Hockey, rugby and cricket cut from streamlined 2026 Commonwealth Games

Lawn bowls has avoided the axe from the streamlined 2026 Commonwealth Games which has abandoned high-profile sports hockey, rugby sevens and cricket.

The Scottish organisers have whittled the program back from the 22 which had been planned for Victoria to just 10 sports in the cut-price Glasgow edition, which will be based in just four inner city venues.

In addition to core sports athletics and swimming, 3x3 basketball, artistic gymnastics, boxing, judo, netball, track cycling and weightlifting are expected to be included when the program is formally announced on Tuesday.

Scotland won five medals in lawn bowls events in the 2022 Games in Birmingham, including three golds.

Victoria held the rights to host the 2026 event but withdrew last year, triggering negotiations with the Commonwealth Games Federation and ultimately leaving the state with a bill of $589m.

Glasgow stepped in this year to host a stripped-down version of the event, saving what started in 1930 as the British Empire Games.

The Victorian government cited escalating expenses of more than $6bn in its decision to pull out, but the Scottish city is expected to be able to host at minimal cost, largely using the compensation paid by the Victorians.

Rather than a traditional athlete village, participants in 2026 will stay in pre-existing accommodation. Venues for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the city will be re-used: athletics at Scotstoun Stadium, swimming at Tollcross, track cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and indoor sports will be hosted at the SEC.

Badminton, beach volleyball, diving, non-track cycling, rhythmic gymnastics, squash and table tennis are expected to be culled.

Commonwealth Games Australia, which had planned to give $13m to national sporting organisations in the lead-up to the 2026 event, is considering ways to support sports which have been abandoned.

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Ongoing payments to sports in the hope they may return to the program in 2030 has not been ruled out.

The Commonwealth Games will continue to offer para-events as part of a single event, unlike the Olympics which is separate from the Paralympics.

The 2026 Games will run between 23 July and 2 August.

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