Sport
2023’s sporting moments to watch out for
As 2022 draws to a close, it’s safe to say the past 12 months have served up some incredible sporting stories, climaxed wonderfully by December’s fabulous World Cup Final in Qatar.
With 2023 on the horizon, we look ahead to the most eagerly-anticipated events across six sports over the next calendar year.
The Six Nations Championship
Date: 4th February – 18th March
The 2023 Six Nations Championship will be the 24th edition of the annual rugby union tournament, with England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Italy all going head to head over a period of six weeks.
France will enter the tournament as defending champions, having won the Grand Slam in last year’s championship edition – their first title since 2010. They will be bidding to be the first nation to defend their title since England in 2017, and will start their campaign as second-favourites at 6/4.
Favourites for the crown this year are Ireland (11/8), who last triumphed in 2018, whilst England, led by new head coach Steve Borthwick, are a 9/2 shout.
Bet on the 2013 Six Nations Championship
Super Bowl LVII
Date: 12th February
Often regarded as the biggest date in the American sporting calendar, the 57th edition of the Super Bowl is set to take place at the 70,000-seater State Farm Stadium in Arizona to determine the 2023 League champion. The fixture will commence on the second Sunday in February, as is tradition since last year when the LA Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Rams will however need to pull something big out of the bag if they are to defend their title after a dismal set of results in their NFC West group, losing 10 of their opening 14 fixtures – including just one victory away from home. As such, Les Snead’s side find themselves a huge 750/1 to repeat last year’s success.
Leading the market currently are the Buffalo Bills (7/2), who are on a five-game winning streak and currently occupy first place in the AFC East group, whilst the Philadelphia Eagles (4/1) and the Kansan City Chiefs (9/2) are also tipped for glory after also enjoying some impressive domestic form.
Bet on the 2023 Super Bowl LVII
The Grand National Festival
Date: 13th – 15th April
Arguably the most prestigious horse race meeting of the calendar year will take place over three exhilarating days next year, with Aintree playing host to the Grand National Festival in the second weekend of April.
Noble Yeats will be looking to defend his crown after snatching a shock 50-1 victory last year, and will start 2023’s edition as the 14/1 favourite.
There is no better test of endurance than this course of more than four miles over the famous Aintree spruce. Eleven Grade 1 races take place over the rest of the festival, though none generate as much national interest as the lesser-graded Grand National.
Bet on the 2023 Grand National Festival.
The Masters
Date: 6th – 9th April
The 2023 Masters will be the 87th edition of the Masters Tournament and the first of the men’s four major golf championships held in 2023. The competition holds additional prestige, as the winner each year has a standing invitation to come back and compete in the event for the rest of their life. It is scheduled to be played in the second week of April at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
American Scottie Scheffler wooed the home crowd last year en route to a sensational victory, which remains his only major tournament triumph. He is 14/1 to repeat the feat this year and become the first player to defend his title since Tiger Woods in 2002.
The current favourite for this year’s competition is Rory McIlroy, who is 9/1 to win his first Masters tournament, the only one of the four majors that has evaded him in an otherwise illustrious career.
Champions League Final
Date: 10th June
The 23rd edition of the Champions League Final, perceived as the pinnacle of European club football, will finally take place in Istanbul after the Turkish government pulled out of hosting the 2021 finale due to COVID restrictions.
At a slightly later mid-June date, due to the timing of this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Champions League Final will again serve as the closing curtain on all European club football, with 16 teams still in the race to win one of the sport’s most sought-after crown.
Premier League champions Manchester City will believe this is finally their time to win the ultimate prize in club football, having added a certain Erling Haaland to bolster their attack, and are 13/8 favourites to triumph in Istanbul. Last year’s winners Real Madrid are less fancied at 11/1, with a star-studded PSG side 8/1 to break their own Champions League curse.
Bet on the 2023 UEFA Champions League
ICC Cricket World Cup
Date: October – November 2023
Fear not, you’re not going crazy – England did just win a World Cup in cricket, but it was a different format! Jos Buttler’s side’s triumph in the T20 World Cup down under in November will live long in the memory, but not before his men gear up again to try and retain their ICC Cricket World Cup title in India towards the end of 2023.
It’s a subjective call, but most pundits will agree that this version of the World Cup – One Day International (ODI) cricket – is a tad more prestigious, especially as it’s held every four years compared to its opposite number’s two.
England also hold the trophy for this format – beating New Zealand in a scarcely believable final in Lords back in 2019 – and will be amongst the favourites to retain the accolade. In fact, Jos Buttler’s side are 3/1 to become the first team since Australia to successfully defend their crown, with hosts India the outright favourites at 12/5.
