Not having much luck on the dating scene? Have you tried… sport?
Oh, if you’re a sports fan (Capsule’s Emma CLEARLY isn’t with this scathing yet hilarious piece on all sports minus the Olympics) then this time of the year is absolutely glorious – the calendar is packed as it is and that’s before you add in the glorious Paris 2024 events.
Me and my little sporting soul are happy campers – but it’s good news for those in the dating game too because apparently, sport – whether it’s watching sport, participating in sport or just being sport-adjacent – is a super-successful way of meeting a new boo, and a trend that’s absolutely popping off in 2024.
Bumble’s even noticed it within their profiles, coining the trend ‘MVP- Most Valuable Partner. With a new wave of women tennis stars, a constant stream of sports documentaries and the aforementioned Olympics, sport has been taking a front seat in dating – or maybe we’re just all after our own Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce love story? For 1 in 3 (31%) singles, a shared love of sport has now become a ‘must have’ regardless of if you’re a player or simply a spectator (and for me, a sport-obsessed woman, this could NOT be better news as far as dating trends go!). Our obsession with sport is also changing how we date with a quarter of people (24%) stating that attending sport together is important, particularly amongst Gen-Z and Millennial singles. In New Zealand, more than half (54%) of profiles on Bumble include a sport interest badge and the top athletics include: gym, running and soccer.
Bumble APAC Communications Director Lucille McCart (and Capsule’s personal life oracle) reckons that 2024 is the perfect year for the MVP trend to pop.
“While sport is a well-ingrained part of life in Aotearoa, it feels like it is having a major moment in 2024. Off the back of the hype around the Warriors that has been steadily building, the new All Black’s kicking off, the rise in women’s sport (including the success of Lulu at Wimbledon) and with athletes currently jetting off to Paris, the cultural obsession Kiwis have with sports feels more heightened,” she says.
But why sport as a perfect connector – even if you’re not that sporty? Lucille says it’s quite simple, and it doesn’t have to be just watching it, or just playing it (think back to the mini-golf dates of your youth!).
“For many of us sport is an occasion to bond – talking about sports, watching a game together, or taking part in a sporting activity enables us to get to know someone over a shared interest, not to mention, it can be a fun and competitive date idea,” she tells Capsule. “It’s also an indicator of how we spend our personal time – and commonalities here can be very important for assessing compatibility! If your ideal Friday night is taking in a game at Mount Smart, but they would rather be watching a French film at the cinema, you might not have enough mutual interests to sustain a relationship long term.
Insights show that our obsession with sports is changing how we date, with a quarter of people (24%) on Bumble saying that attending sports together is important, particularly among Gen-Z and Millennial singles.
But what if sport really isn’t your thing? Lucille feels you! “I will put up my hand and admit that I am not the most sporty person in the world,” she says with a laugh. “However, I have learnt some ways to make it feel more exciting for those keen to try and get amongst it more. Firstly, IRL games are way more fun than watching them on TV! Winter is the perfect time to get rugged up and head to a rugby game – eat some hot chips, drink some wine and get to know your date in between plays. I also find I am more interested in sport when the stakes are high (which I learnt during the women’s soccer World Cup last year!), and with the upcoming Games about to hit our TV screens, there is no better time to try and get into it.”
Happy sports, lovers!
