Women’s sport to be front and centre in 2025
Women’s sport will be front and centre in 2025 when football’s European Championship, the rugby union World Cup and cricket’s One-Day World Cup will all come under the spotlight.
England will bid to defend their crown at Euro 2025 in Switzerland in July having lifted the trophy at Wembley in 2022.
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses will be among the favourites after finishing runners-up to Spain at the 2023 World Cup and will be aiming to reach their third straight major tournament final.
Wales will be among the 16 nations competing after Rhian Wilkinson’s side made history by beating the Republic of Ireland in their play-off final to reach a major tournament for the first time.
In rugby union, hosts England will open the World Cup against the USA in August at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.
Scotland, Ireland and Wales will feature, with pool games also to be staged in Brighton, Bristol, Exeter, Manchester, Northampton and York before the final at Twickenham on September 27.
The Red Roses, beaten by New Zealand in Auckland in the previous final, delayed until 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be the team to beat after winning 50 of their last 51 Test matches.
John Mitchell’s side will first bid for a fourth successive Grand Slam when the Six Nations tournament starts in March.
India will host the One-Day World Cup in October when holders Australia will aim for a record-extending eighth tournament win.
England will be looking to regain the trophy they won at Lord’s in 2017, but they will first focus on the upcoming Ashes series against Australia, with the first one-day international in Sydney starting in January.
The men’s Ashes series starts next November when England face Australia in the first Test in Perth.
Another highlight of the men’s 2025 sporting calendar is the British and Irish Lions’ tour to Australia.
The Lions, who lost the series 2-1 on their previous tour of South Africa in 2021, will be led by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and will take on Argentina in Dublin in June before heading down under to play nine matches.
Their schedule includes three Tests against the Wallabies – in Brisbane (July 19), Melbourne (July 26) and Sydney (August 2).
The World Athletics Championships take place in September in Tokyo, where British track stars Keely Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr and Matthew Hudson-Smith will hope to be in medal contention after their memorable performances at the Paris Olympics last summer.
Europe will bid to retain the Ryder Cup at New York’s Bethpage Black Course in September after their victory over the USA in Rome in 2023 and Novak Djokovic will be hoping to add to his record 24 grand slam singles titles in January at the Australian Open, the first major tournament of the year.
