As life starts returning to some form of normality, so are open-door events gaining ground, which is good news for sport fans eager to get close to the action again. If you’re still playing it safe and planning on supporting your favourite teams or athletes from the comfort of your couch, these are the events you’ll want to pin on your calendar.
The Six Nations – Six rugby titans – England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales – battle it out for the coveted trophy over six unforgettable weeks during The Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship that kicked off on February 5 but you can still watch until March 19.
Women’s Cricket World Cup – New Zealand will host all 31 matches of the world cup between March 4 and April 3.
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix – The Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir will be the battleground for F1 drivers this month, from March 18 to 20.
Swimming – From May 1 to 29, you can catch all the action of the FINA World Aquatics Championship that will be held in Fukuoka, Japan – swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming, artistic swimming and water polo.
The French Open – After Rafael Nadal broke the record for the most men’s singles Grand Slam victories in history at this year’s Australian Open, tennis fans were left yearning for more. Fortunately, they will be served with more world-class tennis as the French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, takes place from May 22 to June 5.
The Championships Wimbledon – The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club will host the slam associated with strawberries and cream between June 27 and July 10.
Athletics – Another marquee competition that was postponed to this year because of the pandemic, the IAAF World Championships will take place in Eugene, USA from July 15 to 24.
Hockey – The biggest prize and the most cherished victory in hockey alongside the Olympics, this year’s FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup (co-hosted in Spain and the Netherlands) sees the world’s greatest teams play some of the toughest, most skilful and entertaining international hockey imaginable from July 1 to 17.
The 150th Open Championship – Between July 10 and 17, the Home of Golf will host The 150th Open at the Old Course, St Andrews. On what is sure to be a historic Open with record crowds, the world’s greatest players will descend on the world’s most famous Links to try and capture the Claret Jug.
Commonwealth Games – From July 28 to August 8, the most dedicated and determined athletes from across 72 nations and territories will come together for the 2022 Commonwealth Games (held in Birmingham, England) in a momentous celebration of sport, competition and community.
Rugby World Cup Sevens – South Africa, if all goes well, is set to host the Sevens World Cup in Cape Town from September 9 to 11.
Women’s Rugby World Cup – Eden Park, Auckland; Northland Events Centre, Whangarei and Waitakere Stadium, Auckland will host the tournament which was postponed last year. The world cup will be decided between October 8 and November 12.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia – The world’s best cricketers from 16 international teams will clash in 45 matches as the pinnacle global event in men’s T20 cricket comes to Australia for the first time from October 16 to November 13.
Rugby League World Cup – The 61 games in men’s, women’s and wheelchair codes will be played at various stadiums across England. The world cups will be played between October 15 and November 19.
Fifa World Cup – Soccer fan? One of the biggest sporting dates on the sporting calendar is November 21. The date is the start of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with the final scheduled for December 18. Get your Vuvuzela ready!
