Croatian football giants Hajduk Split are plotting something unusual for 2028: a club trip to Australia built around the huge Croatian communities living there. The project, called "Hajduk in Australia", was presented at a meeting between the City of Split and the club, and while details are still being worked out, the shape of it is already clear.
The plan centres on Western Australia, with Hajduk II — the club's second team — travelling down under alongside a programme of cultural events in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Think football activities for local kids, a traditional Bila noć gathering, sessions for children and young people, plus business, institutional and media events. The point isn't just a friendly match tour; it's about tightening the bonds between Split and the hundreds of thousands of Croatians whose families emigrated over generations, particularly in Western Australia.
There's an institutional backbone too. Split already has a long-standing sister-city relationship with the City of Cockburn, south of Perth, and this project would build on it. Deputy Mayor Ivo Bilić met with Hajduk board member Marinka Akrap, Luka Kaliterna Academy director Jiří Plišek and others to discuss whether the City of Split should formally come on board as an institutional partner. Both sides flagged wider ambitions: using sport to promote Split internationally, and opening doors to new economic, educational and institutional partnerships between Croatia and Australia.
Nothing is signed or scheduled yet — the club and city say further coordination is needed before the 2028 programme is finalised. But if it happens, it could be a big deal for anyone with Croatian roots planning a trip in either direction. Diaspora fans in Australia would get a rare chance to see Hajduk colours on home soil, and the surrounding events would give travellers a ready-made reason to time an Australian holiday around a slice of Croatian culture thousands of kilometres from the Adriatic.
For travellers, this is one to watch rather than book around just yet. If you're of Croatian heritage in Perth, Melbourne or Sydney, the events — especially the Bila noć gathering and youth football programmes — could be a genuinely meaningful way to connect with your roots. And if you're a Hajduk supporter anywhere in Australia, 2028 may be the year the famous white shirts come to you. We'll keep an eye on how the plans firm up.
