On the pitch! The stonking big Pitchup guide to sport in 2015

Greetings from our first blog of 2015! No, of course we weren’t overcome with laziness/uncreativity during a thing called Dry January; we were Working Very Hard instead getting ready for the 2015 season all over our UK, Ireland and European sites. Although it must be said we were rather happy to see 1 February and a pint (by which we mean ‘midnight on Saturday 31 January and a bottle of gin’.)

We were also very happy to see the start of the Rugby Six Nations on 6 February, particularly as the Pitchup.com team now has representatives from all six competing lands, so fierce arguments can break out under the guise of 'friendly banter' (we’re doing this in training for the Rugby World Cup here in the UK this October).

What better time, we asked ourselves during one of the matches, for a sporty events blog? And so.

We’ve taken extensive exercise putting together the main sporting events in 2015 here to spectate at in the UK, France and Spain, with a full league of where to stay nearby and where to DIY if you fancy kicking/throwing/hitting a ball about too. Onwards!

Rugby

We may possibly be found in imbibing emporiums at certain times over the next few weeks as the Six Nations hots up, especially on the final day, 21 March, when Scotland play Ireland, England tackle France and Italy square up to Wales. Cor. We may possibly also need a team-building exercise/fry-up the day after.

We may possibly be found in imbibing emporiums again from 18 September – 31 October for the Rugby World Cup, here in Blighty for the first time since Wales hosted it in 1999. Venues include Twickenham (natch) and Wembley in London, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Leicester City Stadium, Sandy Park in Exeter, Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester, Manchester City Stadium and St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne – get your mitts on tix now.

Sporty stays

Combine a rollicking rugby, Cricket World Cup or FIFA Women’s World Cup weekend with a campsite hol and watch the match cosily in the pub:

Pub campsites

Sites with a bar or clubhouse

Golf

Schwing! The Open is back at St Andrews this year, from 16 – 19 July, with the women’s Open played at Ayrshire’s Turnberry from 30 July – 2 August. The other biggies are:

• Masters in Georgia (the Gone with the Wind one, not the European one), 9 – 12 April

• US Open, June 18 – 21 for the boys and July 9 – 12 for the girls

• PGA Championship in late August, also in the US

The Alstom Open de France is the biggest French golf championship of the year, played at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, Ile-de-France, from 2 – 5 July: tickets available soon.

In Spain, the 2015 Open de España will be held at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Terrassa, Barcelona, from 14 – 17 May. A week in Barcelona? Sí.

Sporty stays

Campsites in Ile-de-France, 1 – 8 July: from £112

Campsites in Barcelona, 13 – 20 May: from £84.41

DIY

Pitchup guide to the top UK golf courses and where to stay nearby

Campsites in St Andrews

Campsites in Turnberry

All campsites with golf nearby

Gee-gees

Whether it’s betting on them, demanding one at horse shows or champing at the bit to jump them over fences, we do like our gee-gees at Pitchup.com. Dressing up in a posh frock, inappropriate heels and hat of daft proportions is, we think, one of the best things to do on a UK summer’s day, although we do occasionally change into more sensible attire if we’re attempting to jump fences.

First up in the 2015 horse racing calendar is the Gold Cup on 13 March as part of the Cheltenham Festival, held of course at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire: have a trot around the Cotswold Hills in your frock after the races. Frocks/suits also required for:

• Grand National Meeting, Aintree, Merseyside, 9 – 11 April

• 2,000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Suffolk, 2 May

• Epsom Derby, Surrey, 6 June

• The biggest of all big silly hats at Royal Ascot, Berkshire, 16 – 20 June

• La France: the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Paris’s Longchamp Racecourse: 4 –5 October

For shows, we’ve updated last year’s horse shows blog with details of horsey campsites and events including Blair Castle, the Horse of the Year Show and the Burghley Horse Trials: have a nosy here.

Sporty stays

Campsites near Cheltenham Racecourse, 9 – 14 March: from £40

Campsites near Newmarket Racecourse, 1 – 4 May: pods from £135

Campsites near Epsom Downs Racecourse, 5 – 7 June: from £20

Campsites near Ascot Racecourse, 15 – 21 June: from £96

Campsites in Ile-de-France, 3 – 6 October: from £43

DIY

All campsites with horse riding nearby

Wheels

Human-powered wheels, engine-powered wheels, four wheels, two wheels, two wheels vertically down a mountain… it’s all coming up, and down, and around several circuits in 2015. Motor and motorbike racing at Silverstone and Donington, Grand Prix all over, the Tour de France and the Tour de Britain are all coming up, although we feel we must point out that joining in at some events is discouraged. Here’s where to get the groove on:

• Tour de France, various venues, France, 4 – 26 July

• Tour of Britain, venues to be confirmed, 6 – 13 September

• British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire, 5 July

• Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, 10 May

• Monaco Grand Prix, Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, 24 May

• British Superbike Championship: various venues including Donington, Oulton Park and Silverstone, 4 April – 8 October

• British motorcycle Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, 28 August

• Smaller events: Tweed Love Bike Festival, Scottish Borders, 17 – 31 May; Bike Bath, Somerset 5 July; and all road, mountain bike, track, speedway and other bike races 2015 from British Cycling

Sporty stays

Campsites in France

Campsites near Donington Park

All campsites in Derbyshire

Campsites near Silverstone Circuit, 3 – 5 July: from £22

Campsites near Silverstone Circuit, 27 – 29 August: from £22

All campsites in Northamptonshire

Campsites near Barcelona, 4 – 11 May: from £84.41

Campsites near Bath, 4 – 6 July: from £28

DIY

Pitchup.com to motorcycling and camping, with recommended motorbike routes

All motorcycle-friendly campsites

Campsites in France with cycle hire

Campsites in France with cycle hire nearby

Campsites in France with cycling nearby

Campsites in France with mountain biking nearby

Campsites with cycle hire

Campsites with cycle hire nearby

Campsites with cycling nearby

Campsites with mountain biking nearby

Other sporty spectating

Because sports are often better from a sofa. (We’ve included campsite links where you can get All Active, but here’s our pub campsites link again, just in case.)

Cricket World Cup final, 29 March

Scottish Cup Final, 5 April and the FA Cup Final, 30 May

FIFA Women’s World Cup, 6 June – 5 July, Canada

Wimbledon, 29 June – 12 July and the French Open, 26 May – 7 June

Campsites with tennis on site

Campsites with tennis nearby

World Snooker Championships, Sheffield, 18 April – 4 May

Campsites in South Yorkshire

Slalom Canoeing World Championships, London, 16 – 20 September

Campsites in Greater London

Campsites with canoeing/kayaking nearby

Aaand… full time on a sporty 2015. We shall see you, sportingly, in the pub for the start of the Rugby World Cup.