2016: A Year of Sporting Adventure

Recently it feels like we welcome in each New Year with the refrain that this is going to be the best year for Welsh sport. In the last few years we’ve seen unprecedented Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth success. We’ve seen qualification for a major football tournament after 58 years of hope. Six Nations titles and Rugby World Cup semi and quarter finals. Success in netball, disability sport, rugby league, rising stars in athletics, our football clubs celebrating promotions and cup success and so many more wonderful moments. All this success on the national and international stage has been underpinned by an increasingly diverse and successful approach to community sport, engaging more young people and looking to attract adults back into regular participation. Sport and physical activity is a passion in Wales, from community clubs to international success, we are a sporting nation.  

So, five weeks into 2016 and what will this year hold for us as a nation? This year has been dubbed the ‘Year of Adventure’ and it will be one that promises a further huge boost to our reputation. Where our passion for sport will be seen by the world and hopefully our success will capture the hearts and minds of the nation, encouraging them to be part of the Welsh summer of sport. 

So what’s on the agenda for 2016?

The netball super league is underway with the Celtic Dragons aiming to build on Wales’ highest ever ranking at last year’s World Cup in Australia. Suzy Drane’s team will once again be based at the Sport Wales National Centre for home matches - as well getting on the road to play in Ebbw Vale. If you haven’t see the Dragons live, then grab a ticket as they have quickly developed a reputation as having some of the most passionate fans in the league. So come and join the green army!

The six nations is nearly upon us and as well as supporting Sports Personality of the Year winner, Dan Biggar and the team, we’ll be looking to celebrate the women’s game. Last year Wales Women beat the reigning World Champions, England. Can they do the same in 2016? We know it’s a tough ask, but all the squad are up for the challenge as they build for the World Cup in 2017. For the men it’s the start of another cycle ending in the World Cup in Japan in 2019. We all know that setting out on the path with Six Nations success and wins in the autumn will be crucial to the continuing development of the squad.

In March, Cardiff will play host to the World Half Marathon Championships, one of a number of mass participation events on the rise in Wales. Double Olympic champion Mo Farah will be racing through the streets of the capital– yet more evidence that Cardiff can host the biggest events in the world of sport. The fact that 20,000 runners will join him demonstrates that this has caught the imagination of not only the people of Wales, but those across the country. I’m sure many will be taking part in their first half marathon and the growth of Parkrun in Wales in recent years points to a nation blowing the dust off their trainers and getting active. 

After debuting last year, the Velathon is back! This time the event takes place in May and I’m sure will build on the experience of last year. Once you’ve conquered the World Half Marathon Championships and the Velathon, why not have a crack at the Tenby Ironman in September?!

In June, I’m sure the nation will stop as Chris Coleman and his team play in their first major championship since 1958. Their progress captivated the nation last year and the bond between the team and supporters brought the ‘Together Stronger’ strapline to life. Whilst we believe it won't be a once in a lifetime opportunity, it won’t stop us all enjoying every moment of that journey.

August and September will see some of Wales’ most talented athletes and para-athletes compete for medals at the Rio Olympics and Paralympics. The success of London in 2012 still seems so fresh in the memory, but for our athletes selected this will be the culmination of four years of sweat and determination. So far it’s 'This Welsh Girl Can' with Non Stanford, Hannah Mills and Elena Allen already qualifying. I’m sure they’ll be joined by a healthy Welsh contingent that will look to build on the 2012 success in a challenging environment.

We’re a proud sporting nation which consistently punches above its weight on the global stage. But things have changed - we are no longer surprised when we win medals. We expect it and we work hard for it. Our home grown talent is supported by expert coaches and teams, enabling them to innovate and gain that extra advantage. Each win, no matter how big or small, drives us forward.

But it’s not just in performance sport we will need to see stellar performances and innovation to succeed. We want to see more people being active and enjoying sport in 2016 and we need everyone to help us achieve this. At Sport Wales, with our partners in the sport sector and beyond, we are determined to redouble our efforts to create a nation where being active is a natural part of life.

We have an infrastructure to deliver more people into activity, but we have to look at how we can make sport attractive and accessible to everyone. With increasing rates of childhood obesity in Wales, and the rise of lifestyle related conditions in children and adults alike, never has there been so much of a need to be active. And we’re determined to show that sport can play a positive role in all our lives.

I firmly believe our starting point should be that there is a sport for everyone and for every stage in life. There are projects out there that have helped many to find their sport of choice. Let the Outdoors Move You – a partnership with the National Trust – is just one which has opened up the grounds of some of the most beautiful estates across Wales to people who want to try out activities such as kayaking, Nordic walking and cycling to name but a few. This year, we’re going to make it our mission to bring you more news of the work of the national governing bodies of sport and others to entice newcomers to make sport their activity of choice.

 Whether watching, participating, coaching or volunteering this year, enjoy it. Welsh sport is made special by the people involved in it, at all levels. Let’s make 2016 another year to be proud of.