Throughout history, Australia has excelled in many sports, but beard growing is one field in which this nation is yet to dominate. The Australian Bushrangers are the first-ever team to represent Australia in the World Beard & Moustache Championships. For the last two years, this group of dedicated athletes have been in training – growing their beards as long and as wild as their facial follicles will allow them. In May 2009, the team will make the long journey to Alaska, USA, where Australia’s beards will be competing head to head against the beards of Germany, Austria, Italy, Norway, Belgium, the UK and the USA in the world’s most well-established beard-growing competition.

Joining the team will be South Australian band, The Beards, who have been asked to perform at the opening ceremony of the event. The Beards are a bearded folk-rock band that exclusively play songs about beards. This highly-original and hugely-entertaining four-piece have spent the past five years spreading their pro-beard message to the masses, encouraging all they see to do the right thing and grow a big beard. They have performed across Australia, received national airplay on Triple J, performed at the 2008 Adelaide Big Day Out, supported musical-comedy trio Tripod at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and released a full-length album. The four band members will also be competing as members of The Australian Bushrangers.

Friday January 9th will be the official launch of the Australian Beard-Growing Team at The Governor Hindmarsh. To wish them well, there will be performances by bearded acts Jackson Firebird, God God Dammit Dammit, Bolty Bolt-Bolt & The Boltons and, of course, The Beards.

The team would like as many bearded people to attend as possible. If you don’t have a beard or you are a woman, the wearing of a fake beard is encouraged.

Tickets are $10 at the door from 7pm.