Major sports events to (hopefully) look forward to in 2021

POLOKWANE – The sporting calendar was heavily disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and, as a result, some major tournaments were postponed to 2021.

These tournaments, together with other tournaments and big sports events that were already planned for 2021, means that, if everything goes well, there is a lot of sporting action to look forward to this year.

Some of the highlights include the Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand, the British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa, UEFA EURO 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics. Another sporting event to look forward to is the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, however, the dates still need to be confirmed.

Review gives you a rundown of what to look forward to on the sporting calendar in 2021:

Australian Open

The first grand slam of the year is held down under. The open is scheduled to start on 18 January and concludes on 31 January.

2021 Caraboa Cup Final

The 61st season of the EFL Cup will conclude on 25 April 2021, when the top two teams battle it out for silverware. The original date was 28 February, however, the date was pushed back because the English Football League feared coronavirus restrictions could cause the game to played in front of a small number of supporters on the original date.

Marathon des Vins de la Côte Chalonnaise

A marathon through the vineyards of southern Burgundy in Chalon-sur-Saone, France. The marathon is scheduled for 27 March 2021.

Masters Tournament

The 85th edition of the Masters Tournament and the first major golf championships to be held in 2021, will be held from 8 to 11 April at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

2021 FA Cup Final

Another big date for soccer-lovers to mark down is 15 May 2021. The 2021 final will be the 140th edition of the oldest football tournament in the world.

2021 UEFA Europa League Final

The 50th season of Europe’s secondary club football tournament and the 12th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. The final will be played at the Gdańsk City Stadium in Gdańsk, Poland on 26 May 2021.

2021 UEFA Champions League Final

Arguably the biggest club competition for soccer teams, draws to a close on 29 May 2021 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey.

UEFA European Championship (Euro 2020)

The tournament, which was postponed from 2020, will be played from 11 June to 11 July 2021 at 12 host cities across Europe.

Wimbledon

Strawberries and cream make a return to the grass-courts from 28 June to 11 July 2021.

British & Irish Lions 2021 tour of South Africa

The British and Irish Lions will play a three-match test series against South Africa. Test one is scheduled for 24 July at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, test two is scheduled for 31 July at Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town and the final test is scheduled for 7 August at Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg.

Olympic Games

The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and commonly known as Tokyo 2020, is an international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

2021 Silverstone Classic

The Silverstone Classic 2021 will feature the cream of historic racing action from Formula One, Sports Cars, GT and Touring Car grids with over 20 races and demonstrations. Scheduled for 30 July to 1 August at the Silverstone Circuit, England.

2020 Summer Paralympics

The 16th Summer Paralympic Games is a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities. The games are scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan between 24 August and 5 September 2021.

Rugby World Cup 2021

The 9th Rugby World Cup for women will be held in New Zealand between 18 September and 16 October 2021 in the cities of Auckland and Whangārei.

The Ryder Cup

The 43rd Ryder Cup’s matches will be held in the United States on September 24 to 26, 2021, on the Straits course at Whistling Straits,

Rugby League World Cup 2021

The 16th Rugby League World Cup will be held in England between 23 October and 27 November 2021.

Sources: Wikipedia and Sports Tourism Media