Three Essential Sporting Events to Watch in Winter 2022

Global events of the past few years have seen a lot of sporting events delayed. Yet in the autumn and winter of 2022, many of them will come to fruition. This will pack the end of the year with sporting spectacles. Below, we give three sporting events you must watch. 

Rugby League World Cup

This year’s Rugby League World Cup is the delayed competition that would have taken place in 2021. Held in England, it will be the 16th outing for the competition. The games will switch across stadiums in the country. This will also be the first time the women and wheelchair game will also run at the same time as the men’s competition. 

There are four groups, each made of four teams. The top two will carry on to the knockout stages. Heavyweight teams like England, France, and Australia will play alongside smaller nations such as Fiji and Lebanon. 

As outlined here on Rugby World, the fixtures are already laid out for 2023. The favourites to win the competition are the French, coming in at 2-1. With five previous wins from five under their belt, they are riding high, and it seems like nothing can stop them. However, they are closely followed by the New Zealand team, English, and South African squads. 

FIFA World Cup

The run-up to the World Cup in Qatar has been an eventful one. It will be the first World Cup to be held in an Arabic country and will feature 32 teams. However, aside from being a celebration, it has faced criticism regarding the country’s poor human rights record and the fact that it has moved from its summer timeslot to accommodate the stifling heat. Yet all this has not dulled the fact that the World Cup is the greatest spectacle in global sport. 

The first game will take place on November 20th, with the slightly underwhelming prospect of hosts Qatar against Ecuador. Brazil is the favourite going into the tournament at 5/1, according to odds posted by BetUk. They are closely followed by France at 13/2, Argentina at 15/2 and England at 7/1. If you want to place a wager before the tournament begins, you can bet here on the winning team and top goal scorers for the tournament. 

Poland is in group C of the tournament, fighting for survival against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and the fancied Argentina. They’re currently a 90/1 bet to win the competition outright. 

Brazil and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

While there are still several Grand Prix races to be held before the year is out, both the Brazilian and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuits will close the season, as you can read here. The penultimate race will take place in Sao Paulo, at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. 

Last year the race in Brazil was won by Lewis Hamilton, but it is the British driver who has dominated at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Having won five races at the circuit in the last ten years, it remains to be seen if it will go to the knuckle in this final race of the season.