4th to 10th April
Christchurch in New Zealand is getting ready for the final of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. Australia have not lost a single match during their campaign and are undoubtedly the favourites. In a final however, anything can happen. During the week both semi-finals were emphatically won by Australia against West Indies, and England against South Africa respectively. Even though England lost three early matches in a row, they won their last five and especially where it mattered. They are the defending champions and are perhaps reaching their best potential at the right time. For South Africa, ranked second, it was heartbreak as they simply did not turn up for their match. Anyone of India, West Indies and South Africa could have faced Australia tomorrow. It was that close. The tournament hosted by New Zealand, has been a great advert for women's cricket and should inspire more nations to invest in their national structures for this showpiece to become even bigger in four years.
For ice hockey fans, we are entering into a week of numerous World Championships at various age levels, divisions and groups. Estonia's women won their Division III, Group B World Championship last Saturday evening in Belgrade, conceding only one goal throughout the tournament. The next day, Sweden's women trounced their opponents Norway in the final of the Women's Bandy World Championship 2022 in Åby. Bandy is a sport very much like ice hockey, with one of the differences being a small plastic ball is used instead of the puck. Kenya dominated at last Sunday's N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon, one of the World Athletics Elite Label road races. Hellen Obiri ran the 10th fastest ever women's half marathon and Rodgers Kwemoi broke the course record.
Switzerland's women did not let their fans down at the recent World Curling Women's World Championship held at Prince George in Canada. They defended their title by beating Korea 7-6 in the final. Switzerland have now won in 2019, 2021 and 2022, with 2020 being a non-event. Canada beat Sweden 8-7 to claim the bronze medal. This week we have the first of four golf majors for the season. The famous Augusta National Golf Club hosts the Masters Tournament, first played in 1934 and won by USA's Horton Smith. Japan's Hideki Matsuyama is the current champion. For USA's Scottie Scheffler the win at the Golf World Championships - Dell Match Play, was especially important as he also became number one in the rankings. Finally, Australia's Tom Slingsby skippered the Australia SailGP Team to back-to-back titles at the Grand Final in San Francisco. Being Season 2, they remain the only team to have lifted the Championship trophy.
Until next time, have a great week in sport.
Air Sports
6-9 April - 4th FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving; 2nd FAI European Indoor Skydiving Championships - Charleroi, Belgium
8-16 April - 5th FAI Pan American Paragliding Championship - Governador Valadares, Brazil
Athletics
9 April - World Athletics Continental Tour Gold - USATF Bermuda Games - Devonshire, Bermuda
9-10 April - South American Mountain and Trail Running Championships - Santiago de Chile, Chile
10 April - Nanjung Jidong Xianlin Half Marathon - Nanjing, China; Yangling Marathon - Yangling, China; Bank of China 2022 Wuhan Marathon - Wuhan, China; NN Marathon Rotterdam - Rotterdam, Netherlands
Axe Throwing
8-10 April - International Axe Throwing Federation - IATC Round 1 - Member Locations
Archery
6-10 April - Kharaman Bagatir Spring Arrows Archery Tournament - Antalya, Turkey
Badminton
5-10 April - BWF World Tour - Korean Open Badminton Championships 2022 - Suncheon, Korea
Billiard-Hockey
9 April - WTHA World Tour - Brno, Czech Republic
Bocce
4-10 April - Pan American Bocce Championship - Barcosa, Brazil
Boccia
2-10 April - Zagreb 2022 World Boccia Challenger - Zagreb, Croatia
Bodybuilding & Fitness
8-10 April - IFBB Balkan Championships - Knjazevac, Serbia
Boule Lyonnaise
9-10 April - Targa d'Oro - Alassio, Italy
Boxing
10-22 April - EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships - Sofia, Bulgaria
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
5-10 April - Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2022 - Kissimmee, FL, USA
Bridge
27 March to 9 April - 45th World 2021 Bridge Team Championships - Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy
Canoe
9-10 April - 2022 Canoe Slalom Krakow International - Krakow, Poland
Chess
21 March to 4 April - FIDE World Chess Grand Prix Series - Berlin, Germany
26 March to 7 April - European Individual Chess Championship 2022 - Terme Catez, Slovenia
Climbing Sport
8-10 April - IFSC Climbing World Cup (B) - Meiringen, Switzerland
Cricket
31 March to 4 April - South Africa v Bangladesh (1st Test) - Durban, South Africa
4 April - New Zealand v Netherlands 93rd ODI) - Hamilton, New Zealand
5 April - Pakistan v Australia (Only T20I) - Lahore, Pakistan
8-12 April - South Africa v Bangladesh (2nd Test) - Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Curling
April 2-10 - LGT World Men's Curling Championship 2022 - Las Vegas, NV, USA
Cycling
2-5 April - 2022 Ocean Track and Para-cycling Track Championships - Brisbane, Australia
4-9 April - UCI WorldTour - Itzulia Basque Country - Spain
6 April - UCI ProSeries - Scheldeprijs - Belgium
7-9 April - UCI Gran Fondo World Series - Tour de Brisbane - Australia
8-10 April - Mercedes-Benz UCI MTB World Cup - Petropolis, Brazil
9-10 April - Oceania Road Championships - Brisbane, Australia; 2022 FESTOS European Paracycling Cup - Crete, Greece
10-11 April - 2022 Oceania Para-cycling Road Championships - Brisbane, Australia
10-17 April - UCI ProSeries - Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey
10 April - UCI WorldTour - Amstel Gold Race; UCI Women's WorldTour - Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition - Netherlands
Darts
2-10 April - WDF World Championships 2022 - Lakeside, England
English Billiards
4-8 April - World Matchplay Championship - Carlow, Ireland
Equestrian
6-10 April - FEI World Cup Finals 2022 - Leipzig, Germany
9 April - Group One Racing - NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes - Te Rapa, New Zealand; Queen Elizabeth Stakes; Sydney Cup; ATC Oaks; Queen of the Turf Stakes - Randwick, Australia
10 April - Group One Racing - Oka Sho - Hanshin, Japan
Fencing
2-10 April - FIE World Championship Juniors/Cadets - Dubai, UAE
Freestyle Football
1 April to 8 October - Red Bull Street Style 2022 (National, Regional, and World Final) - Croatia
Golf
5-8 April - The National PGA Classic - Gunnamatta, Australia
April 7-10 - Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup - Siam Country Club, Thailand; Masters Tournament - Augusta National GC, Augusta, GA, USA
Gymnastics
8-10 April - FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup - Sofia, Bulgaria
Hockey
1-12 April - FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup - Potchefstroom, South Africa
Ice Hockey
3-9 April - 2022 IIHF Women's U18 World Championship Division I, Group A - Gyor, Hungary; 2022 IIHF Men's U18 World Championship Division II, Group A - Tallinn, Estonia
3-8 April - 2022 IIHF Men's World Championship Division III, Group A - Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg; 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship Division II, Group A - Jaca, Spain
4-9 April - 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship Division III, Group A - Sofia, Bulgaria
8-14 April - 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship Division I, Group B - Katowice, Poland
Judo
9 April - Pan American - Oceania Cadets Championships 2022 - Lima, Peru
10-11 April - Pan American - Oceania Junior & Team Championships 2022 - Lima, Peru
Kite Sports
2-9 April - IKA 51st Trofeo Princesa Sofia Palma - Pastilla, Mallorca, Spain
Mixed Martial Arts
April 10 - UFC Main Card - Alexander Volkanovski v Chan Sung Jung; Aljamain Sterling v Petr Yan; Gilbert Burns v Khamzat Chimaev; MacKenzie Dern v Tecia Torres; Aleksei Oleinik v Jared Vanderaa; Kelvin Gastelum v Dricus du Plessis - Jacksonville, FL, USA
Modern Pentathlon
8-10 April - UIPM Tetrathlon 2022 European Cup U17 & U19 - Leiria, Portugal
9 April - UIPM Global Laser Run City Tour - Séguéla, Ivory Coast
Motor Racing
7-10 April - European Championship Portugal - Portimão, Portugal
8-10 April - FIA Formula One World Championship - Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia
April 8-10 - NTT INDYCAR Series - Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach - Long Beach, CA, USA
9-10 April - FIA Formula E World Championship Rounds 4 & 5 - Rome, Italy
April 9 - 2022 NASCAR Cup Series - Martinsville Speedway, VA, USA
Motorcycling
5 April - FIM Hard Enduro World Championship - Enduro 400 - Israel
8-10 - FIM Superbike World Championship - Pirelli Aragon Round - Teruel, Spain
April 8-10 - FIM MotoGP World Championship - Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas - Austin, TX, USA
April 9 - AMA Supercross Championship - St. Louis, MO, USA
10 April - FIM Motocross World Championship - MXGP of Trentino - Pietramurata, Italy; FIM X-Trial World Championship - Barcelona, Spain
Padel
2-10 April - World Padel Tour - Alicante Open - Alicante, Spain
Pickleball
March 29 to April 4 - APP Legacy Open - Mesa, AZ, USA
April 6-10 - PPA Tour - Red Rock Open - St. George, UT, USA
Poker
April 8-10 - World Poker Tour - WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown - Hollywood, FL, USA
Pool
6-10 April - World Pool Championships - Milton Keynes, England
Racquetball
9-16 April - XXXIII PARC Pan American Championships - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Rackets
31 March to 12 April - Brown Advisory British Open Doubles Championships 2022 - London, Great Britain
Rafting
28 March to 4 April - WRF World Cup - Bursa, Turkey
Real Tennis
7-10 April - British Ladies Open Singles & Doubles Championships and Handicap Doubles - Hayling Island, England
Rodeo (Pro)
April 6-10 - Clark County Fair & Rodeo - Logandale, NV, USA
April 9-10 - Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo - Oakdale, CA, USA; Riggin Rally Xtreme Bareback Riding - San Angelo, TX, USA
April 10 - San Angelo Xtreme Bulls - San Angelo, TX, USA
(*Prize money of $20k or higher)
Roundnet
April 9 - 2022 Spikeball Tournament Series - Richmond, VA, USA
Rugby Union
26 March to 30 April - Women's Six Nations
9-10 April - World Rugby Sevens Series (M) - Singapore
9 April - England Women v Wales Women
10 April - Scotland Women v France Women; Ireland Women v Italy Women
Sailing
4-8 April - Dragon European Championship - Sanremo, Italy
Shooting Sport
27 March to 7 April - ISSF World Cup Shotgun - Lima, Peru
9-19 April - ISSF World Cup Pistol - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Skating
April 8-10 - ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships - Montréal, Canada
Ski Mountaineering
6-9 April - ISMF World Cup - Flaine 2022 - Flaine, Grand Massif, Haute Savoie, France
10 April - ISMF Asian Series - Happo Super Vertical Open - Hakuba Town, Nagano, Japan
Sled Dog Sports
9-10 April - IFSS World Cup - Veseniy Drayv - Almaty, Kazakhstan; IFSS World Cup - Ripo Rati - Rata Kalns, Kegums Ogres Novads, Latvia
Sport Stacking
8-10 April - World Sport Stacking Championships - Various
Squash
3-9 April - Pan Am Seniors Championships - Guatemala City, Guatemala
5-9 April - WSF World Singles Championships - Glasgow, Scotland
8-17 April - European U19 Individual, Team & Mixed Team Championships - Eindhoven, Netherlands
Surfing
10-20 April - WSL Women's and Men's Championship Tour Stop 4 - Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
Table Hockey
9 April - ITHF World Tour - Tallinn, Estonia
Table Soccer
8-10 April - ITSF Pro Tour - Hill's Pro Tour - Sofia, Bulgaria
9-10 April - ITSF Pro Tour - Darmstadt, Germany
Tennis
4-10 April - WTA Credit One Charleston Open - Charleston, SC, USA; WTA Copa Colsanitas presentado por Zurich - Bogota, Colombia; ATP Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship - Houston, TX, USA; ATP Grand Prix Hassan II - Marrakesh, Morocco
10-17 April - ATP Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters - Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Teqball
April 9-10 - USA Teqball Tour - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Triathlon
9 April - 2022 Arena Games Triathlon Series Munich powered by Zwift - Munich, Germany
10 April - 2022 Oceania Triathlon Cup Taupo - Three Mile Bay, Taupo, New Zealand; IRONMAN Taiwan - Penghu, Taiwan; 2022 Europe Triathlon Powerman Middle Distance Duathlon Championships - Alsdorf, Germany
Ultra Running
9 April - Coburn 24 Hours - Coburn, Australia; Hawei100 - DM 100km Strasse 2022 - Ubstadt-Weiher, Germany; Ultrafranciacorta - Provaglio d'Iseo, Italy; Festival de Ultrafondo Gran Premio Ciudad de Burjassot - Burjassot, Spain
10 April - Festival de Ultrafondo Gran Premio Ciudad de Burjassot - Burjassot, Spain
Wheel Gymnastics
9-10 April - IRV 2022 Belgian Open - Eupen, Belgium
* We have listed the above events based on the best information we can obtain. The current circumstances mean some of these may be postponed or cancelled at the last moment.