Sports in Britain

Sports play an important part in the life of the English people. Such national British sports as football, golf, cricket, table tennis, lawn tennis, snooker, steeplechase, racing, darts are popular among the British. They are proud that many sports originated in their country and then spread throughout the world.

Football the most popular game in the world is of two kinds in Britain:, association football (soccer) and rugby. Soccer played almost in all countries remains one of the most pbpular games in Great Britain. Rugby football originated at Rugby public school. In this game players may carry the ball. Rugby is played by teams of 15 men with an oval ball.

Golf, one of the popular sports inv Britain, originated in Scotland.

Englishmen are fond of cricket. Cricket is popular in schools, colleges, universities. Test matches with other countries are held regularly.

Table tennis was invented in England in 1880. But the British players are not lucky in tennis international championships.

Wimbledon is known world-wide as the centre of lawn tennis. Wimbledon championships begin on the nearest Monday to June 22, when the weather is fine. The Championships are watched on TV live and at full length by millions of people.

Steeplechase, a cross country running, is popular in European countries. The first cross country race took place in 1837.

Englishmen like all kinds of racing. Horse-racing, motor-car racing, boat-racing, dog-racing, donkey-racing are very popular in England. The most famous boat race in England is between Oxford and Cambridge. It first started in 1820 and has been held almost every spring since 1836. A lot of people come to watch it.