Latest news and events
29Aug 
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No Comments Sports event in focus: Super League Triathlon 2021 championship series
Super League Triathlon’s 2021 championship gets under way on 5 September with the opening event of the series in London.
Following the championship opener in the UK capital, the swim-bike-run series will continue with back-to-back events in Munich, Jersey and Malibu, which will crown the fastest triathletes in the world.
Super League Triathlon 2021 Championship Series- 5 September: London, UK- 12 September: Munich, Germany- 18 September: Jersey, Channel Islands - 25 September: Malibu, USA
The final start lists for the 2021 Super League Triathlon championship will contain 20 male athletes, 20 female athletes and a number of wildcards - who will confirmed ahead of each event. Race formats include Enduro, Triple Mix, Equalizer and Eliminator.
Spain’s Mario Mola, who wo...
29Aug No Comments
No Comments Aruba sports holidays: golf, beach tennis and motorsport
The sun-drenched Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba is the perfect place for combining a relaxing holiday with a spot of golf, beach tennis or motor racing.
Lying 15 miles north of the South American coastline, the island benefits from year-round sunshine, an average temperature of 32C and a cooling breeze. It offers something for every visitor, from luxury brand shopping in the capital Oranjestad to a host of watersports – or just relaxing on the island’s award-winning beaches.
Many hotels and resorts offer a range of wellness-focused activities, such as dance therapy, fitness classes and yoga sessions. Hiking along the rugged northern coast of the island or kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding over tranquil turquoise waters are also suggested for those seeking nature-inspired a...
29Aug No Comments
No Comments Rugby League World Cup: 2022 dates confirmed for rescheduled event
Following the postponement of the 2021 event, Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) organisers have now confirmed the dates for 2022.
Taking place in 2022 from Saturday 15 October to Saturday 19 November, the RLWC in England will feature the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments - the first time all three will be held simultaneously.
A statement said: “The dates see the tournament move one week earlier than scheduled in 2021 to maximise attendance and viewership. Work now continues to release a full revised match schedule by no later than the end of the year.”
As originally planned St James' Park in Newcastle will host the opening match while the men’s and women’s finals will be held in a double header at Old Trafford in Manchester.
The earlier start date in 2022 means the ...
25Aug No Comments
No Comments Sports holidays: Active Living Week with Amy Williams at Four Seasons Fairways
Sports and fitness fanatics who are seeking some winter wellness can train like an Olympian by signing up for Active Living Week with Amy Williams at Four Seasons Fairways in Portugal.
Williams, a gold medal winner in the skeleton for Team GB at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, will be hosting Active Living Week from 21-28 November 2021. She will lead stretch and mobility classes in the grounds of the luxury Algarve resort and hold HIIT, full body burn, core and abs sessions. Guests will also have the opportunity for a meet and greet with Williams, join her for a bike tour along the Ria Formosa and take to the water for a kayak safari. Activities can be tailored to suit all ages, levels and fitness abilities.
“I am so thrilled to be heading out to Four Seasons Fairways later...
24Aug No Comments
No Comments Estonia sporting events: a marathon challenge in Tallinn and Tartu
Estonia offers a variety of marathon events to participate in. From a month-long virtual marathon to a night run or one of the largest mountain bike marathons in the world, Estonia has a variety of sporting events for visitors to enjoy.
Tallinn Marathon (Image: Jarek Jõepera via Visit Estonia)
Tallinn Marathon: 10-12 September 2021
Located in Estonia's capital, the Tallinn Marathon takes place from 10-12 September. It is the largest international running event in Estonia and offers the option to run 5k, 10k or a half-marathon as well as the full distance, making it a great choice for runners of all abilities. The Tallinn Marathon gives the opportunity to complete the race in the beautiful surroundings of the Unesco-declared Old Town, considered one of the best-preserved medieval ...
22Aug No Comments
No Comments HF Holidays unveils ‘wonders of Japan’ guided walking holiday for 2022
Japan is firmly front and centre in people’s minds this summer. It's a land where the ultra-modern rubs shoulders with ancient traditions, where a peaceful temple can sit in the midst of a frantic city and office-suited residents pass kimono-wearing geisha in the blink of an eye.
There is so much to see and do in Japan and HF Holidays has put together a trip which will give guests an insight to some of the country's most captivating places. HF Holidays' itinerary has many exciting experiences to enjoy. Here are a few of the highlights of the Japan guided walking holiday.
Uncover Tokyo’s many sides
This trip will show the ultramodern city and how it sits cheek-by-jowl with its more tranquil, spiritual side. Guests can enjoy a bird's-eye view across the city from the top of the...
21Aug No Comments
No Comments Football with no fans: study reveals effect of empty stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic
With the 2021-2022 English Premier League season kicking off with crowds of fans cheering on their teams, new research has revealed the hugely negative effect of playing professional football games in empty stadiums last season, with home advantage almost halved.
Home advantage describes the benefit a sports team playing at their own venue is said to enjoy over the visiting team. This could be attributed to the effect of fans on the players or referee; playing in familiar surroundings and the effects of travel on the visiting team.
The new study, by researchers at Northumbria University and the University of Leeds, used the unique opportunity presented by the Covid-19 pandemic to test whether home advantage applies when fans are not present in the stands.
The researchers found tha...
21Aug No Comments
No Comments Sport in Northern Ireland: events, activities and things to do
Northern Ireland's most famous landmark is The Giant's Causeway, but the country is also a giant in the world of golf and the great outdoors.
With more than 100 courses, golf is a major attraction for travellers and there’s also plenty of other outdoor activities such as walking, hiking and biking.
For Game of Thrones fans there’s the chance of shooting medieval arrows using ancient bows while experiencing archery at Winterfell Castle. If archery isn’t your thing then why not tour the GoT film locations on a bike?
Top sporting events in Northern Ireland in 2021
Antrim Coast Half Marathon
- When: Sunday 29 August
- Where: Larne, Northern Ireland
- Website: antrimcoasthalfmarathon.com
Lap The Lough
- When: Sunday 29 August
- Where: Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the Republic of Irela...
21Aug No Comments
No Comments Five of the best surfing spots on The Islands of Tahiti
Located in the South Pacific, The Islands of Tahiti consist of 118 islands and atolls, made up of the well-known Society Islands including Tahiti and Bora Bora, Tuamotu Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands and Marquesas Islands. Here the team from The Islands of Tahiti tourism board pick out the five best spots for surfing.
Teahupo’o surf spot © Steve Dickinson
Teahupo’o
Home to the best waves, Tahiti is a surfer’s paradise due to its position facing the full uninterrupted force of the South Pacific. The mythical wave of Teahupo’o, located on the Peninsula of the island of Tahiti, presents athletic and ideal surf conditions. The legendary surf spot of Teahupo’o is already part of the various surf spots which The Islands of Tahiti has to offer to both expert and novice ...
20Aug No Comments
No Comments Viktor Troicki to serve up tennis masterclass at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences
Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences will welcome Serbian former tennis pro Viktor Troicki for an exclusive two-week tennis residency on the island. The Davis Cup winner, who achieved a career high world ranking of No.12, will offer Amilla guests top-class tailored coaching, practice workshops and pro tips from 26 October to 6 November 2021.
Troicki became the first tennis player in the Open era to win all three major team competitions, with the World Team Cup in 2009, Davis Cup in 2010 and partnering with Novak Djokovic to win the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020. The 35-year-old announced his retirement from professional tennis at the end of June.
Amilla Maldives has a long tradition of serving up some of the biggest names in tennis for one-off exhibitions, residencies and clinics, givin...
19Aug No Comments
No Comments Olympics-inspired things to do in Southampton: cycling, sailing and more
Inspired by Team GB’s success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, sports fans heading to Southampton can choose from a range of new tours, events and activities that have launched in the city on England’s south coast. Highlights include:
New sightseeing by bike tour
A new E-Bike sightseeing tour has launched in Southampton. Local operator Madein:Here has teamed up with SEE Southampton tour guides and The Hub Cycleworks to offer visitors and locals an alternative sightseeing perspective on the city.
Led by an accredited guide, the two-hour Classic tour, takes cyclists through the city’s backstreets, parks and cycle paths at a gentle pace, with frequent stops to learn about Southampton’s surprising history.
Departing from the Dolphin Hotel (where Jane Austin celebrated her 18th birthday)...
15Aug No Comments
No Comments SportsNOVA: new sports tourism alliance launched in Northern Virginia
The destination marketing organisations of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties have announced the launch of SportsNOVA, a new regional sports tourism partnership that will market Northern Virginia as a premier destination for sports travel events.
With the goal of generating economic impact and fostering community development in the US region, destination partners will work collaboratively to attract multi-sport and large single-sport events that can only be accommodated through a collective effort.
Along with this new brand announcement, the group also launched its website – SportsNOVA.com – to promote the region’s top-tier sports facilities, full- and select-service hotels, world-class attractions, shopping, award-winning wineries and breweries, and convenient ...
15Aug No Comments
No Comments Interview: Neymar Jr on his Red Bull five-a-side event, PSG and Lionel Messi
With the 2021 edition of the Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five global football tournament now well under way, the Brazilian star gave his thoughts on this season and his hopes for the future.
What's given you the greatest satisfaction in the evolution of your tournament so far?It’s amazing. I remember as if it were today, when they showed me the proposal for the tournament, rules, boxed goals that brought me back to when I was a kid. The objective was transforming Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five into a reference for football players whenever they think of 5-a-side games, and I think we’re on the right track. There have been more than 400,000 people over the last four years, dozens of countries in the qualifiers. It's very cool to see more female teams and more women involved in the tournament, always...
15Aug No Comments
No Comments ‘Water wellness’ in Scotland: wild swimming, paddle boarding, walking and more
It has sculpted Scotland's world-famous landscape, sustained its stunning scenery and borne myths and legends like the Kelpies and Loch Ness Monster, and now the country’s pure waters are riding the wave of a growing wellness trend.
“Water wellness”, also known as Blue Mind (a term coined by marine biologist Wallace J Nichols), is linked to the positive influence water can have on our physical and mental health, that feeling of calm or peacefulness that is sparked when we are in or near water.
Thanks to its many lochs, rivers, canals and coastlines, Scotland is emerging as one of the hottest destinations in the UK to embrace the water wellness movement, with activities such as wild swimming and paddle-boarding quickly becoming lockdown hobbies.
YouGov resea...
9Aug No Comments
No Comments Olympic fever points the way to Paris 2024
Team GB secured 65 medals in Tokyo, an amazing haul during any normal Olympic Games, but truly historic when considering this achievement against the backdrop of COVID. Tokyo sits in the history books as Team GB's second-best overseas Olympics and may well be the springboard to greater things in three years time for Paris 2024!
France officially becomes the proud host nation of the next Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (the Games of the 33rd Olympiad), receiving the flag from Tokyo at its glittering Closing Ceremony yesterday. Set to take place exactly 100 years after France's last summer Games, Paris 2024 will be the largest event ever organised in the country, running from Friday 26 July until Sunday 11 August 2024. It promises to be an inclusive, interactive and sustainable celebr...
29Jul No Comments
No Comments Delving into Australia’s Sporting Heritage
Cultural Attractions of Australia (CAOA) is a collective of some of Australia’s most iconic landmarks, each with their own heritage, narrative and position in the country’s DNA. The CAOA forms part of Tourism Australia’s initiative “Signature Experiences of Australia Program”. CAOA introduces the global travel industry and traveller to some of Australia’s most iconic landmarks, through ‘experiential’ means, allowing them to engage with the deep-rooted culture of the nation using all the senses. These behind-the-scenes experiences are aimed at bringing to life the many cultural, creative and sporting stories of Australia, and to give voice to the bricks and mortar of these venues which have witnessed so much; “If only these walls could talk” is a well-used adage, yet CAOA is a vehicle which...
25Jul No Comments
No Comments 2021 FIA World Rallycross calendar: Nürburgring moved to season finale
Rallycross Promoter GmbH has confirmed that the World RX of Germany at the Nürburgring - scheduled to be the second and third rounds of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship - will be postponed to the end of the season due to the ongoing effects of the widespread recent flooding in the region.
The World Championship campaign gets under way in Barcelona from 23-24 July, and the Nürburgring - a new addition to the series’ calendar - had been due to welcome the headlining World RX battle and all-electric FIA RX2e Championship a week later, 31 July to 1 August.
The wide-ranging recent floods in Germany have forced the postponement of the event, with the Nürburgring having become a focal point of the rescue and recovery efforts as a collection and distribution centre. The rescheduled...