Sport in Focus
2023 is set to be an extremely exciting year for sports fans, with plenty of significant events taking place across the globe. In this article we take a deeper look at twelve of the biggest upcoming events in 2023. If you want to read the full ‘2023 in Sport’ newsletter that our subscribers enjoyed, click here, and why not sign up to join the mailing list to read more like this?
Women's T20 World Cup
The Women’s T20 World Cup, first held in 2009, takes place every two years to decide the world’s best female T20 cricket team. The 2023 edition will be held predominantly in Cape Town, South Africa, with a total of ten teams competing for the title. Australia are the current champions and the most successful team to date. They have won five out of the seven competitions, and they also won Gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. They will expect tough competition from the likes of England and hosts South Africa, but with some of their big-name players still making up the core of the team, they will go in as clear favourites.
Super Bowl LVII
The 2022/23 NFL season will reach its conclusion on Sunday 12th February as two teams battle it out in Super Bowl LVII. The National Football Conference winners and the American Football Conference winners travel to Glendale, Arizona, to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the State Farm Stadium. With a halftime show performance from Rihanna, and two teams desperate for victory, the 57th Super Bowl will be sure to provide entertainment for everyone.
Indian Premier League
March sees the beginning of the Indian Premier League, one of the most popular men’s cricket competitions across the globe. Ten teams across India compete in a T20 league format for the coveted title. The most successful team to date is the Mumbai Indians with five titles, followed closely by the Chennai Super Kings with four wins and five runners-up medals. However, one team to look out for this year is reigning champions, the Gujarat Titans, who took their maiden season by storm, claiming a 7-wicket win over the Rajasthan Royals in last year’s final.
The Masters
The Masters is the first major golf tournament of the calendar year and will take place from 6th to 9th April 2023. Scottie Scheffler won his first Masters title at the Augusta National Golf Club in 2022 and will be looking to repeat this feat again in this year's tournament. There are several previous winners amongst the 98 invitees for the 2023 competition, including Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, and Phil Mickelson. Rory McIlroy sits as current favourite to win this year’s trophy, in what would be his first Masters title.
The Ashes
Australia travel to England to compete in the famous Ashes Test cricket series. The Ashes, which normally take place in August when England host, have been brought forward to mid-June to accommodate The Hundred’s schedule. Australia have dominated in recent years, holding the Ashes for the last three series, including a 4-0 win in the previous series in Australia. England will be hoping their fortunes can change and the home crowds at Edgbaston, Lord's, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval can help them bring the urn back to UK soil.
Wimbledon
The famed Wimbledon Championships, hosted at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, is always a highlight of the sporting calendar The third Gram Slam tournament of the year will take place in July, hosting the top players from all over the world. After winning the Men’s Singles Trophy in 2022, can Novak Djokovic repeat this achievement and equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Men’s titles?
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in July and August 2023 across Australia and New Zealand. With the 2022 UEFA Women's Euro competition helping to elevate the popularity of women’s football across the globe, excitement will be building for what promises to be a strongly contested World Cup.Notable teams to look out for this tournament include current World Cup holders, the United States, and European Champions England.
Netball World Cup
The Netball World Cup will take place from 28th July to 6th August 2023 at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. Founded in 1963, this quadrennial international tournament welcomes sixteen top national netball teams to compete for the title. Australia are the most successful team to date with 11 titles, but face tough competition in New Zealand, who are the current champions. With only marginal differences between the top teams, expect games to be skilful, fast, and competitive.
Rugby World Cup
Rugby Union fans all over the world will turn their eyes to France from 8th September to 28th October for the Rugby World Cup. A total of twenty teams will compete for the title, starting with the Group Stage, where five teams per group play in a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the Quarterfinals. Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand are all looking in fine form right now, with many unsure on who the favourites for this year’s trophy are. The tournament is sure to start with a bang, with hosts France facing New Zealand in the opening game.
Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup sees the top professional female golfers from Europe take on those from the USA in a biennial team competition. The 2023 tournament will be the 18th edition of the competition to take place and will be held from 22nd to 24th September at the Finca Cortesin in Casares, Spain. The last Solheim Cup was won by Europe in 2021, following the postponement of the 2020 competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition will revert to being held in even numbered years in 2024.
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup takes place every two years and is a contest between teams of top professional male golfers from Europe and the United States. Whilst the competition is unusual in that the professionals receive no prize money; the Ryder Cup is a hotly contested battle of pride between the two teams. The location of the event alternates between Europe and USA, and this year will take place at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy.
Men's Cricket World Cup
The 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be the 13th edition of the ODI competition. Originally scheduled to start in February, the tournament will now take place from October to November, due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing disruptions to the qualification schedules. The competition will be held entirely in India, and ten of the top One Day International teams will compete for glory. India will hold slight advantage playing matches on home soil, but current title holders England will be looking to recreate some of the performances they delivered last World Cup to retain the trophy. England won the 2019 World Cup in a thrilling Super Over against New Zealand, and the 2023 World Cup looks set to provide yet more gripping entertainment.
As has become clear over recent years, sporting schedules, venues and times can change at a moment's notice. Visit Fixture Calendar for the most up to date sporting information.
Written by Katie Quigley, February 2023
Photos by David Kenny, James Boyes, Cem0030