Spectator Sport in Scotland. Dates for the Diary
See below for a flavour of Scottish sporting events taking place from April to June 2019 and beyond. Book tickets now where applicable to avoid disappointment!
APRIL
SQUASH. 3-7 April - 2019 Springfield Scottish Squash Open - Oriam
The waiting is over for the Scottish Open which returns after an 18-year break. An international field has been assembled for this PSA Challenger Tour event to include some of the best players in Scotland. Alan Clyne (fresh from a record 9th title at the Scottish Nationals) and Alison Thomson (the U23 National Champion) lead the home interets in the men’s and women’s singles respectively. Tickets on sale from the Scottish Squash website.
HORSE RACING. 12-13 April - Coral Scottish Grand National Festival - Ayr Racecourse
The highlight of the jumps calendar in Scotland. Friday is Ladies Day while Saturday features the Scottish Grand National. Fantastic racing is guaranteed with many of the stars of the sport in action. There’s also live bands and plenty of other entertainment. Saturday is sold out - tickets for Friday on sale from the Ayr Racecourse microsite.
RUGBY SEVENS. Saturday 13 April - Melrose Sevens - The Greenyards, Melrose
The spiritual home of Rugby 7s hosts the 128th playing of the Melrose Sevens with guest teams coming from far and near to play in this iconic tournament. Tickets available from the Melrose RFC online shop.
MAY
BOXING. Saturday 18th May - World Boxing Super Series - Hydro
What a night for fight fans in Scotland as the Hydro hosts a huge double-header of world title and World Boxing Super Series action. None other than Scottish star Josh Taylor takes on Belarus’ IBF World champion Ivan Baranchyk in a semi-final of the super-lightweight division of the World Boxing Super Series. Meanwhile the last four of the bantamweight Ali Trophy sees Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue face Emmanuel Rodriguez for the Puerto Rican’s IBF strap. Tickets on sale now from Ticketmaster.
CYCLING. Tuesday 14 and Thursday 16 May - The Tour Series - Motherwell and Aberdeen
Tour Series cycling returns to Scotland with Rounds 2 and 3 of this exciting city centre event. Britain's top professionals - part of up to 50 elite riders including the likes of Olympic champion Ed Clancy MBE of JLT Condor - will tackle an hour-long race around a closed-road, city centre circuit. Spectating is free.
JUNE
MOUNTAIN BIKING. 1-2 June - UCI Mountain Bike World Cup - Fort William
Two great days of mountain bike competition as the world's best descend on Fort William for this now legendary annual event in cycling circles. All eyes will be on multiple downhill world champion Rachel Atherton who made history in 2016 with 15 consecutive wins. Access of the World Cup Village is strictly by ticket only - check out the Fort William website for all the details.
TENNIS. 13-15 June - Brodies Tennis Invitational - The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder
A must-see tennis event of the summer returns with legends of the sport at Auchterarder to compete for the title of Brodies Tennis Invitational Champion. The star-studded line-up includes former world No5 Henri Leconte, British star Tim Henman and Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero a French Open champion and former world No1. Visit the the Brodies Invitational website for tickets.
SUPERBIKES. 28-30 June - Bennetts Superbike Championship - Knockhill Racing Circuit
The British Superbike Championship means only one thing: some of the best bike racers in the world will be back at Knockhill for three days of 180mph wheel-to-wheel action. As well as the superbikes there's a support package that will provide plenty of entertainment for bike racing fans including two BSB races. Tickets carrying a significant discount for advance purchases on sale now from the Knockhill Circuit website.
And there's plenty more to look forward to in 2019 including ...
HOCKEY. 4-10 August - Women’s EuroHockey Championship II
Glasgow National Hockey Centre hosts the Women's EuroHockey Championship with qualification to the top tier of European field hockey the target for a host of teams including Scotland's national side. The top two from the field of eight teams will qualify for the 2021 Women’s EuroHockey Nations Championship, while the bottom two will be relegated to the EuroHockey Championship III league. Scotland start in play in Pool B which includes Austria, the Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Tickets on sale from the Scottish Hockey website.
GOLF. 9-15 September - The Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup is a biennial tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States, and hence equivalent to the Ryder Cup for men. First staged in 1990 the 2019 event will be the 16th edition. United States are the current holders having won at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa in 2017, meaning all eyes will be on Gleneagles in 2019 to see if Europe can win the trophy back. Tickets on sale via the Solheim Cup website.
CYCLING. 8th to 10th November - UCI Track Cycling World Cup
The world’s premier track cycling series returns to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow for the first time since 2016. A stellar cast of cyclists from around the globe - including Scottish star and Olympic and world champion Katy Archibald - are expected to compete in the event which forms part of the qualifying process for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Ticket details to follow in due course via the British Cycling website.
SWIMMING. 4th to 8th December - European Short Course Swimming Championships
An impressive year of international events in Scotland reaches a conclusion at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow. Dramatic action in the pool between Europe's finest is guaranteed during the gala featuring racing over the shorter distances. Register via the Euro Swim 2019 website for all the latest news and ticket updates.
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