Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is coming to an end. And with it, the summer break the major European football leagues are taking. Football fans have plenty of matches to follow until next summer. But what about fans of other sports? Well, there are more than enough sporting events to follow for those who are not into football, happening before the end of the year. Here are the six biggest ones to keep an eye out for in 2023.
Rugby World Cup (September 8 – October 28)
The Springboks, South Africa’s national rugby team, is flying to France to try to defend its title. Its opponents are tough, though, so we can expect some tight results and fluctuating odds at the top betting sites South Africa has to offer. The Rugby World Cup’s opening game will see France meet New Zealand at the Stade de France stadium on September 8.
Invictus Games 2023 (September 9-16)
The Invictus Games is the European counterpart of the Warrior Games, a sporting event for injured or sick servicemen, both active and veterans. This year’s event will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, between September 9 and 16, and will host athletes from 21 nations competing in disciplines like powerlifting, sitting volleyball, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair basketball. This year, the event will host athletes from Columbia and Israel for the first time.
Asian Games (September 23 – October 8)
The Asiad is held every four years since 1951, gathering athletes from all over Asia to compete in a variety of disciplines. This year’s event begins on September 23 and will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
This year’s edition was supposed to be held last year, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic convinced the organizers to postpone it. The athletes will compete in sports ranging from artistic swimming to Kabaddi, eSports, and Wushu. There will be a total of 481 events in the two weeks of the event.
NRL Grand Final (October 1)
The National Rugby League is perhaps the biggest rugby league competition in the world, with participating teams from Australia and New Zealand. And its final is an event on par with the UEFA Champions League final.
There’s no telling yet which teams will meet in the final played on October 1st. At the time of writing, the Penrith Panthers and the Brisbane Broncos are tied for the lead, with 40 points each, with the New Zealand Warriors breathing on their banks.
Cricket World Cup (October 5 – November 19)
The 2023 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will begin on October 5th, with the warm-up matches played between September 29 and October 3 in Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Thiruvananthapuram. The opening match will be played by the national teams of England and New Zealand on the 5th of October, 6 PM local time. Until the finals, scheduled for November 19, we’ll have a chance to follow countless exciting matches.
Pacific Games (November 19 – December 2)
The 17th edition of the Pacific Games will be held in Honiara, Solomon Islands between November 19 and December 2. Athletes from all over the Pacific region will gather at the hosting venues to compete in disciplines like athletics, basketball, rugby sevens and rugby nines, triathlon, volleyball, and netball.
Summer’s almost done up north, and football’s taking a breather. But there’s a heap of sports action to catch before year-end even if football’s not your thing. The top rugby teams meet in France in September, the cricket frenzy kicks off in October, and the year is closed by the Pacific Games in early December. All that’s left for you to do is to sit back and have a ton of fun!
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