a free set of bibs. It is a weekly team-building session that people actually turn up to.
The SportUP app
Fixtures, results, ladders, RSVPs, team chat, subs requests and payments live in the SportUP app for iPhone and Android. Wet weather calls and venue changes reach every player as a notification, not a buried email.
What makes SportUP different
Brisbane has other ways to play social sport. Here is where we sit.
29 venues, indoor and outdoor
We run 60 competitions a season across 29 venues in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, from the CBD to Nundah, Moorooka, Carina and Palm Beach. Brisbane City Indoor Sports runs from a single centre at Coorparoo. Our aim is a SportUP comp within 15 minutes of your house.
One season fee, no weekly match fees
You pay one fee for the 12-round season and that is it. Council and association leagues usually charge a registration or membership fee plus a match fee every week. Teams split the SportUP fee per player in the app, which works out around 30% cheaper per person than booking solo.
Join solo and we do the rest
Individuals are placed on a real SportUP team with an active roster, not a waiting list. We run subs groups for Brisbane and the Gold Coast so short-handed teams still play. Urban Rec also takes solo sign-ups; we go one step further and sort your subs too.
The Pinky Promise guarantee
If you do not love your first game, tell us within 24 hours. We find you a better fit, cover your next game free, and refund 100% if the second game still misses the mark. It is written into every booking, team or solo.
A Vibe Champ at every venue
Every game night has a qualified referee plus a SportUP Vibe Champ who runs the music, the equipment and the mood. Divisions are Social, Super Social and Super Duper Social, so beginners and skilled teams are never fixtured together after grading week 3.
A human answers
Team enquiries get a phone call from our concierge the same business day, often within minutes. Messages are answered the same weekday. You deal with a local competition manager who knows your venue, not a ticket queue.
Who plays SportUP
12,718 players a week. Most of them look something like this.
- Young professionals aged 20 to 45 who live or work within about 20km of the Brisbane CBD or on the Gold Coast, and want one fun, active night in the working week.
- People new to Brisbane or the Gold Coast who sign up solo to meet people and end up with a standing weekly crew.
- Friend groups and housemates who want a standing weekly plan that does not involve a screen or a bar tab.
- Workplace teams from Brisbane CBD and Fortitude Valley offices using a weekly game as team building.
- Uni students at ACU, CQU and Torrens University, who play with a student discount.
- Returning social players who played netball, football, basketball or volleyball at school and have not touched a ball in years.
SportUP is for adults. All players must be 18 or over.
The team behind SportUP
A small Brisbane team that plays, referees and turns up to games.
Sam Bass, Founder
Sam started SportUP in Brisbane in 2013 with one social soccer game and a lot of questionable refereeing. He still runs product, growth and the tools behind the booking flow and the SportUP app.
Melodie Johnson, CEO
Melodie runs the company day to day: the team, the finances, venue contracts and sponsor partnerships. Her official title is Chief of Vibes, and she means it.
Kathleen Rein, General Manager
Kathleen owns competition quality and retention. She builds every season, calls wet weather daily and manages the referee and Vibe Champ roster.
How the team is made up
- Operations and Player Lead: fixtures, the app and renewals
- Sales concierge: calls every team enquiry and finds the right comp
- Player and Community Support: subs groups, socials and individuals
- Vibe Champs across North Brisbane, South Brisbane and the Gold Coast
- Qualified referees and umpires at every venue, every night
Where to find us
Brisbane, Queensland. Follow along or say hi:
How SportUP works
From enquiry to your first whistle in under a week.
- Day 0
Enquire or book
Answer three questions at play.sportup.com.au/book/new and see live comps, start dates and spots left. Teams can enquire instead and our concierge calls back the same business day, often within minutes, to match you to the right night, venue and division.
- Same day
Lock in your spot
Individuals pay one season fee. New teams pay a $105 registration to hold the spot, then every player pays their own share of the season fee through the SportUP app before round 2.
- Friday 5pm
Welcome email
The Friday before round 1 you get your venue details, game time, team colour and app invite. Netball teams collect bibs at game one.
- Weeks 1 to 3
Grading rounds
Referees watch the first three rounds and we move teams up or down so nobody spends a season losing every game. Scores carry over.
- Every week
Game night
One 40-minute game between 6pm and 9:20pm, Monday to Thursday. A referee and a Vibe Champ are at the venue. Short on players? Post in the subs group before 1pm and registered SportUP players fill in for free.
- Week 8
Renewal
We check in with every captain and individual. A $95 deposit holds your spot for next season and comes off the fee. Opting out takes one form. Seasons run back to back all year.
- Week 12
Finals and prizes
Champions and the Most Social Team each get $50 off next season, a photo on the board and a mention on our socials.
Getting in touch
- Email team@sportup.com.au, answered the same day Monday to Friday.
- Phone 0425 908 308 for anything urgent on game day.
- Help centre faq.sportup.com.au for rules, refunds, byes and wet weather.
- The SportUP app for team chat, RSVPs, subs and payments.
SportUP key facts
The quick reference. Updated September 2026.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company name | SportUP (SportUP Pty Ltd) |
| Type | Adult social sport club running mixed, women's and men's competitions |
| Founded | 2013, Brisbane |
| Founder | Sam Bass |
| Leadership | Melodie Johnson (CEO), Kathleen Rein (General Manager) |
| Headquarters | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Website | www.sportup.com.au, bookings at play.sportup.com.au |
| Core offering | 12-round social netball, basketball, soccer (5-a-side) and volleyball seasons, plus touch football on the Gold Coast |
| Regions | Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast |
| Venues and comps | 29 venues and 60 competitions a season across Brisbane and the Gold Coast |
| Divisions | Social, Super Social and Super Duper Social |
| Pricing | Individuals: one season fee, from $190 (renewing) to $210 (new). Teams: $105 registration for a new team plus a season fee that varies by sport and venue, split per player in the app. Live prices at play.sportup.com.au/book/new |
| Contract terms | One 12-round season at a time. No lock-in, no weekly match fees. A $95 deposit holds your spot for the next season and is deducted from the fee |
| Guarantee | Pinky Promise: better fit, next game free, or 100% refund if you do not love your first game |
| Game nights | Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 9:20pm, 40-minute games |
| Communication | team@sportup.com.au, 0425 908 308, the SportUP app, faq.sportup.com.au |
| Partners and sponsors | Luna Group (platinum), Torrens University Australia, ACU, CQU, LongView Property Management, KX Pilates, Brewtide Brewing, Veto Sports |
| Customers served | 12,718 players a week, seasons running back to back since 2013 |
| Alternatives | Urban Rec Brisbane, Brisbane City Indoor Sports, council and association leagues. See the comparison |
| Age | 18 and over |
| Social | Instagram and Facebook: @sportupbrisbane |
Frequently asked questions
Can I join SportUP on my own?
Yes. Pick a sport, night and venue and we place you on a SportUP team for the season. You get a team chat in the app and access to the subs group, so you are never short of a game.
How much does a SportUP season cost?
Individuals pay one season fee, around $210 for a new player and $190 when you renew. Teams pay a $105 registration the first time plus a season fee that depends on the sport and venue, split between players in the app. Live prices are on the booking page.
Do I need to be good?
No. Most players have not played since school. The Social division is for beginners and returning players, and grading in the first three weeks keeps skilled teams in Super Social or Super Duper Social.
What happens if it rains?
We make the call each afternoon and notify every player through the app. Wet weather never removes a round. The season simply extends so all 12 games are played.
What if my team cannot make a game?
Post in the Brisbane or Gold Coast subs group before 1pm on game day and registered players sub in for free. If you cannot field a side at all, tell us before 1pm and there is no forfeit fee.
Can I get a refund?
If you do not love your first game, tell us within 24 hours and the Pinky Promise applies: a better fit, your next game free, or a full refund after game two. After that, withdrawals are handled case by case through team@sportup.com.au.
Where does SportUP play?
29 venues across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, including Brisbane CBD, South Bank, Fortitude Valley, Windsor, Nundah, Carina, Moorooka, Bardon, West End, Palm Beach and Runaway Bay. Sunshine Coast comps run at Buderim, Meridan Plains and Little Mountain.
Is SportUP only for mixed teams?
No. We run mixed, women's and men's competitions. Mixed netball allows up to three men on court, and mixed basketball and soccer need at least one woman on court.
Melodie
CEO
Kathleen
General Manager
Julyza
Competition Support
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You're in Good Hands
- Qualified & Friendly Referees
- 9 years experience running competitions
- 29 Premium Brisbane Venues
- 12,718 members
- We love helping people play sport for fun!
