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Blackleaf

Yet more success for English and British sport, in a year that was one of the most successful years for English and British sport in a long time.

After the England cricket team won the Ashes for the first time since 1987, Liverpool football club won the European Cup, London won the bid to host the Olympics and the England football team have climbed to the no1 spot in the European rankings for the first time since 1987, England is now in SECOND place in the world rankings of the world's most successful sporting nations.

Olympian task to inspire new generation of stars

· 2005 success stories bring hope of new momentum
· Revolution in world-class sporting facilities

Andrew Culf, sports correspondent
Friday December 30, 2005
The Guardian

It was a sporting year marked by two spectacular highspots. On the cricket field, 16 years of hurt were reversed as England wrestled the Ashes from the Australians. And on July 6, the sceptics and the bookmakers were confounded when London - and not the favourite, Paris - won the right to hold the 2012 Olympic games.

Both success stories present opportunities to inspire youngsters to become tomorrow's sporting superstars and to create a more active and healthy population. And end of year world rankings based on sporting world championships and commissioned by Sport England suggest that, on the surface at least, all is well.

England is riding comfortably high in second place, behind Australia and ahead of the US, China and Germany. Three years ago England was fourth. Perhaps more significantly, England is ranked fifth in the world in sports that matter most to the public, such as football, rugby, cricket and tennis, a move from 10th three years ago.

Roger Draper, chief executive of Sport England, said: "We have always been a passionate sporting nation and done well in the minority sports. But now with victory in the rugby World Cup and victory in the Ashes, and with a real chance in next year's football World Cup, the momentum is with us."

Mr Draper says Britain wants a successful 2012 games. "But the biggest challenge is legacy, making sure that when a kid walks out of the door in Belfast, Manchester or Liverpool, they do not have to go to rotting clubs with poor facilities. The Olympics should be a stepping stone to helping them participate. London 2012 is an opportunity to transform sport and young people's lives. We want people to be inspired to participate in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Our job is to deliver."

Sport England and the government claim there has been a revolution in world-class performance facilities. Mr Draper says the English Institute of Sport at Sheffield and the National Cricket Academy at Loughborough bear comparison with Australian facilities.

Richard Caborn, the sports minister, says that Gordon Brown, the chancellor, has been supportive of sport, with a 25% increase in funding of elite athletes since 1997. "We are investing a quarter of a billion pounds between now and the Beijing Olympics in 2008," he said.

According to Mr Draper, a quality coaching and club infrastructure is required to capitalise on international success. "Rugby union did a fantastic job after winning the World Cup. They did not let the opportunity dribble through their hands and there are 50,000 new people playing rugby and mini-rugby.

"Now cricket faces the same challenge. There has been a huge surge in community cricket, not just boys, but girls too," he said. " It has to be sustained and the coaching and club set-up is vital."

Sport England has a target of increasing public participation and physical activity by 1% a year and preliminary results are encouraging. Those participating three times a week have increased from 21% to 26% in the last quarter, and once-a-month participation has risen from 46% to 56%.

The survey still reveals some worrying trends: a big dip in post-school participation, and a lower rate of participation by women, those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and those in lower socio-economic groups. Mr Draper said: "Sport now has the highest profile it has ever had. We must capitalise on that."

guardian.co.uk

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3797

Well done to England.

........they clinched 2nd place in the list after finishing a clear 1st in the World Boasting Cup.

Rolling Eyes

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Blackleaf · Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:16 pm Post subject:

Wales is just in the Top 20, and I think Scotland isn't even in the Top 50.

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3797

just out of interest - do you actually have a source for this - as in Scotland and Wales positions?
_________________
"Every single person on this planet is unique. Just like everyone else..." - Random Guy in Edinburgh Pub

Possibly the funniest site in the world, 'The Daily Mash' - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/