British sport under-prepared for climate risks as costs rise, report says

LONDON, Nov 5 : Climate change is becoming a growing threat to British sport, damaging facilities, disrupting fixtures, increasing costs and deterring participation, according to a report that warns the sector is dangerously under-prepared for extreme weather.

Every organisation surveyed reported being affected by extreme weather in 2026 and 94 per cent said sport was under-prepared for climate change. Yet a separate review of professional club disclosures found only nine had explicitly identified climate or extreme weather as a business risk.

The report by the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) paints a stark picture of a sporting landscape built for weather conditions that no longer exist, with impacts felt from Premier League stadiums to grassroots playing fields.

"Sport is already paying the price for climate change through damaged grounds, rising insurance costs, lost match-day income and lost opportunities for people to be active," BASIS founder Russell Seymour said in the report.

"The game has changed. Extreme weather is no longer a series of isolated disruptions; it is a material, recurring and intensifying business risk."

Among more than 200 clubs, venues and governing bodies surveyed, 86 per cent reported being affected by extreme heat, 78 per cent by drought, 31 per cent by storm damage and 28 per cent by flooding.

The financial risks are becoming increasingly apparent.

BASIS said 27 per cent of professional soccer, rugby league and rugby union stadiums it analysed in England face high direct flood risk, a figure projected to rise to 35 per cent under future climate scenarios.

Several clubs have felt the impact. AFC Wimbledon reported nearly £900,000 ($1.2 million) in stadium flood costs in their 2025