Since Ireland won't be at the World Cup in 2018, here are a few other options on the sporting calendar that you can circle.
January
6th – The BDO World Darts Championships begin in earnest
12th – The 2018 Africa Nations Championship kicks off, comprising teams made up entirely of players who ply their trade in each nation's domestic league
14th – The Masters get underway in snooker, with Ronnie O'Sullivan once again entering the tournament as defending champion
15th- The first tennis Grand Slam of the season starts in Australia
27th - The Allianz football and hurling leagues begin
28th – The Pro Bowl takes place in Hawaii
30th - UEFA Futsal Euro 2018 begins, so expect plenty of clips of ridiculous goals and skills on Twitter, accompanied by fire emojis 🔥
February
2nd - The women's Six Nations begins, as Wales take on Scotland. Ireland follow the day after, as they travel to take on France
3rd – The 2018 Six Nations kicks off, with Ireland facing France at the Stade de France in their opener
4th – Super Bowl LII takes place in Minnesota, with Justin Timberlake providing the half-time entertainment
9th - The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang kick off, running through to March. Ireland
16th - The League of Ireland season restarts as Shamrock Rovers visit Dalymount Park
March
1st – The IAAF World Indoor Championships begin in Birmingham.
9th – The Winter Paralympics kick off in PyeongChang.
16th - The Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place.
17th – St Patrick’s Day marks All-Ireland club final day.
24th - The Allianz Leagues hurling final takes place.
25th - Formula 1 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix.
29th - After spring training, the Major League Baseball season begins in earnest.
April
1st - Allianz Division 1 and 2 League finals
2nd - the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse
5th – Who will end up with the green jacket? The Masters kicks off at its historic home in Augusta National
11th – The NBA regular season comes to a close, with the Finals starting three days later
12th - Horse racing’s Grand National goes to post at Aintree
16th – The Irish Grand National begins
21st – The World Snooker Championship begins at the historic Crucible theatre
26th - 32 NFL teams head to AT&T Stadium in Texas to claim the best players from the college game
May
4th - The UEFA European U17s Championship starts in England. Having qualified to the Elite Group with a 100% record and as one of the top seeds, Ireland's young charges are in with a good chance of progressing to the finals
4th - The Giro d'Italia kicks off the cycling calendar
6th – Gaelic football’s provincial championships begin with two matches in Connacht; Leitrim play New York and Sligo take on London
9th - The UEFA Women's European U17s Championship kicks off in . Ireland's young charges will hope their 100% record from the Qualifying Group will stand to them as they progress to the Elite Round. Further success there would see them through to the final tournament
11th - The first of two big days on the rugby calendar, as the EPCR Challenge Cup Final takes place
12th - Will an Irish province make it all to the way to the EPCR Champions Cup Final at the San Mamés in Bilbao?
12th - All-Ireland champions Galway kick off the provincial championships in Leinster against Offaly
16th - The Europa League final takes place at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais
24th – The Women's Champions League final takes place at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium
26th - The Champions League final will be held at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium
26th - The Aviva Stadium hosts the Pro 14 Final
27th – Tennis’ second grand slam event of the year begins at Roland Garros with the French Open
31st - The PDC World Cup of Darts takes place
June
2nd - The Epsom Derby celebrates its 239th edition
14th – Major season in golf continues with the US Open
14th - The World Cup in Russia kicks off. Can Messi finally claim the one trophy missing from his cabinet? Will Germany be able to defend the trophy they won in 2014? Or will Ronaldo's Portugal make their way to the final after Euros glory?
17th - Who will be crowned champions of Connacht? The provincial football final will decide
21st - The NBA draft sees the cream of the crop from the college game look to secure a slot on the roster at the highest level
23rd - The Munster football final will be held
24th - The Ulster and Leinster provincial championships come to a close, with both finals held on the same day
July
1st - The Leinster and Munster hurling finals take place
2nd - Perhaps the most famous tennis tournament in the world begins in London's SW19
4th – Ballyliffin Golf Club in Donegal hosts the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open
7th – The Tour de France begins
19th – The Open Championship begins at Carnoustie
20th - The Rugby Sevens World Cup kicks off in AT&T Park in San Francisco
21st - The Women's Hockey World Cup begins in London, with Ireland in action on the opening day against the United States
30th - The Galway Races begin
August
2nd -Will Skibereen be welcoming home more champions? Glasgow lays host to the European Rowing Championships
3rd - The Dodgeball World Cup begins, and will be most likely shown on ESPN 8, the "ocho"
9th – The final golf Major of the year, the PGA Championship, takes place at Bellerive Country Club in Missouri
15th - For the first time, the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia plays host to a European final, as the UEFA Super Cup sees the winners of the Champions League and Europa League clash
19th – Will Waterford go one better than last year? Can Kilkenny return to rule the roost again? The All-Ireland hurling final will produce a pulsating game
27th – Tennis’ major season comes to a close with the start of the US Open
September
2nd – All roads lead to Croke Park for the All-Ireland football final. Will Mayo make it to the big stage and get over the final hurdle at last?
6th – The NFL season kicks off again
10th - It's All-Ireland Camogie final day at all levels
17th – The All-Ireland Football Final at Croke Park. If Mayo get there can they go one better?
24th – All-Ireland Ladies Football final day arrives
24th – The World Rowing Championships take place and we may well see the O’Donovan brothers
28th - the 42nd Ryder Cup begins at Le Golf National in France
October
2nd - The post-season begins in Major League Baseball
7th – Horse racing’s prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe takes place
November
28th – Ireland will be in action at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India, as the Men's Hockey World Cup begins
December
12th - The Club World Cup kicks off in the United Arab Emirates
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
