The Best Week of the Sporting Year! Happy Whit Week!
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by user Alex Holowczak
This forthcoming week is the best in the sporting calendar, in terms of quantity, and tradition. Here is a short preview of the events that happen this week. Whit Week, or Pentecost, always has these events, some reassuringly professional, and some barking mad.
Auto Racing
- Monaco Grand Prix - This weekend, Lewis Hamilton will try to extend his lead in the Formula One World Championship. Monaco is the most prestigious race on the calendar.
- Indianapolis 500 - On Sunday, the fastest and second oldest race in the world will go for the 91st time.
Motorcycling
- Isle of Man TT - All week, the motorcycling on public streets around the Isle of Man will go ahead once more, featuring Superbikes, Supersport bikes and Sidecars.
- World Superbike Championship - Silverstone hosts two races in the World Superbike Championship.
Cricket
- England v West Indies - Until Tuesday, England play the Second Test Match against the West Indies at Headingley.
- Bangladesh v India - until Tuesday, the First Test in Dhaka.
Soccer
- Football League Playoff Finals - Wembley sees three games in three days, culminating in the Championship Playoff Final on the Bank Holiday Monday. The winners of each game get promoted to the next division up.
Rugby Union
- England on tour in South Africa - England play a game against South Africa in Bloemfontein.
- Wales on tour in Australia - Wales play Australia in Sydney.
- France on tour in New Zealand - France play in New Zealand.
- Ireland on tour in Argentina - Ireland play in Argentina.
Rugby League
- Super Leagues all over the world continue.
Rugby Sevens
- London leg of the IRB World Sevens at Twickenham this weekend.
- Edinburgh leg of the IRB World Sevens at Murrayfield next weekend.
Golf
- European PGA Championship - The flagship event of the European Tour finishes this weekend. If Padraig Harrington wins this week, having won the Irish Open last week, he gets a 1,000,000 euro bonus.
Billiards
- World Billiards Championship - the 2007 World Championship will be held over the course of the week in Pontins Holiday Centre, in Prestatyn, Wales.
Ice Hockey
- NHL - Stanley Cup Finals begin - this week sees the opening games of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Basketball
- NBA - Conference playoffs continue.
Baseball
- MLB - Continues unabated.
Cotswold Olimpicks
The predecessor to the modern games, the Cotswold region of Britain will take place again. It features many irregular games, like Shin Kicking, and Wheatsheaf Tossing. Yet it is recognised by the IOC, and the tradition is kept alive. They first happened in the 17th century, and have been revived since the 1970s.
Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake
On Bank Holiday Monday, also in the Cotswolds, the annual Cheese Rolling contest will take place on Cooper's Hill. In this, a circular cheese is rolled down a steep, bumpy hill, and a second later, hundreds of people chase after it, the aim being to catch it. The injured are met at the bottom by ambulances and paramedics.
Water Bombing
- World Championship - To culminate the week, there will be many, presumably large, people taking part in the World Water Bombing Championship. The aim is to dive off a board in a "bomb" shape, the winner being the one that displaces as much water as possible.
There's a heap of sport going on all over the world this week for anyone and everyone. Enjoy!
