Your weekly physical activity bulletin

06 July 2026

We are working towards improving the health and wellbeing of the nation through sport, exercise and physical activity. For more information on our work visit our website or follow us on X @NCSEM_PAnews

Loughborough research shaping the future of wheelchair tennis on grass

As Wimbledon continues to showcase the very best of world tennis, research from Loughborough University’s Centre for Para and Disability Sport Innovation is helping to advance the science, performance and inclusion of wheelchair tennis on grass.

The Centre for Para and Disability Sport Innovation has developed a strong research partnership with the LTA and GB wheelchair tennis players, alongside collaborators including the All England Lawn Tennis Club, RGK Wheelchairs, Sheen Parasport and the UK Sports Institute. Together, they are tackling key questions around how athletes move, compete and optimise their equipment across different court surfaces, with grass presenting some of the sport’s most distinctive challenges.

What the World Cup hydration breaks reveal about who governs men’s football

An opinion piece authored by Dr Mathew Dowling and Haojin Zhou (both School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences) for The Conversation platform.

Twenty-two minutes into Canada’s group match against Qatar on June 18, the home crowd began to boo. They weren’t questioning a referee decision, nor a move by the opposition, but the mandatory three-minute player break for water. Canada was already cruising to a 6-0 win; the irritation was aimed squarely at the interruption.

FIFA introduced the 2026 World Cup’s mandatory hydration breaks under the auspices of a “player-welfare measure”. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has insisted the decision is purely sporting, not commercial⁠, arguing that there is “no additional revenue for FIFA” because its commercial agreements were signed in advance.

National Lottery Good Causes: Call for Evidence

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is launching a call for evidence on the future of National Lottery good cause funding.

Since 1994, the National Lottery has generated over £53 billion for good causes across the UK, funding elite and grassroots sport, cultural institutions and local community projects. They want to hear from the public on how this funding can better align with modern priorities, reach the areas that need it most and how they can reduce bureaucracy.

Loughborough professor announced as Chair of NIHR Research Professorships Funding Committee

Professor of Behavioural Medicine at Loughborough University, Amanda Daley, has been appointed as a new Chair at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

Amanda, who is an NIHR Research Professor in Public Health and Director of the Centre for Lifestyle Medicine and Behaviour (CLiMB) at Loughborough, has been appointed as the new Chair of the NIHR Research Professorships Funding Committee. As Chair, she will support the NIHR Academy in continuing to strengthen the Research Professorships Programme, ensuring the programme continues to attract and support an even broader range of talented health and care researchers. The NIHR Research Professorships are five-year awards that enable outstanding academics to lead health and care research at a professorial level.

Play Their Way launches child-first coaching app

Play Their Way has today launched a new app offering child-first coaching advice, support and resources for coaches working in sport and physical activity.

The ‘Coach in Your Pocket’ provides quick answers and practical ideas that coaches can access on the move or when difficult situations arise during sessions.

It'll help them put the enjoyment, rights and needs of young people at the heart of their coaching, with the aim of instilling a lifelong love of sport and movement.

ukactive announces plans for National Fitness Day 2026

ukactive has announced the details of National Fitness Day 2026, with the flagship campaign set to take place on Wednesday 16 September 2026.

Now in its 15th year, National Fitness Day will see fitness, leisure and sport facilities across the UK offer free activities to inspire millions of people to be more active.

Coordinated by ukactive and delivered by its members, National Fitness Day celebrates the role of physical activity in supporting our physical and mental health, with an average of 10 million people a year taking part.

The weekly physical activity bulletin in a summary of news stories that appear across the physical activity sector. The National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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