Barbados sports

They don’t like cricket…they love it Introduced by the English and undoubtedly the most popular sport in Barbados, cricket is a unifying force on the island. Get a couple of locals onto the subject and many hours will pass in the day, many rums will pass through the lips and much bickering will enliven the atmosphere while their views are shared!

Barbados has produced some of the world’s most celebrated players – Sir Garfield Sobers, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge and the 3 Ws – Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott and Frank Worrell.

Superb facilities are in place to cater for touring cricket teams from schools, clubs and universities A vast number of grounds across the island, a pool of teams chomping at the bit to take on touring teams and superb on-the-ground contacts to ferry teams to and from fixtures.

Life as a cricketer is not complete until you have experienced the thrill of touring in the West Indies.

Hockey
Hockey is an increasingly popular sport in Barbados and this is emphasised by the national team’s recent rise to prominence. Facilities in Barbados are excellent, most noticeably the astro turf pitch at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex which overlooks the Caribbean Sea.

Barbados is also host to the Banks Hockey Festival, one of the most popular events on the island’s calendar, where local and international teams compete in a competitive but fun-filled atmosphere.

Netball
The standard of netball in Barbados is generally very high – the national team are currently ranked seven in the world. It is the most widely played female sport on the island and is played in all 22 secondary schools. There are 45 clubs and two leagues.

There are community netball courts throughout the island - in every one of the 11 parishes of Barbados.

Bajan netball teams love the challenge of facing touring teams, especially from the UK, so be prepared for some intense competition on your tour.

Football
Football is one of the largest supported sports on the island with 14,000 players, ranging from junior level to the professional ranks. There are approximately 80 clubs, playing in leagues affiliated to the Barbados Football Association (BFA).

Women’s football is also growing in popularity in Barbados and touring teams would be very welcome to share their knowledge, tactics and skills.

Rugby
Rugby was first played in Barbados in the early 1900s by the British Forces stationed on the island. Barbados are now members of the International Rugby Board (IRB).

Barbados Rugby Club is located at the Garrison Savannah race track and games are often played at the same time as big race meetings! Bath, Muscat and Kilkenny have all toured the island and famous players such as Gareth Edwards, Mike Catt, Jeremy Guscott and Victor Ubogu have all graced the Carrison pitch.

Volleyball
Volleyball is a superbly run sport in Barbados and, with its pristine beaches and outstanding climate, beach volleyball facilities present themselves naturally. Hard-courts are also in abundance in schools and communities throughout the island.

The popularity of volleyball is growing quickly on the island, encouraged by the success of both the men’s and women’s national teams, both consistent winners of the Caribbean Volleyball Championships.

Basketball
Shooting hoops, gathering rebounds, flying killers passes – the Bajans love basketball and this is reflected in the high standard of play throughout the island.

There are many clubs and schools offering excellent facilities for a superb basketball tour. Keen opponents intent on showing their skills will provide a great test to any group touring the island.

Surfing
Barbados is arguably the best Caribbean island for a surfing tour. Swells generate on each side of the island, with the famous Soup Bowl on the east coast attracting surfers from across the globe. Kelly Slater, Taylor Knox and Pat O’Connell are regular riders of these world class waves.

Facilities are in place to provide both beginners and more advanced surfers with everything they need for the perfect surfing tour. Trips for kite-surfing, body-boarding, wind-surfing and sea-kayaking can also be arranged.

Golf
Barbados is, quite simply, a golfers dream. Two world class golf courses cascade through the central highlands and plenty of other projects across the island are nearing completion.

Venue of the 2006 Golf World Cup, and perhaps more famously, Tiger Woods’s wedding, Sandy Lane is known throughout the world and provides a true golfing test.

The rolling fairways of Royal Westmoreland, whose members include Ian Woosnam, Michael Vaughan and Gary Lineker, is another superb course, presenting panoramic vistas across the Caribbean Sea.

You might also want to hop across to some of the other Caribbean Islands whilst on tour, where the standards set in Barbados are consistently mirrored with a diverse array of challenges.