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Eleven sports in Utrecht you wouldn't easily think of

Football, fitness and tennis everyone knows. You can also do these sports in Utrecht, and chances are you've never considered them.

Sportspots editorial team, updated on

Rowing

  1. Korfball

    Men and women always play on the same team

    Korfball comes from the Netherlands: four men and four women in one team, and everyone guards someone of the same sex. Dribbling isn't allowed and neither is pushing, so it's all about clever passing and getting free. It feels faster and more tactical than most people think.

    Most clubs let you train a few times, even as an adult with no experience.

    In Utrecht: HKC Utrecht, Korfbalvereniging Synergo, USKV Hebbes

  2. Ultimate frisbee

    A match without a referee

    Ultimate frisbee is a fast running sport with a disc. Players resolve fouls themselves, even at tournaments. That principle is called spirit of the game, and afterwards teams even give each other a score for it. Running and diving are allowed, touching your opponent is not.

    You only need trainers. Teams are often mixed and student clubs take part too.

    In Utrecht: UFO, UTKA Ultimate

  3. Pickleball

    Tennis, table tennis and badminton in one

    A small court, a hard little bat as a racket and a light plastic ball with holes. You serve underarm and the rallies get going straight away, even if you've never held a racket. That's why people aged twenty and seventy simply play together.

    You can often take part without your own equipment at an open evening. Ask the club.

    In Utrecht: Pickleball Utrecht

  4. Floorball

    Indoor hockey, with a plastic stick

    Floorball is played five against five with a goalkeeper, with a light stick and a ball with holes. It's very fast and you can get the hang of it fairly quickly, because the ball is light and the rules rule out hooking and hitting.

    You can usually borrow a stick. Indoor trainers are enough.

    In Utrecht: USFV Jungle-Speed

  5. Jeu de boules

    The sport you start with a drink in your hand

    Boules seems easygoing, until you see how fanatically people measure, calculate and shoot. You can join at almost any age, and you can play outdoors for most of the year.

    At most clubs you can drop in on a playing day and borrow balls.

    In Utrecht: Treize Points, SJV, De Meernse Jeu de Boules-club

  6. Rowing

    At six in the morning on the water

    Rowing teaches you to move together in one rhythm, and when it works the boat feels as if it is floating. It is demanding and technical, and it cannot be done without each other. That is why rowers are so loyal.

    Clubs have courses for beginners, often in spring and after the summer. You need to be able to swim.

    In Utrecht: Viking, A.U.S.R. Orca, U.S.R. Triton and still 1

  7. Rugby

    Hard on the pitch, friendly afterwards

    Everyone in a rugby team has a place, whether you are tall and thin or short and broad. After the match, both teams stand together at the bar, and that is just as much part of the game as the scrum.

    Clubs also take on beginners who have never held an oval ball, and first teach you how to tackle and fall safely.

    In Utrecht: Utrechtse Rugby Club, Rugbyende Utrechtse Studenten (RUS), Utrechtse Rugby Club (URC) and still 1

  8. Baseball & softball

    Patience, and then one hit

    Baseball and softball are a mix of waiting, watching and one second of pure action. In the Netherlands it is smaller than football, but we are surprisingly good at it. Every position has its own role in the game.

    Clubs lend you a glove. For many adults, softball is the easiest way in.

    In Utrecht: Domstad Dodgers, UVV Honk- en Softbal

  9. American football

    A playbook as thick as a textbook

    Every attack is a move planned in advance, and everyone has a precise task. The defence looks tough, but it is also a game of thinking. There is also flag football, without tackles and without equipment.

    Clubs often have equipment to borrow in your first few weeks.

    In Utrecht: Olympos

  10. Cricket

    A sport with a tea break

    Cricket seems complicated and, at first, it is. But a shorter match is easy enough to follow, and clubs are often international: you meet people from all over the world.

    You don't need to bring anything except clothes you can run in.

    In Utrecht: Hercules, SV Kampong

  11. Skateboarding

    Falling and getting up, literally

    No one can do it the first time. That's what makes skating so fun: every little trick you land feels like a win. The skatepark scene is more open than it seems, including for adults who are just starting out.

    You can often borrow a board through a course. Wear a helmet, especially at the beginning.

    In Utrecht: Schaatsvereniging Utrecht