This page provides a little information about the UK’s most popular sports and physical activities, and how overseas students can participate in all these sports at many different levels.
Football is the most popular sport in the whole of the UK. During the football season (August to May), every weekend hundreds of thousands of football fans descend on their local team’s stadium to watch them play a league or cup match. Thousands more, both young and old, can be found playing football themselves at public parks, sports and leisure centres and open spaces every weekend, throughout the year. Football is not just a sport, it is a passion for many fans in the UK that support their local team. Football dominates the sports news in the media and is also a common topic of conversation used amongst friends, family and work colleagues.
The English premier league is the richest and most globally followed football league in the world. The “big four” clubs, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, have dominated the premier league for many years as well as having reasonable success in European club competitions. Consequently, these top teams have built up huge followings both inside and outside the UK, so getting hold of tickets to watch one of these teams play can sometimes be difficult. Students can also go to see other premier league teams play or Scottish premier league teams as well as other professional teams from lower divisions or even amateur “Sunday league” teams, female teams and kids teams that all play in organised leagues most weekends. For those that prefer to play rather than just watch, local amateur teams are usually happy to try out new players in the hope of strengthening their squad.
Watching live football matches on television is also enjoyed by many football fans that cannot watch games in real life. Many pubs and bars show live football games during evenings and weekends, which can be useful if students do not receive the necessary sports television channels at their place of residence.
For students that wish to play football, their school, college or university will usually have its own football team that plays organised matches against other local institutions. Alternatively, students can simply organise their own friendly games at local parks, sports and leisure centres or anywhere there is a suitable open space. In addition, a number of football schools and academies operate across the UK welcoming children of all ages and abilities with various courses of different price, duration and teaching methods.
Cricket is another hugely popular sport in the UK. It is played throughout the summer months only as cricket cannot be played in bad weather or in poor light conditions. Many teams throughout the UK play in a professional cricket league, at large grounds with thousands of supporters turning out to watch matches on weekends. Watching the English national cricket team play against other national teams that tour the UK is even more popular, with these matches drawing in huge numbers of spectators as well as usually being televised live on national television.
Most cricket matches are “one-day” games, played with a limited number of “overs” (one over = six bowled deliveries) for each team. Other matches that do not limit the number of overs to be bowled are typically played over three, four or five consecutive days.
Many schools, colleges and universities in the UK have their own cricket team, which will have regular practise sessions and competitive matches against other institutions, so students interested in playing should enquire with their institution first. Many amateur teams can also be found playing matches at cricket grounds and public parks most weekends during the summer. Students can go to watch these matches and enquire about joining a team if they want. In addition, a few cricket schools and academies operate across the UK welcoming children of all ages and abilities with various courses of different price, duration and teaching methods.
Rugby takes its name from Rugby School in the UK where the game was first invented many decades ago. It is a popular sport in the UK drawing thousands of spectators for big matches.
There are two types of rugby played in the UK, each with their own rules and regulations. “Rugby League”, which is played by regional club teams nationwide and “Rugby Union” which is also played by national teams in international competitions such as the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations. Note that England, Scotland and Wales each have their own national rugby teams (the same as football and many other sports) and a great rivalry exists between these nations when it comes to rugby. Students who are interested should find their nearest club and watch a professional game live.
Many schools, colleges and universities in the UK have their own rugby team, which will have regular practise sessions and competitive matches against other institutions, so students interested in playing should enquire with their institution first. In addition, a few rugby schools and academies operate across the UK welcoming children of all ages and abilities with various courses of different price, duration and teaching methods.
Tennis is another popular sport enjoyed mostly during the summer months. Some indoor tennis courts can be found in the UK but the vast majority of tennis is played outdoors, hence needing fair weather and light conditions.
Students wishing to play tennis should find out if their institution has its own courts they can use. If not they can find public courts in many local parks, some of which are free, some may charge a fee to use and all of which get very busy when the weather is hot and sunny, especially during and after Wimbledon. In addition, most sports and leisure centres will have tennis courts that students can hire by the hour at reasonable rates.
For the more serious tennis players, many tennis clubs operate across the UK. Members of a club typically pay a monthly fee to use the club’s courts. Some clubs will also charge members an additional fee whenever they play. Most clubs will allow members to bring guests and most will have trained coaching staff that can provide individual or group lessons. Tennis clubs will also regularly arrange tournaments for members to competitively test themselves against each other. The costs of being a member of a tennis club can be quite high although prices and the quality of the courts and other facilities does vary.
Most tennis courts in the UK are concrete, although some tennis clubs might have artificial or real grass courts. Players will need to bring along their own rackets and balls when they want to play.
Wimbledon is the most famous and prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Every year at the end of June the best players from all over the world arrive in South London with the dream of becoming a Wimbledon champion, and along with them come 500,000 tennis fans, eager to support their favourite players and soak up the unique atmosphere that only Wimbledon can create. Tickets for the high profile matches on Centre, No.1 and No.2 courts are notoriously difficult to get, but fans with determination can often find a way. Or tickets for viewing matches on other courts are more easily available, although still in high demand. In addition, a number of other professional tennis tournaments are also held in the UK, mostly prior to the start of Wimbledon.
The UK has thousands of golf courses spread across the country; from small, 9-hole “pitch and putt” courses for novices to large, 18-hole professionally designed courses for budding amateurs and professionals, so anyone interested in playing a round of golf just needs the time and a bit of luck with the unpredictable British weather. As well as proper golf courses, a number of driving ranges and “miniature golf” courses can also be found in many places.
Some overseas students might be lucky enough to study at an institution with its own golf course, i.e. Oxford Brookes University has its own 9-hole course, although the number of such institutions is very few indeed.
9-hole pitch and putt courses can be found in rural areas as well as inside many large public parks within more urban areas. Most are privately owned and managed, some are publicly run. All charge users a fee per round, usually a few pounds, which includes the hire of clubs and balls. These courses are typically comprised of short length holes (par 3’s), good for beginners to practise on and can be used as a fun day out with friends.
To play on a proper 18-hole golf course, most students will need to join a golf club or at least know someone who is a golf club member, although there are a few 18-hole courses around that are open to the public that charge users a fee per round. Golf club memberships can be very expensive indeed, although prices and the quality of the courses and other facilities does vary greatly. Some clubs will also charge members an additional fee whenever they play. Most clubs will allow members to bring guests and most have a resident professional with whom private lessons can be arranged for a fee. Golf clubs typically have a “club house”, where members and their guests can change clothes, shower, have a drink at the bar and socialise with other golfers. Some club houses have their own restaurants, gyms, meeting rooms, etc. all of which is generally reflected in the cost of the membership.
Several major golf tournaments are held in the UK every year, the most famous of which is the “British Open”, one of golf’s four “major” annual tournaments, held at different top-class UK golf courses each year and attracting the best golfers from all over the world. Usually held in July, students can attend as spectators and see their favourite players up close in person.
Basketball certainly is not as popular in the UK as it is in the USA or China. Nonetheless, many schools, colleges and universities have their own basketball team, which will have regular practise sessions and competitive matches against other institutions, so students interested in playing should enquire with their institution first.
Some public parks have outdoor basketball courts but students might need to search around to find one as many parks will not have any basketball facilities. Most sports and leisure centres will have basketball courts that students can hire by the hour at reasonable rates.
The UK has prided itself on producing a string of top, world class athletes over the years, from Harold Abrahams winning the 100 metre sprint gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 1924 (on which the famous, 1981 British film, “Chariots of Fire” was based) to Kelly Holmes taking home two gold medals, for the 800 and 1500 metres track events, from the 2004 Olympic games in Athens.
With the Olympic games arriving in London in 2012, many new athletics training facilities are springing up all over the country, so it has never been a better time to be a budding young athlete in the UK.
For students who are serious about athletics, both track and field events, they should find out if their institution has an athletics team that has regular practise and training sessions that they can attend. Additionally, a number of regional athletics clubs operate across the UK which have professional coaches and training staff for athletes of all disciplines, ages and abilities.
More of an activity than a sport, swimming is a great way to exercise the whole body and keep fit and healthy. Many large colleges and universities have their own swimming pools that students can use. Failing this, public pools (mostly indoor pools plus a few outdoor pools open in the summer) can be found in many areas and at most sports and leisure centres, plus some large private gyms may have their own small pool. Public pools charge a fee, about two or three pounds per visit. Opening times will vary, so students should check in advance.
Despite being an island, the UK does not have an abundance of areas of coastline that are suitable for swimming, due to geography and pollution, although there are still many nice coastal areas with beaches where the water is acceptably clean.
Over the years the UK has produced many top boxers, which is a tradition still going strong today. This has helped to keep boxing as popular as ever. World-title fights involving British boxers can easily attract millions of television viewers within the UK. A number of boxing clubs can be found all over the UK, typically in large urban areas. Most charge a membership fee which allows members to use all the facilities of the gym, as often as they like. Professional coaching can also be arranged for promising youngsters thinking about entering competitive fights.
Thousands of martial arts clubs operate throughout the UK and many institutions have their own clubs that all organise regular lessons and training sessions for students of all ages and abilities in a wide range of disciplines, including karate, judo, taekwondo, ju-jitsu, tai-chi, wing-chun kung-fu, mixed martial arts (MMA) and many, many more. Students who are interested should enquire with their institution or search for a local club, most of which teach classes on weekends and evenings at sports and leisure centres or hire out school gymnasiums. Some private clubs might have their own dedicated gym. Private clubs charge a membership fee, usually paid monthly in advance. Membership fees and the quality of teaching varies from place to place so students are advised to look around and visit a few clubs before deciding on joining one.
“Ballroom dancing” is particularly popular in the UK, with clubs in most major towns and cities, catering for all ages and abilities, many of which operate from traditional ballrooms (old style dance halls). Anyone interested in learning the “foxtrot”, “waltz” or “tango” should search for their nearest club. Most clubs have regular lessons on weekends and evenings. Students can bring their own partners or go solo and pair up with other dancers at each lesson. Clubs generally charge a membership fee, usually paid monthly in advance. Such is the popularity of ballroom dancing in the UK, many regional and national competitions are regularly held all over the country.
Other forms of dance such as ballet, modern and disco are also quite popular, especially with the younger generations. Students should first check with their institution to see if they have any dance clubs of their own. Alternatively, they can search for private dance classes in their local area.
The popularity of snooker in the UK is reflected in the vast number of snooker halls that can be found all across the country in most urban areas. It is a sport dominated by British players, with few non-British players ever winning the coveted Snooker World Championship tournament, currently held annually at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Recent years has seen a rise in numbers of Asian players playing on the professional tour, the most notable of which is Ding Junhui from China, who won both the inaugural China Open and the famous UK Championships in 2005 at the young age of just 18; feats that went a long way towards boosting snooker’s popularity in China and the rest of Asia.
Many schools, colleges and universities have their own snooker rooms and tables, usually on campus, that students can use free of charge. Alternatively, most sports and leisure centres have a few snooker tables and many snooker halls/clubs operate across the country, often open till late at night, where students can play for an hourly charge.
The UK is a great place to enjoy motor sports, whether it be participating or watching. Most weekends, motor sports events are held all across the country at various racetracks and other venues. Keen spectators can watch a “touring car” race, involving race-tuned road cars from different well known auto manufacturers, or watch a “World Superbike” race, to see riders on the limit of some of the world’s fastest two-wheeled machines, or take in some off-road rally car action such as the Welsh Rally of Great Britain.
There are many racetracks in the UK, to name a few;
Many racetracks are open for use by the public whilst not hosting events. Anyone with a car or motorbike can pay a small fee to be allowed to use the track at their discretion. Note that driver’s insurance policies will not cover them for driving around racetracks so drivers must maintain a large degree of caution. For those without their own car, or those simply not willing to risk damaging their own car, many other forms of motor sport can be participated in.
Karting, also called go-karting, is popular with both young and old, males and females, and is easily accessible due to the large number of specialist karting centres all over the UK. Karting is a cheap and relatively safe way for the whole family to enjoy motor sports and is the first step into serious racing for many amateur and professional race car drivers.
Sailing is yet another popular pastime enjoyed by many residents of the UK. Sailing clubs can be found all over the coast of the British Isles, where keen sailors can learn how to sail different boats and yachts of various sizes. Once a sailor has gained the necessary qualifications and/or experience, they are then able to hire their own sail boats and take them out on the sea by themselves or with friends and family.
In addition, many other water sports can be enjoyed both at sea and inland at various lakes, reservoirs, rivers and canals, such as rowing, canoeing, water-skiing and motor boating. The famous “Boat Race”, is held each year on the River Thames between the rowing teams of Oxford University and the University of Cambridge. Students should check with their institution to see if they have their own water sports teams and clubs, if they are interested in getting involved.
Fishing, also known as angling, is seen by many as the perfect way to while away a leisurely Sunday afternoon. While some prefer to watch a game of football or play a round of golf, hundreds of thousands of British people enjoy nothing better than going to a local waterway to see how many fish they can catch with a rod and reel. Many lakes, reservoirs, rivers and canals throughout the UK have an abundance of aquatic life and are regularly visited by keen anglers. Some places might charge a small daily fee for anglers while many places are free. Anglers will need to purchase their own equipment, which can be expensive, as well as provide their own bait. Equipment and bait can be purchased in specialist angling shops or sometimes at actual angling venues.
Going to the gym is a good way to stay healthy and keep fit. Gyms in the UK are regularly frequented by students, office workers, manual workers, housewives and the elderly. Some people go for cardio-vascular work-outs, others go to push weights to build up their muscles and many use a work-out combining the two. Some people might only go once a week, whilst others go to the gym everyday.
Many large institutions have their own gym that students can use, some will be better equipped than others. Many, many private gyms can also be found in every urban area, most of which charge a monthly membership fee that commonly has a 12 month minimum membership period. Private gyms are usually well equipped but can be expensive, meaning that students will need to attend the gym regularly in order to get good value for money from their membership fees. Most private gyms have trained fitness instructors that can help customers develop a suitable work-out routine and are usually on-hand to give assistance and encouragement whenever required. Private gyms often also have special work-out classes such as aerobics, dance or martial arts classes which have an extra fee. The more expensive gyms commonly have a spa and some larger gyms might have their own small swimming pool. Because prices and facilities vary so much between different establishments, students wanting to join a private gym should look around before deciding which gym to join.
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