Britain ‘risking global reputation’ by not holding enough major sporting events, says Katherine Grainger

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Britain need to ramp up their efforts to stage more major events over the coming decade or risk damaging the country’s global reputation, says outgoing UK Sport chair Dame Katherine Grainger.

UK Sport is at the heart of ensuring the country bids for some of the world’s landmark sporting events, staging showcases that draw eyes from each corner of the globe.

There’s a lot to look forward to over the next couple years in Britain, with England staging the Women’s Rugby World Cup later this year before Glasgow host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

It was also confirmed last week that the men’s and women’s Tour de France races will both begin in Britain in 2027 – 12 months out from Euro 2028, staged across the UK and Ireland.

But beyond 2028, Britain’s sporting calendar is looking light – something that frustrates former Olympic rowing champion Grainger, who is leaving her role at the pinnacle of Olympic and Paralympic sport after eight years in charge.

“We risk public investment, we risk global reputation, we risk opportunities for athletes,” she told BBC Sport.

“We’ve got a great reputation for it. But I think we’ve got challenges going forward. We have a few [events] lined up. But when it comes to ‘mega-events’, after 2028 we’ve got nothing secure.

“We don’t want fallow years. After 2028, we don’t really have anything named. That is quite a big gap.

“There are plenty of events that still are there for the taking. It’s quite obvious why these mega-events are so important to the country, and yet maybe we haven’t made the case clear.”

The home nations have expressed an intention to submit a joint bid for the 2035 Women’s World Cup, but nothing concrete has been put forward.

UK Sport is hoping for more public financial backing to bid for such major events, in addition to the record £330million government funding package provided for the next four years to aid Britain’s hunt for medals LA 2028.

England will host the Women’s Rugby World Cup later this year (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Archive)

But beyond monetary support, winning bids can often require years of campaigning, with Grainger highlighting 2029 World Athletics Championships, the 2030 Solheim Cup and the 2031 Ryder Cup as possible targets.

Grainger is moving on from UK Sport to become the first female chair of the British Olympic Association – trailblazing in a similar vein to Kirsty Coventry, who was elected the first woman president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“A lot of ground broken, which is fantastic because it’s an organisation that there’s always a question mark [over] whether or not they are open to change for the future. And I think this was a resounding answer,” she said.

“She’s going to bring in something different that we’ve probably not seen before. I think there’s a lot of excitement about what she might do.”