Australian sporting teams are big lovers of frogs, snakes, jelly beans, and fruit chews according to new research, providing sweets and lolly retailers and manufacturers with a prime marketing opportunity.

According to Roy Morgan Research, Australians over 14 years of age who regularly play a team sport hunt for a half time sugar hit.

Contrary to the image of health, fitness, and good nutrition, regular team sport players are actually 18 per cent more likely than the average Aussie to buy lollies or sweets.

Around one in three team sport participants, or 33 per cent, bought lollies in an average four weeks in the year to June 2014, compared with 28 per cent overall.

Regular volleyball players have the sweetest tooth at 44 per cent, followed by 39 per cent of those playing field hockey, rugby league, or cricket.

Players of other team sports are also more likely to buy lollies, with 37 per cent of netballers, 34 per cent of basketballers, 33 per cent of AFL players, and 30 per cent of soccer players stocking up on sweet treats.

Angela Smith, group account director, consumer products at Roy Morgan Research, says that over the last few years there has been a decrease in the proportion of Aussies buying lollies and sweets, in line with similar downward trends for chocolates, soft drinks, flavoured milks, and milk additives, such as Milo.

“Roy Morgan’s comprehensive Single Source survey data allows manufacturers and retailers to get a deeper understanding of who their customers are today, and might be in the future, which is even more important in a declining market space with increased competition,” said Smith.

“These results, clearly showing elevated lolly consumption among team sport participants, suggest there could be some really interesting (and uncontested) targeting opportunities for businesses in the glucose market.”