Sport’s coming home: Women’s World Cup, Ryder Cup and Tour de France on UK’s list of 70 targets for next decade

A Women’s World Cup of football, men’s Rugby World Cup and Ryder Cup could be staged in Britain over the next 15 years after UK Sport revealed an ambitious list of major event targets.

Following the success of England hosting the Women’s Euros in 2022, which saw the Lionesses lift the trophy, a UK bid for the Women’s World Cup in either 2031, 2035 or 2039 is planned.

The men’s Rugby World Cup, last held here in 2015, could return in 2035 or 2039, while a bid for the Ryder Cup in either 2031 or 2035 has also been earmarked. The biennial golf contest’s women’s equivalent, the Solheim Cup, is a target for 2030.

“You’ll see the inclusion of the Fifa Women’s World Cup as the biggest sporting event this country has never hosted and the aspiration to host that event in the 2030s,” said Simon Morton, deputy CEO and director of events at UK Sport. 

UK Sport aspirations

“The aspiration is to host the Women’s Football World Cup. I think for events on this list we need to respect that there are other countries interested in hosting them and so the political dynamics across federations is outside of our control.

“That’s why you see an open ended position. We need to see where Fifa will go with that tournament.”

“The aspiration is to host the Women’s Football World Cup. I think for events on this list we need to respect that there are other countries interested in hosting them and so the political dynamics across federations is outside of our control.

“That’s why you see an open ended position. We need to see where Fifa will go with that tournament.”

A decision on the hosts of the 2027 World Cup in May could set Britain and Saudi Arabia on a collision course for a bidding war to host the 2031 tournament.

UK Sport also hopes to bid for the World Athletics Championship in 2029 or 2031, and stages of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes in 2027. 

Other events on the 70-strong list of targets include the Netball World Cup and world championships of track cycling (2031 or 2035), artistic gymnastics (2030), triathlon (2027), ice hockey (2029), skateboarding (2029) and climbing (2030).

Olympic return?

There was no mention of hosting the Commonwealth Games again, although the list is not exhaustive, but the Olympics could return to British shores in the early 2040s.

“One of the key considerations is the international landscape,”  head of major events at UK Sport Esther Britten said. “To the IOC [International Olympic Committee] us hosting the games in 2012 is still recent and I am sure memories will be brought back with the Paris games but it is also a BOA [British Olympic Association] decision on when they’d want to think about that.

“We would say it’s unlikely we’d do that until the 2040s at the earliest.”

Morton said: “Look at the frequency of hoisting in the games of major nations. Australia, who staged the games in Sydney in 2000 and are hosting 32 years later in Brisbane and if you look at the last time the USa hosted in Atlanta in 1996 and 32 years later they’re hosting in Los Angeles, it is not unreasonable to think that if you were to extrapolate that 32 years the 2040s is probably the most logical first point for us to look at.”

The UK is already set to host the major finals of European club football and rugby this summer, the Women’s Rugby World Cup next year, the European Athletics Championship and Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2026, and men’s football’s Euro 2028.

Women’s World Cup ambition

It has never hosted the Fifa Women’s World Cup, however, and last staged the Ryder Cup in 2014 at Gleneagles. Not for a decade has Britain hosted any stage of the Tour de France, either.

UK Sport said its strategy was designed to reflect the country’s “ambition to maintain its reputation as a world-leading host nation”. 

“With the Champions League final at Wembley in June, and the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 we’re building on our world leading reputation for hosting major sporting events,” said Sports Minister Stuart Andrew. 

“We are working closely with UK Sport and partners to fulfil our shared ambition to deliver up to 70 major events across thirty different sports to the UK in the years ahead.”