People find it more fun to watch sports either in person or on TV. This is because it’s hard to imagine anyone having as much skill and athleticism as the athletes of today. And millions and millions of people find it amazing and exciting to see them in action.
We made a list of the sports that people in the UK love and watch, and here it is: Most Popular Sports In The UK 2023.
1. Soccer
The most well-known and watched sport in the world is at the top of our list. The United Kingdom is not different from the rest of the world just because football was invented in England in the 1800s. There are more than a hundred different football clubs in the UK because each country has its own national football team.
Only the top 20 teams from these clubs are allowed to play in the Premier League tournament. The Premier League has fans all over the world, not just in the UK. It has teams like Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and many more that are well-known. Over 26.8 million people in the UK watched the Premier League last year.
2. Cricket
Cricket, which is again the second most popular sport in the world, is in second place. Around the same time, cricket was also made up in England. But in the beginning, only army officers and high government officials could play it. There are a lot of cricket teams in the UK, just like there are a lot of football teams.
Cricket is the country’s national sport, but it is losing fans because the game moves slowly and has strange rules. But the new way the game is played is fast and exciting to watch, which is making fans like the game again. Nearly 13 million people in the UK watched the recent t20 world cup, which England won.
3. Rugby
Rugby comes in third place on our list of well-known sports. Like cricket, it was only played by people from the upper classes. But over time, that has changed, and not is becoming a more popular sport. A lot of people play it, and an even bigger number of people watch it.
The government of the United Kingdom is trying to get more people to play this sport by promoting it. They are also in charge of running rugby league and rugby union. Most sports fans in England come from places like Yorkshire and Cumbria in the north.
4. Tennis
Tennis, which is the first individual sport, comes in at number four. Players from all over the world want to play and win at Wimbledon, which is held in the UK. Because it is one of the four most respected grand slams in the world.
It is very popular and watched by a lot of people in the UK. Players like Andy Murray have made a living playing this sport, and he is one of the most well-known people from the UK.
5. Swimming
Swimming is a very popular and respected sport in the UK when it comes to athletics. More than 9.1 million people watched the recent swimming tournament final on BBC network. That shows why we put swimming in fifth place on our list: it’s a sport that people don’t know much about. Mark Foster of England is the best-known and most successful swimmer in the UK. He has won a lot of medals and trophies.
6. Racing Horses Racing Horses
Horse racing has been a part of UK culture for a long time. Over time, new sports have come along, but people still like this old sport. When we were looking into the different sports, we never thought of this one, and you may not have thought of it either.
But the reason this is in sixth place is because more than six million people go to horse races every year, which is pretty amazing.
7. Badminton
Badminton England is in charge of badminton in the UK. It was founded as the badminton Association of England in 1893. Millions of people around the world play this sport, and there are also a fair number of professional badminton players in the UK.
When a badminton player does well in a big tournament, they get a lot of praise for their hard work.
8. Rowing
In some countries, rowing might not be a very popular sport, but in the UK, that’s not the case. Rowing is a popular sport here, and thousands of people do it. Static also shows that more than 377,00 people have gone rowing in the year 2021. Rowing should be on the list because of this.
Kingston Rowing Club is one of the most well-known rowing clubs in the UK. There are three rowing clubs: Bedford Rowing Club, Thames Rowing Club, and London Rowing Club.
9. Ice hockey
IHUK (Ice Hockey UK) is in charge of ice hockey in the UK. They set up different tournaments all over the UK. Ice hockey doesn’t get as much support as football and rugby, but the EIHL tournament is helping it grow in popularity. Which ones are the most fun and best for winter? Owen Nolan and Tony Hand are two well-known names in ice hockey from the UK.
10. Netball
Netball is the last one on our list, but that doesn’t mean it’s the least important. In 1999, the Netball Super League was started, and it helped make the sport more popular. In the Netball Super League, people from places like England, Wales, Scotland, Fiji, and New Zealand play.
More than 1.3 million women take part in the netball tournament in the UK, which has the most female players of any country. This has made sure that it stays on the list.
