Sumo wrestling in Tokyo. Japan. Photo / Alessio Roversi on Unsplash
Sumo wrestling in Tokyo. Japan. Photo / Alessio Roversi on Unsplash
These are the world’s best places for sports fans, writes Brett Atkinson
In the wake of the Paris Olympics and the recent Euro 2024 football tournament, get off the couch and explore the world’s great stadiums, or experience the live thrills of high-level sports not usually seen in New Zealand. At leading sports museums, there’s also the chance to test yourself at football, cricket, and two unique activities only found in Ireland.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
Eleven of Barcelona’s first team squad played in the recent Euro 2024 football tournament – including four in the victorious Spanish team – and the city’s beloved club are now undergoing a massive renovation of their historic Camp Nou Stadium. It’s due to reopen for the 2025-26 Spanish La Liga season, so the legendary Barcelona story is currently best experienced by combining a visit to their new museum and to a viewing point of the Grand Designs makeover nearby. Learn about former stars including Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, and also be immersed in the excitement of the new Barca Virtual Dream VR Experience.
Barcelona’s Camp Nou is undergoing a massive renovation, set to reopen for the 2025-26 La Liga season. Photo / 123rf
Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, UK
In England’s underrated and unofficial northern capital, Mancunian locals grow up supporting either Manchester United (the Red Devils) or Manchester City (the Sky Blues). City have been more successful across recent years, but United definitely have the more storied heritage. Stadium visits to Manchester United’s Old Trafford – first opened in 1910 – include stories about United legends including Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. Grab a photo with the stadium’s famous United Trinity statue featuring past Manchester icons George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, and definitely exit through the gift shop for some of English football’s best merch.
manutd.com
Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,635, it is the largest club stadium of any football team in the United Kingdom. Photo / 123rf
National Football Museum, Manchester, UK
While in Manchester, also schedule a visit to the National Football Museum. Highlights include the story of England’s win in the 1966 World Cup – including a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy they won when football last “came home” – and plenty of interactive games and exercises to test your on-field skills. Bring along your A-game to be competitive at the museum’s family-friendly Play Gallery games, including penalty taking and goalkeeping.
The National Football Museum in Manchester features a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy, celebrating England’s 1966 World Cup win. Photo / 123rf
Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame, Bowral, Australia
A different set of sporting skills are tested at the Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame in Bowral, a provincial town 90 minutes drive south of Sydney. Australia’s greatest-ever cricketer, Sir Don Bradman, grew up in the leafy Southern Highlands hamlet, and while there’s plenty of Ashes and Bradman memorabilia, it’s the museum’s fun games testing fielding, bowling and batting that really make it a worthwhile destination. Next to the museum is a village-style cricket oval that’s occasionally used for invitational matches featuring contemporary cricketing stars.
bradman.com.au
Aussie Rules at the MCG, Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne is one of the world’s great sporting cities, and it’s AFL (Australian Rules Football) that draws the biggest crowds in the Victorian state capital. Accommodating 100,000 fans, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the planet’s great arenas and from March to September hosts matches between Victoria’s 10 AFL clubs and eight other franchises from around Australia. Compared with a rugby match in New Zealand, you’ll notice a big difference in the size of the ground, and the MCG’s AFL pitch is a massive 160m x 141m. It’s also estimated AFL players run around 14km in a game, two to three times as far as rugby players. Before taking in a quintessential Aussie sports experience, visit the adjacent Australian Sports Museum.
mcg.org.au
The MCG in Melbourne has a pitch so large that AFL players often run more than 14km in a single game. Photo / 123rf
Baseball in New York, US
One of the USA’s great sports rivalries is between New York’s two MLB (Major League Baseball) teams, the New York Mets (based in Queens), and the New York Yankees (based in the Bronx). Catch the subway from Manhattan north to Yankee Stadium and watch a game with the Bronx’s Bleacher Creatures, quite possibly America’s most passionate sports fans. Of course, there are hot dogs and cold beers, and it’s a brilliant afternoon out even if you’re not into sport. If tickets for a NYC derby are hard to swing, the Yankees vs the Boston Red Sox is an equally charged occasion. Baseball’s regular season runs from April to September.
mlb.com/yankees/ballpark/visiting-new-york
The Yankees’ Bleacher Creatures in New York are known for their passionate, high-energy support during games. Photo / 123rf
Ice hockey in Montreal, Canada
“Bruit!” It translates to “Noise!” in French, and that’s exactly what fans of Montreal’s Canadiens ice-hockey team make lots of when the Quebecois exhortation is projected on to the big screens at the city’s Centre Bell stadium. Look forward to the fastest and most exciting live sports event you’ll ever experience, and probably also one of the loudest. Tickets are easiest to secure during the regular season from October to March. Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are actually the world’s oldest ice-hockey club, even predating the 1917 founding of the NHL (National Hockey League).
nhl.com/canadiens/
Montreal’s Canadiens are the world’s oldest ice-hockey club, founded in 1909, even before the NHL existed. Photo / 123rf
Gaelic football and hurling in Dublin, Ireland
Blending exciting sport and cultural revitalisation, Ireland’s Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is Ireland’s governing body for promoting traditional Gaelic games. Both hurling (from February to March) and Gaelic football (from April to July) draw huge crowds to Dublin’s Croke Park, and in a world of sport increasingly dominated by professional leagues, Gaelic football and hurling athletes are both strictly amateur. Stadium tours and visits to Croke Park’s GAA Museum are on offer when it’s not match day, and of course, there’s an Interactive Games Zone for testing your hurling and Gaelic football skills.
Line up a visit to the Japanese capital in January, May or September to experience the thrill of seeing sumo wrestling live at one of Tokyo’s three annual Grand Tournaments. Featuring super-hefty but surprisingly agile athletes, the hottest ticket in town also usually includes sumo practitioners from Mongolia, Hawaii and Georgia. Supporting bouts kick off at around 11am, and about 4pm the makuuchi (top echelon) wrestlers enter the Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium. By then, many Tokyo business folk will have left work early, and traditional Japanese reserve is melting away under a constant infusion of sake and frosty mugs of Asahi beer. Around the stadium are many traditional Japanese canteens serving chanko nabe, the protein-rich stew sumo wrestlers eat to gain weight.
sumo.pia.jp/en
Sumo wrestling match in the Ryogoku arena, Tokyo, Japan. Photo / 123rf
