Popular Sports to Play in the UK

Published on January 17, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

The United Kingdom is often described as a “sporting nation.” This isn’t just a cliché: the numbers show that physical activity is genuinely part of everyday life. Between November 2023 and November 2024, nearly 30 million adults in England – 63.7% of the population – met the official recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. And if we broaden the scope to the entire country and all forms of activity (organized sports, leisure, hiking…), sports engagement studies suggest that 88% to over 90% of Brits follow or participate in at least one sport.

Football: The National Passion at All Levels

There is probably no other sport that structures daily life in the UK as much as football. Participation figures confirm this: over 11 million people play it, far ahead of other disciplines. Football’s influence is also evident in media statistics: it is the most-watched sport on television and the most followed on social media.

The UK holds a special place in the history of the game. The first modern rules, the famous “Cambridge Rules,” emerged in the mid-19th century. In 1863, the founding of the Football Association in a London tavern formalized the “Laws of the Game” and launched a movement that would structure thousands of clubs, leagues, national competitions, and later, European ones.

In major cities, the offering is abundant. London has 16 professional men’s clubs, not to mention hundreds of amateur teams and youth academies. Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds, or Nottingham each have a strong football identity, often centered around iconic stadiums – from Old Trafford to Anfield, via the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley, the national stadium.

For those who simply want to play, options range from 11-a-side club football to 5-a-side matches organized through platforms like FC Urban or specialized apps. The English Football Association also offers “Just Play” programs for playing without long-term commitment. Costs can remain modest at the amateur level: about £1,800 to £2,500 per season to run a Sunday league team, often funded by player fees and sponsorship from local pubs or businesses.

Grassroots Football: A Prolific but Uneven Offering

While access to football is almost universal, the quality of facilities and coaching varies greatly from one region to another. Some urban areas like London or Manchester have a very dense network of pitches and innovative initiatives, including flexible football projects for adults who cannot commit year-round. Other areas remain dependent on older municipal grounds, sometimes poorly maintained.

Survey data nevertheless shows that, even with these disparities, football remains the number one activity among 18–24 year olds, ahead of running, Formula 1 (as a spectator sport), swimming, or boxing. It continues to massively attract young men, but also, increasingly, women thanks to the growth of women’s leagues.

Golf in Scotland: The Historical Cradle and Play for All Budgets

If there is one sport intimately associated with the United Kingdom’s identity, it is golf, particularly in Scotland. There are over 550 courses there, and the country is recognized as the historic “homeland” of the game. The first official mentions date back to the 15th century, when an act of the Scottish Parliament temporarily banned golf, deemed too distracting from military training.

Even today, some Scottish regions literally live to the rhythm of golf. East Lothian, nicknamed “Scotland’s Golf Coast,” is considered a veritable “Mecca” for the sport. Villages like Gullane or North Berwick integrate golf into the very names of pubs – “The Old Clubhouse,” “The Golfer’s Rest” – and school houses are often named after nearby links courses. There’s even a shop renting hickory clubs to play the game “the old-fashioned way.”

Between Mythical Courses and Affordable Golf

Scotland’s image is dominated by prestigious names: St Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Troon, Turnberry, Kingsbarns… These courses have hosted The Open Championship, golf’s oldest major, and have green fees in another world. On some highly sought-after courses in Ayrshire or Fife, peak-season green fees far exceed £300, or, for some luxury resorts like Turnberry, several hundred dollars per round.

Here is a simplified overview of some green fees found on renowned but relatively accessible courses:

Region	Course	Course Type	Example Green-fee (Summer, Weekday)
East Lothian	Gullane No.1	Links	~£95
East Lothian	North Berwick West Links	Historic Links	~£85 (example), up to $239–$369
East Lothian	Musselburgh Old Links (9 holes)	Historic Links	~£20–26
Aberdeenshire / Moray	Fraserburgh	Links	£60 (summer), £20 (winter)
Moray (Lossiemouth)	Moray Old	Links	£80 (summer), £20 (winter)
Highlands	Boat of Garten	Inland Parkland	£75 (summer), £20 (winter)
Highlands	Durness (9 holes)	Coastal Links	£30–55 (18 holes)
Borders	Southerness	Links	£75 (twilight)

Tourism promotion bodies like VisitScotland and golf travel specialists highlight this diversity by publishing lists or maps summarizing hundreds of courses. A blogger like David Jones has even created a dedicated paper map of Scottish courses, sold for around £8.25, to help golfers plan their trips.

Practical Tips for Playing Without Breaking the Bank

The recent inflation of fees at the major icons – St Andrews Old Course, Kingsbarns, Muirfield – encourages enthusiasts to be strategic. Experiences converge around a few key ideas:

Beyond financial considerations, playing in Scotland remains a cultural experience. Golf is a shared language: chatting with members in the clubhouse, getting advice on a local “hidden gem,” or encountering sheep or cows on the course like at Brora is part of the charm.

Tennis: From Wimbledon to Public Courts

The other major discipline intimately associated with the UK’s image is lawn tennis. It was in Birmingham and Leamington Spa that modern lawn tennis was developed in the 19th century, before being codified and popularized under that name. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon remains its global symbol today, hosting the world’s oldest tournament.

This prestige fuels an annual “Wimbledon fever”: racket sales increase, clubs are swamped with membership requests, and public courts fill up. A Centre Court ticket remains relatively accessible compared to other major events (between £60 and £160 depending on the day), but it’s the mass participation that really draws attention.

Playing Tennis Without Being a Member of an Exclusive Club

Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to spend thousands of pounds or wait on a 10-year waiting list to play regularly. The country has a vast network of public courts, often free or charged by the hour by local authorities. Their condition varies: some are impeccably maintained, others more worn, hence the importance of checking the surface and net before committing.

Pricing studies conducted on a sample of clubs across the country paint a nuanced picture. On average, an annual adult membership is around £269 in London, £259 in Scotland, £201 in Bristol, £173 in Birmingham, £171 in Wales, £169 in Northern Ireland, £153 in Leeds, £149 in Manchester, with a national average low of £109 in Newcastle. In the capital, some neighborhood clubs charge £150 per year, while elite institutions charge several hundred or thousand pounds.

We can summarize this data as follows:

Region	Average Annual Adult Membership Cost
London	~£269
Scotland	~£259
Bristol	~£201
Birmingham	~£173
Wales	~£171
Northern Ireland	~£169
Leeds	~£153
Manchester	~£149
Newcastle	~£109

In high-end private clubs, the amounts skyrocket. For example, The Queen’s Club in West Kensington requires the purchase of a refundable share around £15,000, plus just over £2,000 in annual fees. Highly sought-after clubs like Hurlingham in Fulham or Roehampton Club have annual fees between £1,000 and £2,000, with mandatory sponsorship and waiting lists that could once reach 30 years.

But these bastions are the tip of the iceberg: many mid-sized clubs, including in the regions, offer reasonable packages with near-unlimited court access for an annual or monthly fee. Some multi-sport brands also include court access in their subscriptions (some Virgin Active centers, for example).

Coaching, Skill Levels, and Costs

The coaching offering is very broad. In London, a private lesson generally starts at around £40 per hour, sometimes much more in some very exclusive clubs (over £90 for a lesson with a “head coach” in some Kensington complexes). Group sessions for adults or juniors are cheaper per person, often between £13 and £26 depending on the package and whether it’s a term enrollment or a pay-as-you-go option.

The combination of public courts, traditional clubs, and major tournaments makes tennis a sport that is both elitist in its history and very democratized in its practice. Participation surveys place it among the most popular sports (over 640,000 participants according to some estimates), behind football, swimming, golf, and fitness, but ahead of many other disciplines.

Cycling: From Family Leisure to Mountain Challenges

Cycling illustrates well how the British use sport to reconnect with their landscapes. Long dominated by the image of the utility bike or the solitary road racer, it has diversified considerably: mountain biking, gravel, family rides on greenways, bikepacking, long-distance journeys…

Recent participation data shows that cycling regularly features in the top 10 most popular sporting activities, and even higher when including “active leisure” activities like recreational cycling. It benefits from a favorable context: environmental awareness, mobility policies, major events like the Tour de France’s visit or the hosting of world championships.

An Exceptional Playground in the National Parks

The United Kingdom has 15 national parks, and virtually all offer cycle routes suitable for different levels. Some are renowned for quiet family rides, like The Broads, the New Forest, the South Downs, or the southern part of the Pembrokeshire Coast. Others, like Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Eryri (Snowdonia), the Lake District, Kielder Forest in Northumberland, or the Yorkshire Dales, have gained an international reputation among mountain bikers for their technical trails and demanding descents.

Other iconic routes dot the territory: the Camel Trail in Cornwall, a nearly car-free route for 18 miles; the Tarka Trail in Devon, over 30 miles of greenway; the Pontypool/Blaenavon Route in Wales, linked to a listed mining site; the Strangford Lough Cycle Trail in Northern Ireland, 100 miles alternating quiet roads and separated sections; or long-distance routes like Hadrian’s Cycleway, 173 miles following the Roman wall, or the Lakes and Dales Loop (196 miles) crossing the Lakes, Yorkshire Dales, Eden Valley, and the Cumbrian coast.

A Supported and Organized Practice

The rise of cycling is supported by a very dense rental network. In tourist regions like the New Forest, there are numerous operators (Cyclexperience, Forest Leisure Cycling, New Forest Bikes, etc.) offering standard bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, child trailers, or adapted bikes. Some sites, notably those managed by the National Trust, also lend helmets, lowering the barrier to entry for beginners.

In the Yorkshire Dales, for example, cyclists are encouraged to apply the ‘Check Clean Dry’ protocol to prevent the spread of invasive species between different natural environments. In Scotland, campaigns like ‘Do The Ride Thing’ remind people of trail-sharing rules and respect for wildlife and flora.

Public and associative bodies

Experienced athletes also find their challenge, with major routes like the Avenue Verte (250 miles between London and Paris via Newhaven–Dieppe), the climbs of northern Scotland (Glenshee, Gairnshiel, Lecht) highlighted under the Aberdeenshire Ascents label, or the mythical Yorkshire roads used by the Tour de France, the Tour de Yorkshire, or the World Road Championships (Buttertubs, Kidstones, Grinton Moor).

Rowing on the Thames: A Technical, Structured, and Very Lively Sport

Rowing is another pillar of British sporting culture, even if it reaches a narrower audience than football or hiking. On the Thames, the sport has been practiced since at least the 18th century, and its great races like The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge have become major televised events. But beyond the spectacle, the river is a vast playground for thousands of rowers of all levels.

Getting Started in Rowing: Clubs, Specialized Schools, and Supervised Experience

To get started, the most common route is joining a club. The British Rowing federation maintains a detailed directory of club structures along the Thames and elsewhere in the country. Most clubs welcome beginners and offer either a 4 to 6-week introductory course or dedicated evening slots for novices. Basic coaching is often free or inexpensive, while more advanced programs (competition preparation, video analysis, individual coaching) cost more.

Basic equipment – boats, oars, buoyancy aids – is usually lent by the club, with membership fees covering access to the fleet. For those who want to own their own “shell,” the investment varies greatly depending on the type of boat. Logistical aspects must also be considered: for car-top transport, any overhang exceeding one meter must be marked with a red flag, in accordance with regulations.

A Very Structured Regulatory and Safety Framework

Rowing on the Thames, especially on the tidal section (Tideway), involves adhering to strict safety rules. Several bodies – the Port of London Authority (PLA), the Thames Regional Rowing Council (TRRC), British Rowing – have published a detailed “Code of Practice” for rowing on these waters, classified as Category C by the maritime agency (waves can reach 1.2 meters/4 feet).

Among the main obligations:

Clubs have emergency plans for “Man Overboard,” capsizing, or medical incidents on the water, as well as first aid kits. They are required to report any incident to British Rowing via an online system, in addition, if applicable, to a report for the PLA.

A Dense Culture of Clubs and Competitions

The Thames is lined with centenary clubs – Thames RC, Leander Club, London RC, Molesey BC, Kingston RC, to name but a few – as well as university and school clubs. Traditional regattas (Henley Royal Regatta, Reading, Marlow, etc.) mark the summer season, while timed “head races,” like the Head of the River Race or the Women’s Head, attract hundreds of eights each year.

Some clubs also organize structured “Learn to Row” courses by age, like Kingston Rowing Club which offers cycles for juniors (11–18 years old), young adults, and adults, with fees around £300–350 for several weeks of training. Selection at the end of these courses is not automatic: continuation as a member depends on technique, attitude, and physical aptitude.

For disabled rowers, the federation lists clubs involved in para-rowing. The recommendation is clear: inform coaches of any treatment, limitation, or concern in order to best adapt the practice.

Hiking and Walking: A Country Shaped for Walkers

Walking is arguably the activity most deeply rooted in British culture. The varied landscapes – wind-swept moors, rocky ridges, coastal cliffs, ancient woodlands, rolling green hills – and the density of marked trails contribute to making it a mass activity. Some sports engagement indices even rank walking and hiking among the “leisure sports” that most boost overall participation rates.

An Impressive Network of Trails and Parks

The United Kingdom has numerous national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Long-distance footpaths (“National Trails”) cross the country from end to end. The South West Coast Path, for example, is the longest at 630 miles (1,014 km) of coastline from Somerset to Dorset, cumulating over 115,000 feet of ascent and descent. The Pennine Way, the first national trail, follows the backbone of England for about 265–270 miles. The Thames Path runs alongside the Thames for nearly 298 km, soon to be extended to 374 km from source to sea.

The national parks of the Lake District, Eryri (Snowdonia), Yorkshire Dales, Peak District, Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor, or Northumberland each offer combinations of peaks, valleys, gorges, and lakes. The most frequented peaks – Scafell Pike, Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa, Ben Nevis for the famous National Three Peaks Challenge – coexist with many more modest but equally spectacular hills, like Mam Tor in the Peak District, Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons, or Catbells overlooking Derwentwater.

A Practice Made Simple by Dedicated Services

The success of hiking also lies in how it is facilitated. Tour operators like Contours Holidays organize “self-guided” trips: accommodation, baggage transfer, detailed itinerary, downloadable GPX tracks. Platforms like Walking Britain offer over 2,600 routes described in detail across England, Wales, and Scotland.

The weather, known to be changeable, is part of the experience. It’s often said you can experience “four seasons in one day” on British hills. This doesn’t stop millions of people from heading out every weekend, taking advantage of the dense network of pubs, tea-rooms, and B&Bs to turn their hikes into “inn to inn” itineraries.

Netball: A Sport Booming, Especially Among Women

Less known outside Commonwealth countries, netball is nonetheless experiencing spectacular growth in the UK. Specialized bodies describe it as the fastest-growing sport in the country, with a presence in over 150 venues.

The federal structure is based on England Netball and regional bodies like Netball South West. There are local leagues, regional championships, and a national Premier League. Concurrently, a vast network of amateur clubs welcomes players of all levels, from juniors to adults, and increasingly mixed teams.

A Highly Accessible, Social, and Structured Practice

Most recreational leagues operate on a simple format: seasons of 8 to 12 weeks, weekly 40-minute matches, umpiring provided, with schedule and league table management by the organizer. Skill-level categories – beginner, recreational, intermediate – allow everyone to find a league suited to their abilities and expectations.

Specific programs enrich the offering: “Back to Netball” for those returning after several years, “Walking Netball” for a game adapted to less mobile people (a festival brought together over 140 participants and 18 teams in early 2025), “NetVets” for veteran players (a regional event brought together over 150 women in April 2025).

Volunteering, Umpiring, and Progression

The life of the leagues relies heavily on volunteers: officials, safeguarding officers, welfare officers, umpires, and coaches. Some organizers, however, pay umpires around £10 per match, offering a supplementary source of income (3 to 4 matches per evening for the busiest).

The governing body England Netball supports the training of officials and coaches, recognizing qualification levels for umpires (A, B, etc.). Recent events, for example, involved umpires already holding an A award, others with a B award, and trainees in training.

Beyond competition, netball thus strengthens the local social fabric: it is at once a sport, a means of creating connections, and a pool of volunteers engaged in community life.

Lawn Bowls: The Intergenerational Sport Par Excellence

At the other end of the intensity spectrum lies lawn bowls, often associated with immaculately mowed greens, village halls, and a peaceful atmosphere. But it would be a mistake to see it as merely a retirees’ pastime. The sport is described as accessible to all, from teenagers to nonagenarians, and competition can be very high-level, from local leagues up to national championships where amateurs can face English internationals.

A Very Dense Network of Clubs and a Sociable Culture

There are over 3,500 bowls clubs across the United Kingdom. Bowls England, which manages the “outdoor flat green” version, federates over 2,000 by itself. Other forms – crown green, indoor – complete the landscape. Most of these clubs are very keen to attract new members and offer open days, free taster sessions, or discounts for beginners (sometimes 50% off the first year’s membership).

Membership costs are generally reasonable, far below those of major golf or tennis clubs. Basic equipment – the “bowls” – is often lent to newcomers, allowing them to start without an initial investment. Specialized equipment (wooden or composite bowls, bags, clothing, accessories, bias testing or engraving services) is offered by dedicated shops, physical or online.

A Technical Game, Fine-Tuned to the Millimeter

Behind the apparent simplicity of the action – rolling a bowl towards a small “jack” – lies a very fine science of trajectories. Bowls are intentionally biased: their shape and center of gravity induce a curve that the player must anticipate based on the hand used (forehand or backhand), the length of the delivery, the condition of the green, wind, and moisture. Governing bodies like the International Bowling Board and the British Isles Bowling Council regulate the degree of bias and require an official test every ten years, stamping each approved bowl.

Game formats are varied (singles, doubles, triples, rinks of four players), each with defined roles: lead, second, third, skip. Concepts like “touchers” (bowls that have touched the jack, marked with chalk), “dead bowls,” and managing the “land” (the space between the curved trajectory and the straight line to the jack) are part of the common vocabulary.

Despite this technicality, coaches emphasize the ease of entry: as long as a person can hold a bowl and move on the grass, they can play, and it’s common to see men and women of very different generations competing on equal terms on the greens.

The outdoor season typically runs from late April to mid-September, extended in winter by indoor clubs. Many bowlers in fact do both, reuniting indoors with their summer playing partners.

A Sporting Landscape in Flux but Still Prolific

Taken together, these sports offer a good snapshot of contemporary British sporting culture. Football and rugby – not covered here in detail but still central, notably through the Six Nations Tournament and the strong Welsh identity around the XV – retain a symbolically and economically dominant place. Cricket remains a historical marker, while sports like tennis, golf, rowing, and hiking build a bridge between heritage and mass participation.

Behind this diversity, a common thread emerges: the idea that sport is neither limited to elite performance nor to its televised image. Whether it’s rolling a bowl on a summer afternoon, climbing a peak in the Lake District, learning the proper rowing stroke on a stretch of the Thames, hitting a ball on a public court, or playing a netball match under a drizzly sky, millions of Brits appropriate these activities every week as moments of social connection, health, and pleasure.

In a country that likes to remind us that many modern sports were invented or codified locally, this vitality of participation remains one of the most striking features of the contemporary United Kingdom.