The end of the year is nearly upon us, as we round the corner to December and the Christmas period. With that comes the postponement of sporting events for the year and the many fans that are now looking forward to 2021 and the options that will come with it. It’ll be an exciting year for sports fans, following the disruptions that came around this year. Much of next year has already been confirmed and the main betting operators, such as the ones appearing on SBO.net, are already taking bets on these upcoming events. So, where can we be looking for wins in the coming year for what has already been confirmed?
Rugby League World Cup – The good news has already come for Rugby fans as the fixtures for next years RLWC have already been announced. Ireland will have a good run with the first game taking place against Jamaica on Sunday, October 24th, followed by a game against Lebanon on Sunday, 31st October, and finally against New Zealand on Friday, 5th November. It’s still quite some time away, a little under a year, but that does allow an opportunity for change that may allow for fans to be in attendance once again by that point. Also to bring back some of the missed passion found this year through simply watching through the TV, with comment suggesting this will be the best RWLC to date with 61 fixtures over a six-week period.
Paddy Power Prestbury Cup – The festival at Cheltenham Racecourse has a storied history between the British home team and the those crossing the Irish sea, and 2021 will certainly be another for the books. 2020 went to the Irish with a total of 17 wins compared to the 10 for the Brits and will certainly be something to be doubled down on with the Irish hoping to gain back to back victories at the festival. The cup will also be once again sealed with some of the hallowed Cheltenham turf for the winning country to take a piece of the festival back home with them.
One gathering that unfortunately doesn’t make the list is the 2021 Euros that were delayed earlier this year. Both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland had a chance to have a clash in the finals of play-off qualifying with both teams falling short and Northern Ireland losing in extra-time to Slovakia.
There will also be plenty of other opportunities for Ireland to shine however on the big stage, as fans continue to await the Summer Olympics which had been moved to 2021 earlier this year. With success last year such as the women’s hockey squad qualifying, and the inevitable disappointment that had come with the delays, there are still plenty of opportunities for 2021 to be a huge year. For now it’s the waiting game particularly as many of the biggest events won’t come round until later in the year, but that does mean there is plenty to look forward to after a more stressful 2020 than many had hoped for.