Have you ever considered Great Britain to be the home of eager sports enthusiasts? If you have, then you are completely right! Brits enjoy a wide variety of sports to both play and watch.
The article below will explore the UK’s most popular sports at great length. You are likely to learn curious and entertaining information you might not have known before, so keep reading and enjoy.
Football
This one is not hard to guess, right? Football is by far the most popular sport in the UK. It is also among the top sports to bet on. We are quite sure you are familiar with the sight of a British pub during game night, with pints of lager overflowing, crisps steaming on the side, and football fans cheering for their favourite football team.
Well, that is how it goes in England. The Kingdom is the cradle of some of the best domestic league championships across the world and home to many prominent teams that have won multiple trophies over the years.
Club names like Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea have made history throughout the world. By the way, the national squad is pretty decent, too! For instance, England’s 1966 World Cup victory is still a world-celebrated event that evokes tears in the eyes of devoted fans around the globe.
Of course, we should not forget to mention the myriad of legendary UK players who have acquired numerous accolades during their careers. Some of Britain’s most celebrated football players include Ryan Giggs, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Billy Meredith, Neville Southall, Wayne Rooney, Kenny Dalglish, and George Best. However, we are pretty sure you could name at least a few dozen more stellar football players from the UK!
Cricket
Cricket is another signature UK sport. It is quite unfortunate, however, that this enticing game has not risen to its proper fame. Apart from the UK, it is mostly popular across the former British colonies.
That said, cricket enjoys wide domestic interest. The game became popular around the 17th century and has since occupied a significant space in both the hearts and minds of Brits.
Nowadays, the UK boasts 18 professional county clubs. They all carry the names of historical counties in the Kingdom. Some of these include the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, the Sussex County Cricket Club, the Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and the Kent County Cricket Club.
The UK county clubs partake each summer in the so-called “First Class County Championship.” This exciting tournament has two leagues, where matches are played over the course of four days.
Rugby
On with the most popular and fascinating sports in the UK, next comes rugby. It is among Britain’s most beloved professional and recreational sports. Maybe it is the fact that rugby is a team sport that makes it so attractive, but locals just love it.
If you are new to rugby in the UK, you should know that there are the Rugby Union and the Rugby League. Each of these applies different sets of rules. The latter mostly concern the number of players on the team and how the ball is advanced.
The Rugby Football League is the UK’s chief rugby governing body. It is headquartered in Leeds, at the famous Red Hall.
The Rugby Football League is responsible for administering the England Rugby League Team. It also governs the Challenge Cup, the Super League, and the Championships. These tournaments all concern the professional and semiprofessional nature of rugby in Great Britain.
There is also the Rugby Football Union, which – following its name – runs the Rugby Union. This body is mostly dedicated to organizing the England national team’s international games and training players and officials.
Badminton
By now you might be probably thinking that the Brits are mostly fans of team sports. While that is entirely true, the locals are also very much into racket sports, too, with badminton topping their preferences in the field.
Badminton England is the organization that presides over the sport in the UK nowadays. In the past, it was also known as the Badminton Association of England. It was established in 1893 and has since done a stellar job in supporting league and club structures in its homeland and abroad.
Tennis
Finally, we have arrived at this aristocratic game that mesmerizes billions of fans worldwide. England is the birthplace of the Wimbledon, the most popular tennis tournament in Great Britain and possibly the world.
The Wimbledon was established in 1877 and has since become an iconic competition for the best tennis players. Together with the French Open, the U.S. Open, and the Australia Open, it is one of the four grand slam events on the ATP Tour.
Besides being a participant and a spectator sport, tennis is a favourite UK recreational activity. Great Britain offers plentiful opportunities to enjoy amazing-quality tennis facilities at symbolic prices for enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds.