Aussie life in Ho Chi Minh City: footy and mates

Short answer: you won't find a Little Australia in Saigon, but between the footy club, the cricket club, the Consulate's events and the business crowd, you can have a very Aussie week if you want one.

The short version

The Vietnam Swans are the country's Australian rules football club, with members across Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang, Hoi An and Vung Tau, and Auskick for kids in Saigon [1].
The Swans run a mixed men's and women's competition in Saigon where women's goals count double [2].
The Saigon Australian Cricket Club plays in the Vietnam Cricket Association's league [3].
Every April, the Australian Consulate-General runs Taste of Australia, a food and drink program with a gala and restaurant promotions [4].
For business mates, AusCham Vietnam is based in central Saigon and runs events and trade tours [5].

Footy: the Vietnam Swans

Australian rules football in Vietnam runs through the Vietnam Swans, a founding member of AFL Asia since 2013 [1]. The club has active members in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang, Hoi An and Vung Tau, holds regular trainings and social events, and travels to the AFL Asia Championships each year [1].

It's not just for Aussies. The club says it welcomes all players, whatever their background or ability [1].

The Saigon league

In 2021, when travel was locked down, the Swans started the Saigon Australian Football League to keep games going inside Vietnam [2]. The format was built for fun and inclusion:

nine-a-side teams with men and women playing together
rules requiring equal numbers of women and men on the field
four 10-minute quarters
goals kicked by women worth double [2].

The original four teams were the Ben Thanh Bears, Cho Lon Crocs, Thu Thiem Tigers and Vung Tau Vipers, playing for the Saigon Cup [2]. Team line-ups change from season to season, so check with the club for the current set-up.

Auskick for the kids

The Swans have run Auskick in Saigon and Hanoi [1]. If your kids miss Saturday-morning footy, it's the quickest way to find other Australian families too.

Anzac Day in the south

The Swans hold an annual Anzac Friendship Match in Vung Tau [1]. Since July 2025, Vung Tau has been part of greater Ho Chi Minh City after the merger with Ba Ria–Vung Tau province [6], so the Anzac game is technically a home fixture now.

The match sits alongside the more formal side of Anzac Day. Check the Australian Consulate-General's website and social channels in March and April for commemorations open to the community [7].

Cricket: the Saigon Australian Cricket Club

Cricket in the south is organised by the Vietnam Cricket Association, which began as the Saigon Cricket Association in the 2006–07 season and took its current name in 2009 [3]. Its Saigon league includes the Saigon Australian Cricket Club alongside sides with Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and English roots [3].

The league's first astroturf pitch was laid at RMIT University's Saigon South campus, where early matches were played [3]. Ask the club where home games are now; venues have shifted over the years.

If you'd rather watch than play, the expat bars in District 1, Thao Dien and District 7 are where the cricket and the footy go on the big screen. A 2022 Tuoi Tre column listed bars in all three areas that open for AFL finals, and noted that NRL games pack bars and cafes across the city too [8]. Venues come and go, so ask around for this season's spots.

Other ways to find your people

Group	What it is	Good for
Vietnam Swans	Australian rules football club, men, women and Auskick [1]	Players, families, social members
Saigon Australian Cricket Club	Club in the Vietnam Cricket Association league [3]	Cricketers of any standard
Australian Consulate-General	Consular services plus community events such as Taste of Australia [4][7]	Anzac Day, Australia Day, official events
AusCham Vietnam	Australian business chamber with a Saigon office [5]	Networking, trade tours, business events

The Swans also list links with other Saigon sports clubs, including a Gaelic football club and a rugby club [1], if you want to branch out.

Australian food and a taste of home

Taste of Australia

Each year the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City runs Taste of Australia. In 2026 the gala reception was held on 18 April, with speeches from the Consul-General and the city's vice-chairman, and a restaurant promotion across Ho Chi Minh City running until 26 April [4]. It's the best time of year to find Australian beef, wine and seafood on menus around town.

Finding the things you miss

Australian produce is easy to find in Saigon's upmarket supermarkets and import shops, particularly in Thao Dien and District 7. Expect to pay more than at home for imported staples. Our cost of living guide has the numbers on what's cheap and what isn't.

The good news is the food you'll end up loving most is local. Most Australians arrive wanting a meat pie and leave addicted to broken rice and iced coffee.

The business crowd

Australia and Vietnam upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024, and two-way trade reached about A$28.5 billion in 2024–25 [9]. That's brought a steady flow of Australian companies, educators and consultants to Saigon.

AusCham Vietnam. The Australian chamber has its office in Sai Gon ward, the old District 1. In June 2026 it ran a Mekong Delta investment and trade tour, with discounted fees for members [5].
Meet Australia 2026. Ho Chi Minh City hosted this trade and investment event on 18–20 May 2026, with more than 100 Australian businesses expected [10].
RMIT Vietnam. The Australian university has a campus in Saigon South, the same place the city's first astroturf cricket pitch went in [3].

If you're working or setting up a company here, start with our guide to working and doing business in Vietnam as an Australian.

How to plug in during your first month

Join the online groups first. Join Cooee Vietnam, our Facebook group for Australians in Vietnam, and follow the Vietnam Swans before you land, so you have names when you arrive.
Turn up to one training. Even if you never play, the post-training drinks are where the useful tips come from.
Put Taste of Australia in your April calendar [4].
Save the Consulate's details. It's on the 20th floor of Vincom Center, 47 Ly Tu Trong Street, with a 24-hour emergency line on +84 28 3521 8100 [7].
Say yes to a Vietnamese invite. The richest Aussie lives here are the ones that aren't only Aussie.

Aussie life in Ho Chi Minh City: footy on Saturdays, cricket and the Anzac match