An embarrassment of sporting riches awaits…

The Six Nations may be over, but let us not mourn it too deeply.

I prefer to think of it as the warm-up act.

Because if you’re a sports enthusiast like me, I have good news: 2026 is shaping up to be a bumper year for sport in the UK. And I don’t say that lightly.

I’ll admit, I felt a genuine jolt of excitement when I realised just how many major international events are landing on our doorstep this summer. Rugby might be my first love, but I’m a fan of sport in all its forms.

First up is the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which runs from 12 June to 5 July. I’ve always enjoyed the fast-paced, high-intensity format of T20 cricket, and it will be great to watch some of the world’s finest players going head-to-head at iconic grounds across the country.

No sooner will that have wrapped up than the 2026 Commonwealth Games will get underway in Glasgow. The city stepped in as a replacement host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew due to rising costs, and I have every confidence that it will rise to the occasion.

I’ll be watching with particular interest to see whether South African swimming sensation, Chad le Clos, can add yet another gold medal to his already impressive haul. That man is on another level.

Just when I imagine I might catch my breath, along come the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham this August. Fantastic!

And let us not forget that all of these incredible events are in addition to the usual calendar of sporting action including Wimbledon, The Open, and the Silverstone Grand Prix.

Phew!

I just hope Mrs. Waller has no grand designs on filling our weekends with extended day trips or ambitious DIY projects this summer, because I have a strong suspicion that my spare time is already spoken for – largely by whatever happens to be on the television that day.

That said, I may yet play the dutiful husband and suggest we “get out of the house” by watching it all unfold on the big screen at the local pub… purely in the spirit of compromise, of course!

As much as I love getting engrossed in the action, I also find myself paying close attention to the security infrastructure around the event. Hazard of the job I guess!

I am always amazed by the sheer scale of the security and policing operation involved. Ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of spectators, competitors, and international media can’t be an easy feat, especially at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.

For the most part, thankfully, these large sporting events tend to go off without too much trouble. Perhaps with the exception of some football matches, they are by and large good-natured affairs. That has certainly been my experience when attending international rugby matches at Murrayfield Stadium and Twickenham Stadium.

But security and crowd management don’t always run like clockwork, especially when you’re policing something less predictable like a planned protest, for instance.

Last weekend, Mandy and I travelled to central London to catch up with friends. However, our carefully laid plans were promptly undone by a series of protests across the capital, with key routes closed and diversions in place. Suffice to say we clocked up a fair few extra steps as we attempted to navigate what felt like an endless maze of cordons and road closures.

Of course, peaceful protest is a vital component of healthy democracy. But things can shift from orderly to unpredictable whenever you have a large crowd of people who feel passionately about their cause, along with a few bad actors intent on causing trouble.

Situations can escalate very quickly, and when they do, the risks to people and property increase significantly. For retailers, the impact can be immediate and costly, with shopfronts vandalised, windows damaged, shutters forced, and in some cases, stock lost or stolen.

So whilst I may grumble about a few unexpected detours and missed turns, it was a timely reminder of just how much careful planning, coordination and expertise goes into keeping large crowds safe – whether at an international sporting event or on the streets of a busy capital.

I hope this summer of sport delivers everything we want it to, both in terms of performance and in how seamlessly everything runs behind the scenes.

Because when security, logistics, and planning are working at their best, it allows the sport to take centre stage.

Exactly as it should.