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UK Sport has identified almost 100 events it plans to host in the next decade including the 2030 men’s World Cup and 2025 women’s Rugby World Cup.
A total of 97 events across 44 different sports have been earmarked by funding body UK sport with the 2031 Ryder Cup, the World Athletics and Para-Athletics Championships, the men’s and women’s cricket World Cups and the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup finals all on the list.
The new 10-year strategy is part of a plan to create “the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments,” with UK Sport’s Simon Morton saying that major events will be an “important part” of the UK’s economic and social recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have three core ambitions over the next decade,” said UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday.
“The first is to keep winning. The second is to grow a thriving sporting system. And the third is to inspire positive change. It’s very clear that the public wants us to keep the medals coming and there is no bigger stage than the Olympics and Paralympics. But how we win is as important as what we win.”
However, UK Sport’s Simon Morton denied rumours of a bid for the 2036 Olympics which would see England hold the competition after hosting it in 2012.
The 2030 men’s World Cup, the 2025 women’s Rugby World Cup and 2031 Ryder Cup are all among a handful of tournaments which are undergoing “live feasibility studies” by UK Sport.
England failed in a bid to host the 2018 World Cup despite advocates such as David Beckham and former Prime Minister David Cameron, with the tournament awarded to Russia.
“Some said that the [2018] bid was perhaps a bit too insular — well we’re talking about a five-nation bid, so the tone is completely different,” said UK Sport’s chief operating officer Morton.
“This is pioneering, this is unprecedented in terms of what we’re talking about. So I think those things give us confidence that after 11 years since the last bid, things have the potential to be different this time around.”
“Its natural to speculate when the Olympics might come back, but there’s been no discussions with the main national organisations, principally the BOA, BPA and the government. But it is in our long-term thinking.” he said.