The table below sets out the status of each sporting activity within the respective Armed Forces.
Notes
1. Competitive angling fixtures considered as authorised as service are limited to four single Service Representative fixtures and four Combined Services fixtures per discipline per year approved by the appropriate Combined Services or Single Services Sports Board. Travel to all other competitive angling fixtures is not considered as service.
2.Recognised Sports. Those sports which do not justify being categorised as ‘synopsis sports’ but nevertheless fully meet the criteria for public funding and are ‘recognised’ as doing so by the Combined Service Sports Board. Because of the differing operational environments of the 3 Services, ‘recognised’ sports need not necessarily be common to all 3 but for the most part are.
3. Synopsis Sports. Those sports which are, by virtue of the large numbers of participants, both in the training units and the Services at large, have facilities provided at public expense.
4. Approved Sports. Sports which do not meet, or have not yet met, fully the criteria for public funding but are considered by the Single Service Sports Boards do merit support from non-public funds.
5. Other Sports. Those sports which do not fall into any of the above categories.
6. Participation in competitions up to and including corps and divisional championships is designated individual training. Competing in the Army and Inter-Services Championships is classified as recognised sport.
7. In addition, the RAF treats the following activities as ‘approved’ sports:
Sport/Activity |
Royal Navy |
Army |
Royal Air Force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coarse Angling (Competitive) | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Game angling (Competitive) | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Sea Angling (Competitive) | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Track and Field Athletics | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Cross Country Running | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Tug of War | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Marathon - Road | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Archery | Approved | Approved | Approved |
| Association Football | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Badminton | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Basketball | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Boxing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Sprint and Marathon Canoeing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Slalom Canoeing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Surf Canoeing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Wild Water Racing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Polo Canoeing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Rodeo Freestyle Canoeing | Approved | Approved | Approved |
| Caving | Adventurous Training | Adventurous Training | Adventurous Training |
| Cricket | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Cycling | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Show Jumping - Eventing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Horse Racing | Approved | Recognised | Approved |
| Fencing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Gliding, Paragliding and Hang Gliding | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Golf | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Hockey | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Judo / Martial Arts | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Lawn Tennis | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Microlight Flying | Other | Other | Recognised |
| Modern Pentathlon | Other | Recognised | Other |
| Motor Sports | Recognised | Individual Training | Recognised |
| Mountaineering | Recognised | Adventurous Training | Recognised |
| Indoor Climbing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Netball | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Orienteering | Recognised | Individual Training | Recognised |
| Polo | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Rackets | Approved | Approved | Other |
| Real Tennis | Approved | Approved | Other |
| Rounders | Other | Recognised | Other |
| Rowing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Rugby League and Rugby Union | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Offshore sailing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Dinghy Sailing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Windsurfing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Sports parachuting | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Squash Rackets | Synopsis | Synopsis | Synopsis |
| Sub Aqua | Recognised | Adventurous Training | Recognised |
| Swimming | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Table Tennis | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Target Rifle Shooting | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Small Bore Shooting | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Clay Target Shooting | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Target Pistol Shooting | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Service Weapon Shooting | Individual Training | Individual Training | Individual Training |
| Traithlon | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Volleyball | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Water Skiing | Other | Other | Approved |
| Waveriding/Surfing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Alpine Skiing | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Snowboarding | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Bobsleigh | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Luge | Recognised | Recognised | Recognised |
| Toboganning | Approved | Approved | Approved |
| Biathlon - Nordic | Recognised (Training for Royal Marines) | Collective Individual Training | Recognised |
| Ski Biking | Other | Approved | Approved |
| Ski Mountaineering/Touring | Recognised | Adventurous Training | Adevturous Training |
