Commonwealth Games effect: How Team England helped inspire 120,000 to try a new sport in one weekend
More than 120,000 visitors tried Commonwealth Games sports for the first time at Better leisure centres this summer, as Team England helped inspire a new wave of sporting interest across the country.
GLL teamed up with Team England to promote a National Sports Weekend. This ran at GLL's 250 leisure centres giving people of all ages the chance to get active and try their hand at a range of Commonwealth Games sports, including basketball, netball, swimming, athletics, track cycling, weightlifting and boxing.
And the appetite to get involved is clear. Research commissioned on behalf of Better found that swimming (28%), athletics (19%) and cycling (18%) were the Commonwealth Games sports Brits were most keen to try this summer, while a third (33%) of those surveyed said the Games would make them more likely to exercise.
The impact was also evident online, with Google searches for several of the featured sports rising sharply following the Games.
Netball saw the biggest increase, with searches up 81% month-on-month, while interest in swimming – the most popular sport in Better’s research – rose by 22%. Searches for judo, weightlifting, cycling and gymnastics also increased by more than 20%.
The National Sports Weekend brought Team England athletes into local communities to help turn that interest into participation.
In York, Team England cyclist Abi Miller – a professional track and road cyclist making her Commonwealth Games debut for Team England at Glasgow 2026 – visited Energise Leisure Centre to launch the weekend, taking part in a fun ‘Beat the Cyclist’ challenge.
Meanwhile, at Abbey Leisure Complex in Cambridge, Commonwealth Games hurdler and European medallist Josh Faulds delivered masterclasses for local children, helping them develop movement skills, speed and basic hurdling techniques.
“We’re delighted to see the impact of the Commonwealth Games reaching communities across the country. Our partnership with GLL has given people the opportunity to connect with Team England and our athletes, while discovering new sports and being inspired to get active.
“Seeing more than 120,000 people try a sport for the first time is a fantastic reflection of the power of sport to inspire and bring people together.”
“Our Commonwealth Games-themed National Sports Weekend really showed the power of a major sporting event to reach deep into communities, inspire participation and raise physical activity levels. It was great to celebrate with Team England and see so many people from different communities coming together to ‘try something new’, while experiencing all the benefits of their local Better public leisure facilities and programmes.”
The strong response demonstrates the ability of major sporting events to inspire people beyond the competition itself – turning excitement and interest into opportunities for people to get active and discover a sport they enjoy.
Through its network of Better leisure centres, GLL continues to provide communities across the country with opportunities to be active, try new sports and make physical activity part of everyday life.
Team England performance was strongly in evidence at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games – with athletes in several sporting disciplines achieving medal success.
Inspirational podium finishes were achieved by 42 past and present GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) supported athletes – with the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme helping achieve a medal tally of 42 (12 Gold, 16 Silver and 14 Bronze). GSF Celebrates 115 Athletes at Commonwealth Games.
GSF athletes representing England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Jamaica, Ghana and the Isle of Man delivered memorable performances across athletics, swimming, cycling, boxing, judo, basketball, wheelchair basketball, para sport and bowls.
Beyond the Commonwealth Games, Team England’s two-year partnership with GLL promises to inspire further participation, boosting opportunities for communities across the country to get active and come together to experience the power of sport to change lives.