Every summer I make it a point to highlight nontraditional sports before August kicks in and the HBCU sports world goes crazy.

Black people are not monolithic. New generations are growing up with diversifying interests outside of the traditional football, basketball, baseball and track and field.

And then there are the sports fanatics. They will watch A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G related to sports, especially if it keeps them away from the “Honey Do” list.

The Triangle is becoming quite a sports mecca, and Cary is right in the thick of it.

World Rugby Nations Cup is bringing the U.S.-based leg of its inaugural 2026 tournament to North Carolina this month.

Denver, Charlotte and Cary were chosen for the American portion of the tournament. And, yes, the U.S. has a team in the Cup. Zimbabwe will battle the USA July 11 at Charlotte’s Legion Memorial Stadium. Then, on July 18, it’s the USA vs. Spain at Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park.

Can it get any better than rooting for USA on home soil? Expect a sellout (tickets went on sale in April), lots of traffic and foreigners with money to burn. Fans in the United States can watch the matches on Paramount+.

“…The World Rugby Nations Cup and these first three fixtures at home are excellent opportunities for our men’s Eagles, and for USA fans to gather around them,” USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren said. “With the series kicking off during our national holiday (July 4), we’re thrilled to play as the USA and celebrate with our rugby community.”

Pickleball Anyone?

The popularity of pickleball has exploded, especially among the over 40 crowd.

The Veolia Pickleball National Championships will be played at the Cary Tennis Park Aug. 31 to Sept. 6. Cary received a state grant to become the launch site for the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association Tour’s 2026-27 global season.

To underscore how big the event is, the tournament’s No. 1 women’s and men’s players, and the No. 2- and No. 4-world ranked players will participate. To sweeten the pot, No. 2-ranked Kate Fahey and No. 4-ranked Brooke Buckner are North Carolina residents.

Over 2,000 amateur and professional players and thousands of fans are expected during the weeklong event that will be televised on major networks and streaming services.

“As pickleball enjoys enormous growth in popularity and participation in the United States and globally, it is critical that we bring the very best of the PPA to the most passionate regions, and North Carolina has shown us year after year how fervent they are about the sort,” tour CEO Connor Pardoe said. “…The first-ever Veolia Pickleball National Championships will raise that bar even higher as we turn the Greater Raleigh area into the place where every pickleball fanatic wants to be this summer.”

Professional Frisbee

So, who hasn’t thrown a frisbee at least once?

The Carolina Flyers are a professional Ultimate Frisbee team that plays its home games at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

The Flyers have secured a spot in the division playoffs, but they host undefeated Austin Sol July 10 at Durham County for a chance at a first-round bye. The game is also Military & Veteran Appreciation Night. Visit: https://www.watchufa.com/flyers to keep up with the team which is quite good.

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