Quality of life

Sport and leisure facilities

Barnsley and surrounding region is home to some of the world’s leading sporting and leisure facilities. The variety of spectator sports is vast, and venues play host to both national and international competition.

Football – Championship side Barnsley Football Club offer football fans weekly matches at Oakwell Stadium. In the surrounding region football fanatics are spoilt for choice with over five football league teams to choose from including Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Rotherham United and Doncaster Rovers.

Rugby - Enthusiasts of both league and union rugby can find teams in the locality. There are rugby union teams at Barnsley, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield and Leeds plus major rugby league clubs at Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Castleford and Featherstone.

Cricket - Cricket fans are able to watch the County Championships or Test Match cricket at Headingley in Leeds, the home of Yorkshire’s County Cricket Club.

Horse Racing - Barnsley is within easy reach of Doncaster and York race courses.

Ice sports - Ice hockey fans can watch Sheffield Steelers at the Sheffield Arena or visit the new Sheffield Ski Village which provides a year round venue for both skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts.
 
Snooker - Watch the World Snooker Championships from the Sheffield Crucible Theatre.

Swimming - Swimming enthusiasts can visit the international swimming venue Ponds Forge.

Barnsley Premier and Leisure - manage and operate a diverse portfolio of facilities from small community recreation centres and civic halls to large regional facilities such as the Metrodome Leisure Complex in central Barnsley.

They provide a huge number of traditional sporting opportunities, from fitness suites to badminton, as well as catering for a broad range of leisure pursuits and popular culture that includes comedy nights and concerts.