Sport in 2025: Premier League, Ashes, Ryder Cup, British and Irish Lions, Lewis Hamilton, Luke Littler, boxing and more

2025 promises to be another exciting year in the world of sport, with plenty of drama expected and big tournaments to be won. From new signings to title challenges, here are just some of the stories to look forward to over the year ahead...

Arne Slot could not have asked for a better start to life on Merseyside. Heading into the busy Christmas and New Year period, Liverpool will be hoping to keep their spot at the top of the Premier League table as they chase a 20th league title.

Any concerns about the handover from the successful Jurgen Klopp era into the new Arne Slot age have been unfounded. Liverpool have lost just once in the Premier League and none in the Champions League. They top that table too.

Domestically, some may argue that injuries and some dips from Arsenal and Manchester City have allowed Liverpool to capitalise so far. But heading into 2025, every club competing for that title knows it takes far more over a long period of time to make a title-winning team - and the Reds are the team to beat.

While we don't yet know who will lift the trophy come May 25, you can follow every twist and turn of the Premier League title race across Zone Sporty VIP News both on TV and digital platforms.

Formula 1 in 2025 could be a historic year to remember. If the track action picks up where it left off in 2024, McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes could all be in championship contention.

Lando Norris believes he has what it takes to end Max Verstappen's run of four consecutive titles but the biggest storyline will be Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

The move was announced 11 months ago and Hamilton must have been chomping at the bit to drive in red during his difficult race weekends at Mercedes.

If Ferrari have a competitive car, Hamilton fans will be hoping he can silence his critics that he's not quick or consistent enough to win a record-breaking eighth world title.

Attention will also be on Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes, and whether Liam Lawson becomes the latest Red Bull driver to struggle against Verstappen.

The British and Irish Lions will head into this summer's tour as favourites to claim a first series victory since they were last on Australian soil in 2013, although the hosts look set to provide a tougher challenge than many previously expected.

The Lions, who lost the series 2-1 on their previous tour of South Africa in 2021, will be led by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and will take on Argentina in Dublin in June before three Tests against the Wallabies.

Australia bounced back from finishing bottom of the Rugby Championship by beating England and Wales in the Autumn Nations Series, along with nearly upsetting Ireland, giving head coach Joe Schmidt plenty of positive signs about his developing side.

The Six Nations earlier in the year will give Farrell one last chance to assess his options of who we will take for the summer tour, live on Zone Sporty VIP, with Simon Easterby leading Ireland's bid for a third consecutive title in his absence.

Lots has changed in men's golf since Europe's record-breaking Ryder Cup defeat when it was last held in America four years ago, although the rivalry will be as fierce as ever for the latest edition at Bethpage Black.

Europe arrive as defending champions after their impressive victory over Team USA in Rome, with Luke Donald returning as captain and looking to register a first win on American soil since the 'Miracle of Medinah' in 2012.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler and two-time major winner Xander Schauffele will headline Keegan Bradley's star-studded American team, while a hostile New York crowd is likely to provide an intimidating atmosphere for the European side.

Rory McIlroy has previously described winning an away Ryder Cup as "one of the biggest achievements in golf". Europe will embrace the label as underdogs and have history in their sights.

It is a huge 2025 for the Lionesses. Three years after their historic Euro 2022 win at Wembley, England Women will defend their title in Switzerland.

It has not always been smooth sailing since then for England. They finished as runners-up at the 2023 World Cup, losing to Spain in the final, but failed to qualify for the Olympics by a whisker in what proved to be a tricky Nations League campaign.

There will be another of those before the Women's Euros this summer too in preparation, with recent fixtures seeing them lose to Germany in October before an encouraging goalless draw against the USA.

England are not the reliable powerhouse they were in the early months under Wiegman. Naturally, the team has evolved and changed over the last few years, but they have also proven able to win in the most pressurised of circumstances.

And more history could await the Lionesses. If they successfully defend their title - and they will be among the favourites to win the competition - they will be the first senior England side to win a trophy away from home. It is a task that will not phase Wiegman or her players.

England captain Ben Stokes may have admitted he has been putting "too much emphasis" on the Ashes during 2024, but cricket's biggest rivalry will take centre stage by the time they travel to Australia at the end of the year.

There's a one-off Test against Zimbabwe and a marquee five-Test series against India before they head Down Under, where England will look to secure the Ashes for the first time since 2015 - having lost each of the last three away Ashes without winning a single Test.

Another packed international calendar sees England in the Champions Trophy, which will provide Brendan McCullum the opportunity to win silverware as he takes over as head coach of the white-ball side alongside his role as Test team head coach.

The women's side will also chase Ashes glory when they face Australia at the start of 2025, with their focus then turning to the One-Day World Cup in India in October and regaining the trophy they last won in 2017.

It has been eight years since England's men had a new face leading the way, but come January, Thomas Tuchel will officially take up the reins after Gareth Southgate's departure.

He will be encouraged too by performances under caretaker manager Lee Carsley. A blip against Greece at Wembley aside, the Three Lions won all of their Nations League games with a return to League A.

While any manager, international or otherwise, will be judged under the microscope of results, squad management will also be crucial. Players like Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish spoke of the enjoyment being back among England camps under Carsley, and Tuchel will surely want to continue that feeling in his tenure.

His first game will be in March when England's World Cup qualifying campaign begins. They will be heavy favourites to win Group K, with matches against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra.

It is unchartered territory for both Tuchel and England. The former Chelsea boss takes on his first international role, while the Three Lions have never been managed by a German. But there will be hopes that a somewhat unlikely pairing can lead England to success in 2025 and beyond.

England have experienced more Women's Rugby World Cup heartbreak than any other side, losing five of the previous six finals, but have the chance once again to change their fortunes on home soil.

John Mitchell's side will first bid for a fourth successive Grand Slam when the Six Nations tournament starts in March, ahead of focus switching to the World Cup across August and September.

Scotland, Ireland and Wales also feature in the World Cup, held across eight venues, with England opening against the United States at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on August 22 and the final taking place at Twickenham on September 27.

The Red Roses have won 50 of their last 51 Tests, with their only loss in that run coming against New Zealand in the previous final, with England arriving as the team to beat and chasing the first World Cup success since 2014.

Zone Sporty VIP Golf will once again be the home of the majors in 2025, with all men's and women's majors exclusively live, as McIlroy looks to build on four worldwide wins over the past campaign and finally end the major drought.

McIlroy has won almost everything there is to offer in golf since his 2014 PGA Championship success, claiming countless titles on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, with the most significant silverware still eluding him being a fifth major title.

The world No 3 will be one of the favourites at The Masters, where victory would see him complete the career Grand Slam and be the fairy-tale end to the wait, while the PGA Championship is held at Quail Hollow - the venue where he has won four times on the PGA Tour.

McIlroy looks to go one better than his back-to-back runner-up finishes at the US Open, while The Open heads back to Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland - a venue he was reduced to tears at after missing the cut in 2019. For every year without a major, the pressure will only grow.

Even in the unlikely event it is not one of Luke Humphries or Luke Littler lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy and being crowned PDC World Darts Champion on January 3, the two look destined to dominate the sport and challenge for more major honours in 2025.

Littler went from strength to strength in the 12 months following his breakthrough run to the Alexandra Palace final, winning 10 titles in his debut campaign on the PDC Tour, while Humphries' Worlds success was one of seven trophies he claimed.

The pair are both quick to play down a rivalry that has already seen both beat each other in TV finals, with Humphries coming out on top at the World Championship and Players Championship but Littler firing a nine-dart finish on his way to victory at the Premier League final.

Both have played their part in generating record interest to darts and will look to continue taking the sport to new levels, with the two Lukes likely the pre-tournament favourites in every event they step up onto the oche - who can stop them?

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz won two Grand Slams each in 2024 but they are yet to face each other in a major final. The pair have taken on the heavy mantle of the previous 'Big Four' with Novak Djokovic the only player standing after the retirements of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Djokovic did not win a Grand Slam for just the second time in the last 14 years but he did strike Olympic gold in Paris, so do not rule him out, with the Serb recruiting Murray as his coach ahead the Australian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka is the player to beat on the WTA Tour but Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek will be out to add to their previous Grand Slam successes. Perhaps women's tennis will see a 'Big Three' take over the game this season.

As for the Brits, Jack Draper is the best hope on the ATP Tour following his run to the US Open semi-finals, while Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu both had solid campaigns in 2024, which they will look to build on.

Winning back-to-back titles in any sport is an impressive enough feat, but the Kansas City Chiefs have a golden opportunity in the coming weeks to make NFL history and complete a Super Bowl three-peat.

The Chiefs are already the first team to win back-to-back championships in nearly two decades, while their regular-season performances have given plenty of encouragement that Andy Reid's side - with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback - can enjoy more success.

Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles are the two most likely disrupters in the Chiefs' bid to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three years running, with drama and excitement to come on Zone Sporty VIP NFL between now and February 9.

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