Sports in Warwickshire
Whether you want the roar of a Premier League crowd or the gentle thwack of leather on willow on a village green, Warwickshire delivers sport at every level. The county and its near neighbours have a claim on some of England's most significant sporting stories - the birthplace of rugby, a cricket ground that has hosted Ashes Tests for over a century, a racecourse older than the grandstand itself and the calendar runs twelve months of the year.
Football
Atherstone Town Football Club
Sheepy Road Atherstone, CV9 3AD
Founded in 1887 and one of the older clubs in the county, known as the Adders, this grassroots club play at Sheepy Road in Atherstone. Come to watch classic non-league football
Leamington Football Club
Your Co-op Community Stadium, Harbury Lane, Leamington Spa, CV33 9QB
Known as the Brakes, Leamington play in the National League North and offer the kind of authentic non-league matchday experience that is becoming harder to find: close to the pitch, affordable entry, proper pie and a genuine sense of community.
Nuneaton Town Football Club
Liberty Way Stadium, Nuneaton, CV11 6RR
North Warwickshire's senior football club, playing in the non-league pyramid with a loyal local following and a ground shared with Nuneaton RFC. The club has spent much of its recent history bouncing between the fifth and seventh tiers; the town's passion for football consistently outstrips the league position.
Coventry City Football Club
Coventry Building Society Arena, Judds Lane, Coventry, CV6 6AQ
After a quarter of a century away from the top flight, the Sky Blues returned to the Premier League for the 2026-27 season having won the Championship title in April 2026 - the club's first league title since 1967. The atmosphere in the Singers' Corner stand, the traditional heartbeat of the ground, is worth experiencing.
Cricket
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham, B5 7QU
Edgbaston has been the home of Warwickshire cricket since 1885 and is one of the great Test match grounds in the world, regularly hosting England internationals alongside a full domestic calendar. Warwickshire - the Bears - compete in the County Championship Division One, the 50-over One Day Cup and the T20 Blast, in which they play as the Birmingham Bears. The ground has a capacity of over 25,000 and the atmosphere for big T20 fixtures and Ashes Tests is exceptional. Tickets for county cricket are considerably more affordable than international matches and offer an intimate view of the game. Not actually in Warwickshire, but a club that bears our name.
The Rugby Cricket Festival
Rugby School, Lawrence Sheriff Street, Rugby, CV22 5EH
Warwickshire take a few One Day Cup fixtures to the historic playing fields of Rugby School - the same ground where William Webb Ellis allegedly invented rugby two hundred years ago - for three showcase matches in front of a community crowd. Tickets are modestly priced, the setting is extraordinary, and the combination of cricket, history and a summer evening in one of England's most famous school grounds is difficult to beat.
Village Cricket
Warwickshire's village cricket season runs from late April through to September and the county is particularly well served for picturesque grounds. Matches on the village greens at Long Compton, Wellesbourne, Barford and Kenilworth are all worth catching on a summer afternoon - check the Warwickshire Cricket League website for local fixtures.
Rugby Union
Coventry Rugby Football Club
Nick Newbold Stadium, Butts Park Arena, Coventry, CV1 3GE
The most senior rugby union club in Warwickshire, Coventry RFC play at the Nick Newbold Stadium in the city centre. The club has a history stretching back to 1874 and produced a remarkable number of England internationals during its most successful decades. The ground holds just over 3,000 in its main stand and the matchday atmosphere for big Championship fixtures has genuine intensity.
Rugby Lions Rugby Football Club
Webb Ellis Road, Rugby, CV22 7AU
A fitting club in the town that gave the world the game. Rugby Lions play in the regional leagues and offer a welcoming, community-focused matchday for anyone who wants to watch rugby in the place where it all began. The ground is a short walk from Rugby School, making a combined visit entirely feasible for those who want a full day out.
Rugby League
Coventry Bears
Earlsdon RFC, Mitchell Avenue, CV4 8DY
Rugby league has had a presence in Coventry since 1908, and the current club - founded in 1998 by a group of university students - has spent over two decades building the sport's roots in the city. The Bears have developed a reputation as one of the most community-focused clubs in the league. Check the club website for current home ground and fixture details.
Horse Racing
Warwick Racecourse
Hampton Street, Warwick, CV34 6HN
One of the oldest racecourses in the country, with records of equestrian events on this ground dating to 1694 and the current course officially open since 1707. Situated in the heart of Warwick - the castle visible from the stands - it is a devoted National Hunt venue, hosting around 18 jump racing fixtures each season from September through to May. Quite apt when Warwick was the first race course to include a jump race in its programme. The Kingmaker Chase and the Classic Chase are the highlights of the calendar. There is no formal dress code, making it one of the most accessible and pleasurable days out in the county. The Heart of England Season Opener in September is a fine way to mark the start of autumn.
Stratford Racecourse
Luddington Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9SE
Open since 1755 and set on the banks of the River Avon less than two miles from the town centre, Stratford is one of the most informal and accessible racecourses in the country - a summer jumping venue with genuine character and none of the pomp of bigger National Hunt tracks. The course itself is distinctive: a fast, left-handed triangular circuit that demands accurate jumping and rewards horses that travel close to the pace. Around 17 fixtures run from spring through to autumn, with Ladies Day and the two-day June festival headlining the calendar. Entry prices are modest, there is no rigid dress code, and the combination of decent racing, and easy proximity to everything Stratford offers makes it an exceptionally good day out.
Lawn Bowls
Lawn Bowls Royal Leamington Spa
Victoria Park, Archery Road, Royal Leamington Spa, CV31 3PT
Leamington's claim to be the home of English lawn bowls is not an idle one. Victoria Park has been the national centre of the sport since the 1990s, hosting the Women's World Bowls Championships in both 1996 and 2004, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games bowls events, and the Bowls England National Championships each summer - an event that draws around 30,000 visitors across its run. The Royal Leamington Spa Bowling Club, founded in 1913 and based on five immaculate greens at the Archery Road site, is still the home of the Bowls England Ladies National Championships. Watching competitive flat green bowls at this level - composed, strategic, played at the highest standard on superb greens in one of the county's finest parks - is a quietly compelling spectator experience that rewards anyone willing to give it a chance.
There’s a few bowling clubs in Warwickshire, including:
- Warwick Boat Club, Warwick - four-rink green beside the River Avon, overlooked by Warwick Castle. A particularly scenic setting
- Avenue Bowls Club, Leamington - founded 1923, hosted Bowls Australia ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Southam Bowls Club - active club, mentioned in county competition results (this may be what you meant by "Southam" rather than a racecourse)
Clubs also exist in Warwickshire towns and villages.
Rowing
Warwick Boat Club St Nicholas Park, Warwick, CV34 4QU
Warwick Boat Club is the county's principal rowing venue and one of the most attractive stretches of competitive water in the Midlands - the River Avon here runs beneath the walls of Warwick Castle, making it an exceptional backdrop for race days. The club fields crews across all ages and disciplines and the summer regatta season, along with the head race programme and junior regattas, makes for genuinely good spectating. No specialist knowledge required; the combination of flat water, castle views and a lively club atmosphere does most of the work. Watch from the banks of the river Avon.
Road Running and Athletics
Warwickshire has a packed competitive running calendar, and several events have built a strong local following that makes them as much community occasions as races.
The Two Castles Run
Warwick and Kenilworth
A 10-kilometre route between Warwick and Kenilworth Castles held each June, this is one of the most popular road races in the county, with thousands of runners and a festive atmosphere along the route that makes it easy and rewarding to spectate from almost anywhere on the course.
The Stratford-upon-Avon Half Marathon
This half marathon through the town's streets and surrounding countryside draws a strong field and benefits from the setting in ways that most town-centre races cannot. There’s plenty of spots to stand and cheer the runners on.
Cycling
Warwickshire has genuine credentials as a cycling county, having hosted both the 2022 Commonwealth Games road race and, in September 2025, a stage of the Tour of Britain - the third time the UK's biggest road cycling race has passed through the county. The 2025 stage started in Atherstone and covered 116 miles through all five of Warwickshire's districts, finishing with a route that took in the county's market towns, castle landscapes and open countryside. Road racing through historic town centres is among the most accessible of all spectator sports - no ticket, no stadium, just a good corner and a crowd.
Golf
The Belfry
Wishaw, Warwickshire, B76 9PR
The Belfry needs little introduction to anyone with an interest in golf. Set in 550 acres of North Warwickshire countryside near Sutton Coldfield, it has been the home of the Professional Golfers' Association since 1977 and is the only venue to have hosted the Ryder Cup four times - in 1985, 1989, 1993 and 2002. The 1985 contest was historic: Europe's first Ryder Cup victory since 1957, sealed by Sam Torrance's winning putt on the 18th. The Brabazon course, with its celebrated risk-reward 10th hole and water-guarded 18th, remains one of the most recognisable layouts in British golf. The resort hosts the British Masters regularly and has staged several European Tour events. Three courses are open to visitors. For spectators, the British Masters is a highlight when it comes to the Belfry - professional tournament golf in Warwickshire, on a course that carries genuine history.
Padel and Pickleball
Padel and pickleball are fast becoming part of Warwickshire’s active lifestyle story, with a growing network of welcoming venues in our county and clubs bringing players together in a social, inclusive way.
Purpose‑built padel facilities such as Padel Squared in Warwick, alongside established clubs including Leamington Tennis Court Club, Warwick Tennis Club and David Lloyd Rugby, are helping the sport gain momentum across the county.
Pickleball is similarly thriving, with regular sessions at St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre in Warwick, Castle Farm Leisure Centre in Kenilworth, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre in Rugby, offering easy access for beginners and experienced players alike. Together, these venues are building strong, friendly communities where residents and visitors can discover new sports, stay active and connect through shared enjoyment of play.
Your next match day awaits
You don't have to look far in Warwickshire to find a sport worth watching. From Ashes cricket at Edgbaston and Ryder Cup history at The Belfry to village greens, riverside regattas and the town that gave the world rugby, there is more here than most counties could claim. Whatever the season, there is always something worth watching.