Popular sports in Great Britain / Популярные виды спорта в Великобритании
People all over the world are fond of sports and games. Sports keep people united; make everyone healthy and strong; and bring a lot of positive emotions. Would you like to know what kinds of sports in Great Britain bring the British the joys mentioned above?
According to the recent National Sports Quiz results, the British consider the following kinds of sports as popular: football, cricket, rugby, golf, and racket sports. Let's have a quick look at each of them. Football is the national sport in England and Scotland. It is an obsession for many British people. The English Barclays Premier League is generally seen as the best league in the world, while the Scottish Premier League is also very successful. People worldwide support famous English clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Cricket is the main summer sport in the UK and is played at various levels from village standard up to the England national team. The England team plays home Test matches, one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches every summer and goes on tour every winter. The undoubted highlight is the Ashes — England against Australia — contested every two years.
British rugby union is currently booming. British clubs are highly successful in the Heineken Cup — otherwise known as the European Cup. The English Guinness Premiership and Celtic League are both highly competitive and watched by sell-out crowds every week. The Rugby World Cup, which takes place every four years and was won by South Africa in 2007the biggest event in the rugby calendar. Rugby league is mainly played in the north of England, although the Super League includes a team based in Perpignan, France and London — the Harlequins. Rugby teams from England, Scotland and Ireland are going to participate in the Rugby League World Cup in 2008.
The UK is renowned as the home of golf and boasts hundreds of world-class courses. They include St Andrews, Wentworth, the Belfry and Carnoustie — four of the most famous course in the world. The British Open is held every July at different courses in the UK. It is the oldest and most famous of golf's four major championships.
Racket sports include tennis badminton and squash. Tennis, badminton and squash are all hugely popular sports in the UK. Tennis is probably the most widely-known, with tournaments such as Wimbledon and the Stella Artois Championships at Queen's Club and is a major part of every summer. British badminton players have been highly successful in recent years. The highlights are Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson, who won silver medals in the mixed doubles at the 2004 Olympic Games. The Yonex All England Open in Birmingham takes place in March and is the biggest tournament in the British calendar. Squash is another highly successful British sport, with players such as James Willstrop and Nick Matthew ranked among the top players in the world.
Словарь
to have a quick look at smth — что-то быстро просмотреть
Twenty 20 matches — вид соревнований в Англии по крикету, в котором команды играют друг против друга в коротких матчах, выполняя 20 серий бросков с каждой стороны
to be currently booming — процветающий в данное время
sell-out crowds — огромные толпы людей (здесь: толпы людей, раскупившие билеты на матч)
squash — сквош, ракетбол
hugely popular — сверхпопулярные
a tournament (s) — турнир, турниры
the top players in the world — лучшие игроки мира
