Sporting Events
Taking advantage of the opportunity to attend some of the world’s great sporting events as part of your stay is a must. Workingholidaymaker.com highlights the following.
NFL Super Bowl – USA
The American National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl is the sporting event that stops this superpower in its tracks! Book tickets well in advance to avoid missing out but even if you cannot obtain a ticket, try watching it at a local bar or restaurant – it can be just as inspiring as being at the game itself. The half-time entertainment is A-class, featuring top performers and often worth catching on its own. Teams compete over the football season (September-January) culminating with the Super Bowl in early February. More information is available via the official
NFL site: www.nfl.com
Olympic Games – Global
As the pinnacle of global sporting competitions, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games offer inspiring spectator experiences. If you are lucky enough to secure an opening or closing ceremony ticket, then congratulations, they are some of the most difficult tickets to obtain in the world!
Most Olympic host countries allocate tickets to events via a lottery system. From Archery to Basketball, Swimming and Sailing, this really is the greatest show on earth and with such historical, global significance is a fantastic sporting spectacle.
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil will host the 2016 Summer and Para-Olympic Olympic Games while the 2018 Winter Olympic Games are being held in PyeongChang, South Korea. For more details check out:
http://www.pyeongchang2018.com/horizon/eng/index.asp
Football World Cup – Global
Spanning a month, the international Football (Soccer) World Cup produces unbelievable football for fans and commentators alike. Tickets to games are generally allocated to the countries that qualify for the tournament. This is a must-see for any die-hard football fan.
Workingholidaymaker.com TIP! Always book FIFA World Cup tickets through the official channels. It is common for tickets to be hawked but this practice is considered an illegal activity in all countries. Beware of scammers who produce counterfeit tickets that do not work once you reach the entry gate. Possessing these forgeries can also get you in trouble with the local authorities.
The next Fifa World Cup will be held in Russia, from the 14th June – 15th July 2018. For more details visit: www.fifa.com/worldcup/
The Ashes - Australia/England
Cricket’s ‘Holy Grail’, The Ashes, is contested between rivals Australia and England. The series is held every three years, consists of five test matches that are played across the host nation and alternates locations between the two countries. When played in Australia, each state capital city holds a test match whilst in England the matches are hosted at a variety of locations like Lords, (London), The Oval (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), Trent Bridge (Nottingham), Headingley (Leeds) and Edgbaston (Birmingham).
The Ashes will be next contested in Australia, from November 2017- January 2018.
For Australia Ashes series visit www.cricket.com.au
For England Ashes series visit www.ecb.co.uk
London, New York and Tokyo Marathons – Global
Even if you are not particularly interested in running, being a spectator at the London, New York, Boston or Tokyo marathons is a brilliant sporting experience. These marathons attract the world’s premier long-distance runners including many World and Olympic champions. Marathons are also open to amateurs who are simply competing to complete the full 42-kilometer distance. Cheering on the average punter can be as exciting as watching the world-class competitors. For more details:
London Marathon – Sunday, 23rd April 2017
https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/
New York Marathon
Sunday 6th November 2016
Sunday 5th November 2017
Sunday 4th November 2018
Boston Marathon
Monday, 17th April 2017
Monday, 18th April 2018
Tokyo Marathon
Sunday, 26th February 2017
Workingholidaymaker.com TIP!
Great website for booking sporting tickets:
www.ticketmaster.com
Grand-Slam Tennis – Global
Tennis is a brilliant spectator sport and the four Grand-Slams (or Majors) feature the best tennis players on the planet and are highlights on the global tennis circuit. Starting with the Australian Open in January each year, the next Major is the French Open (May/June) then follows Wimbeldon (England) in June/July with the US Open in Aug/September rounding out the Grand-Slam competition. Each Major runs for about 2-weeks, so there are great opportunities to capture the world’s top players in various stages of their tournament journey.
For more details check out:
Australian Open: http://www.ausopen.com/index.html
French Open: www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/
Wimbeldon: www.wimbledon.com/index.html
US Open: www.usopen.org/