There’s an elite sporting event to suit just about everyone. As such, wherever you are in the world, the chances are good that there’ll be some high-level competitors pushing themselves to the limit nearby.
To see the best sporting events that the world has to offer, however, you’ll need to do a little bit of travelling. Let’s round up some of the best sporting action going on for the rest of the year. If you’re so-inclined, you might head overseas to catch one or more of them: each of our destinations are easily reachable via plane, and using a private jet charter service makes it possible to travel in style!
Rugby World Cup
This year’s rugby world cup is being hosted by Japan. Among the most tantalising of the fixtures in the early rounds are defending champions New Zealand (pictured above) versus South Africa on 21 September, England versus Argentina on the 5 October, and the USA versus Tonga on the 13th. The final takes place in the International Stadium in Yokohama City.
Melbourne Cup
Australia’s most famous horse race takes place every November in Melbourne. It takes place over 3200 metres, and the total prize money is $7,300,000 (which amounts to around five million in USD). The event captures the imagination of racing fans from around the globe, many of whom make the trip out to Australia to see it first-hand. The record for the course is a respectable 3:16.30 – it’s stood since 1990, but will it be beaten this year?
President’s Cup
Stay in Melbourne into December, and you’ll be able to enjoy the biennial President’s Cup, which is this year being held at Royal Melbourne Golf club. This golf tournament sees a team of the best golfers in the US take on a team of the best golfers from the rest of the world (excluding Europe, whose golfers compete instead in the Ryder Cup). For golf fans from the US, it’s a great way to spend a week in December.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
There are few dates on the Formula One calendar more spectacular than the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which famously begins in the daytime and wraps up at night. Along with the race itself, there are plenty of F1-themed attractions to visit, including the famous Ferrari World, with its incredible launched roller-coaster propelling riders to an astonishing 150mph in just over four seconds. It’s the closest you’ll get to the experience of a formula one car without actually stepping inside one!
Paris Tennis Masters
This is a hard-court men’s tennis tournament, and the last tournament of the year before the giants of the modern game wrap up the year at the ATP tennis finals. Now in its forty-eighth year, the Paris Masters has since 1986 been held in the Bercy Arena, a 15,000-seater stadium on the outskirts of the city.