Why do some sports grow in popularity while others disappear into obscurity? It’s an interesting question that has multiple answers, but the fact that it can be asked at all shows how sports are shaped by the culture around them. As we look toward 2020 and beyond, what sports are most popular in England? Here are five of the most popular sports in England as of today (2015), along with predictions about which ones will stay popular and which ones will fall out of favor.
Football
With the 2022 World Cup being played in Qatar and the 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris, it seems there will be a lot of football played on England’s shores over the next few years. How does that rank compared to the most popular sports for the 2020s? In addition to football, England is home to rugby union, cricket, darts, snooker and boxing. Here is a breakdown of how each sport compares with one another when it comes to popularity.
Cricket
In England, cricket is played on Saturdays during the summer months between April and September. The English Premier League consists of eight teams playing each other at home and away across a 38-game season from April until mid-September, followed by a four-team play-off competition to decide the champion. The FA Cup is a single elimination tournament held annually with 180 clubs involved in a single game knock-out starting with rounds as low as regional semi-finals.
Leicester City F.C., one of the most successful clubs in England, won their first top division league title in 2016/17 when they were 5000/1 outsiders at the start of the season. On Boxing Day (26 December), many people go carol singing and take part in quizzes for charity.
A weekly highlights programme airs on Sunday evenings before Match Of The Day begins, with usually 5 or 6 matches shown live per week from different games around the country (sometimes including commentary).
Rugby
In recent years, there have been some significant changes made to the laws of rugby that make it faster-paced and more exciting for spectators. These include allowing play to continue after a tackle or ruck if a player from the defending team gets back to their feet first before playing the ball or releasing it from their hands. The law also states that any player not involved in the tackle must release the tackled player immediately.
In addition, referees are now encouraged to make greater use of communication with players to ensure they understand what is happening on the field at all times – this includes talking to players when they are offside as well as when handling penalties and free kicks near goal.
Furthermore, referees will be expected to take decisions quickly by using just one whistle blow for most stoppages rather than two.
These new regulations were introduced following an analysis which found that too much time was being spent during matches without any real action taking place on the field.
Boxing
The best part about boxing? There are so many gloves to choose from, and they come in a variety of colors. Boxing is a great sport for any age and can be played year-round. Boxing gloves have been around for hundreds of years, but if you’re not into punching and prefer playing sports like soccer or basketball, then you’ll need some hand guards instead! There are also face guards available to protect your face from being hit with the ball when playing football or lacrosse.
Darts
Dartboards come in many different sizes and shapes, but most boards have four sections – one for each player or team, plus two other sections on either side of the center – known as ‘doubles’ or ‘trebles’. The standard dartboard is covered with 20 numbered targets that measure 5 centimetres (2 inches) wide arranged in an eight by nine grid pattern.