SPORTS & COMPETITIONS

1. The Importance of Sports in the UK?

2. Which sports are particularly popular in the UK?
3. Some of the major sporting events that happen in the UK?
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-Britain is a sport-loving nation. Sports are built into the school curriculum and played
from a young age.
-The scale of media coverage that goes into events like the Six Nations or the FA Cup
Final may encourage people to get involved.
-It’s the home of some of the world’s most iconic sporting venues: world-class football
stadiums (Wembley 90,000; Old Trafford: 76,000), Twickenham (national rugby -
82,000), and Formula 1 Silverstone circuit, Olympic village…
-Sports = finance, health, international friendships, tourism, teambuilding…
-Sport and recreation provides social value in its indirect benefits of boosting
productivity, individual and community development as well as reducing the burden
of ill health on society.
-The sport economy alone contributes over £6 billion to the Treasury every year
-The longest dry ski slope in Europe is in Scotland.
-Football, tennis and rugby all started in Britain.
-More people in the UK like football than any other sport.
-A lot of motor-sport technology is produced in the UK.
-Home of golf is in Scotland.
-The most popular sports: football – cricket – rugby (Union & League) – Tennis –
athletics – Golf – Boxing – horse racing – speedway – cycling…

World Track Championship (Cycling) – London, March

Grand National (Horse Racing) – Liverpool, Apr
FA Cup Final (Football)– Wembley, May
Wimbledon (Tennis) – London, June
British Open (Golf) - Royal Troon Golf Club, Ayrshire, Scotland, July

Generally rugby union is seen as a more middle class game, whereas rugby league is seen more as a
working class sport. This is particularly the case in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-popular-sports-in-the-united-kingdom.html