As the sunshine begins to fade once more, there are numerous significant fixtures to immerse yourself in if you decide to avoid the summer rain.

As the football and cricket World Cups draw near, there is a lot to absorb in the lead-up to some of the most significant tournaments on the sporting calendar.

Monday 8th June, T20 World Cup Warm Up: England W v Australia W 15:00

As the World Cup approaches on June 12th, England Women have the opportunity to prepare for what could be a historic tournament on home soil.

England recently achieved a hard-fought Test victory over India, overcoming a 38-run loss in the first match to secure a 26-run win in the second and ultimately clinching the third match by six wickets.

Hopefully, that battling display will serve as a precursor to the upcoming matches against Ireland, Scotland, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and reigning world champions New Zealand.

In the meantime, a huge test awaits as the most successful team in Women’s World Cup history, Australia, comes to pay a visit and gives England much to think about.

The Aussies have not lost a single match in their last ten, with their last taste of defeat coming against India in late February.

England will be hopeful that they can make them relive the taste of a loss and give themselves a huge confidence boost as they look to recapture the world title for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 2009.

With a 17-year drought on the minds of every England fan, a positive display in the warm-up could breathe hope that on home soil, the women can bring it home.

Date: 08/06/2026

Time: 15:00

Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

The match will be shown on Sky Sports Mix.

 

Wednesday, 10th June, International Friendly: England v Costa Rica, 21:00.

The Three Lions conclude their World Cup warm-up matches with a clash against Costa Rica, as Tuchel's men aim to generate more excitement ahead of what appears to be a pivotal tournament for both the head coach and the players.

Tuchel's squad selection has sparked considerable discussion, particularly regarding the absence of notable players like Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, and Harry Maguire.

With those names having helped England in the past in other major tournaments, their experience is already giving some fans doubts over how the squad will perform with a litany of new faces.

Harry Kane is a man all too familiar with tournament football for England, and it was the Bayern Munich talisman that opened his account against New Zealand in their first warm-up match. His goal was the only difference between them and the Kiwis, who boast a star striker of their own in Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood.

Despite the victory, many were expecting a more dominant scoreline against the lowest-ranked team heading into the 2026 World Cup. The tournament proper will be a real showing of the talents for England, but in the meantime, there is another test waiting for them in the form of Costa Rica.

The Central Americans have had recent memorable moments in World Cups, namely 2014, where they captured people’s hearts and finished in the quarter-finals. Since then, they have only reached the group stages in their tournaments, but this year they hope to progress further, closer to home.

They are currently on a barren run of one win in their last 11 matches, which England will be looking to capitalise on in hopes of boosting their confidence before they play Croatia on June 17th.

Date: 10/06/2026

Time: 21:00

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando

The match will be shown on ITV1.

 

Friday 12th June Betfred Super League: Wakefield Trinity v Wigan Warriors 20:00

A top-six battle takes place in the Super League this week as surprise top-two challengers Wakefield hosts the titans of the Wigan Warriors at Belle Vue with hopes of creeping closer to second or even top spot with a home win.

Since their return to the Super League in 2025, Wakefield has been nearly unstoppable, thanks to Daryl Powell's remarkable work in West Yorkshire, transforming them from Championship winners to Super League playoff entrants in their first year back in the top flight.

Their sixth-place finish in 2025 has been no flash in the pan, though, as now Trinity are sitting pretty in third and in real contention to reach the playoffs once again and make a real challenge.

They made a huge statement last weekend with a hard-fought 26-24 victory over reigning champions Hull KR, which led to Wakefield leapfrogging them in the table. 

Another giant test comes in the form of Wigan, who sit just two points behind Trinity with the chance to move further away from dropping out of the top six. The Warriors have only lost once in their last six matches, which was against Hull KR in the league, which could show an early indicator of how the match will go. If Wakefield has already done enough to take down the Robins, they may have a greater say in the outcome.

However, Wigan are still more than equipped to take on Wakefield, as shown in their last two matches, where they dominated Catalan Dragons 40-16 after a massive 40-10 win in the Challenge Cup final against Hull KR once again.

The last time Trinity and Wigan met was a Challenge Cup bout in mid-April, where the Warriors ran out 26-22 winners at Belle Vue. Wigan have demonstrated their ability to succeed in West Yorkshire, but Wakefield is more than capable of maintaining their positive momentum at the top of the Super League.

Date: 12/06/2026

Time: 20:00

Venue: Belle Vue

The match will be shown on Sky Go.