When Mother Nature gets involved in the sporting world she holds an undefeated record.
The NRL found out for their selves this weekend when former Cyclone Alfred took its course and left Queensland teams bearing the brunt of the weather.
While former Cyclone Alfred was set to make landfall on Saturday night the NRL made the decision to relocate the Dolphins vs Rabbitohs game from Suncorp Stadium to CommBank Stadium for a Bunnies home game. Their round 17 meeting has been rescheduled to be a Dolphins home game.
The Brisbane Broncos management chartered a flight at 3am to get everyone home with their families after their trouncing over the Sydney Roosters.
The AFL, having the luxury of being able to shift games around, rescheduled two of their opening round games to be played at a later date.
As our list below proves, no sport is safe from the wildcards of nature. Typhoons, floods, earthquakes or even a volcanic eruption on game day can throw everything into chaos.
Here’s a look at some unforgettable moments when the weather stole the show.
2019 Rugby World Cup & Japanese F1 Grand Prix
Typhoon Hagibis really threw a wrench in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, forcing organisers to cancel two pool matches: England vs. France and New Zealand vs. Italy. Because of this, both teams got two points in the standings, and World Rugby called the games 0-0 draws.
This was the first time a World Cup game was ever cancelled.
The crazy weather also messed up things for the Japanese Grand Prix, leading to the cancellation of practice and qualifying sessions.
2022 Formula One – Monaco, Singapore and Japan
Speaking of F1, the 2022 season battled rain and flooding on more than one occasion.
Before the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, heavy rain struck the principality, causing a delayed start and leaving many drivers frustrated with the stop-start procedures.
Later in the season, the start of the Singapore Grand Prix got pushed back by over an hour because of some crazy thunderstorms over the Marina Bay area.
Then, just a week later, heavy rain hit the Suzuka circuit during monsoon season (surprise, right?).
They only managed to finish 28 out of the planned 53 laps, but thanks to a loophole in the rules, they still gave out full points. That meant Max Verstappen snagged the world championship with his win.
1989 World Series Earthquake
The first-ever earthquake to be broadcast live on television struck during Game 3 of the 1989 World Series. As fans filled Candlestick Park, buzzing with excitement for the clash between the Giants and the A’s, the first pitch was slated for 5:35 PM local time.
Just 31 minutes beforehand, at precisely 5:04 PM, the Loma Prieta earthquake rocked the Bay Area.
Remarkably, some fans had left work early to catch the game—a fortunate choice that likely saved many lives.
The thrilling spirit of the World Series was temporarily overshadowed by nature’s unexpected roar! The MLB decided to push the game back 12 days.
San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Red Wings (1995)
Typically, indoor arenas are the perfect refuge from the elements, keeping hockey fans comfortably dry. so it’s pretty surprising that there’s only been one NHL game called off because of bad weather!
This rare occurrence happened on March 10, when severe flooding from California’s Guadalupe River made it impossible for fans and players to reach the San Jose Arena. As a result, a regular-season matchup between the Sharks and the Red Wings was postponed.
Later on, during the playoffs, San Jose had the chance to face Detroit again but got swept in a 4-0 series defeat.
2010 UEFA Champions League Semi-Final – Barcelona Boards the Bus
In 2010, the reigning European champions faced an unexpected challenge just before their highly-anticipated Semi-Final clash with Inter Milan.
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland caused chaos, grounding all flights across Europe.
With no planes in the sky, Barcelona had to resort to a gruelling bus journey. Covering over 600 miles, they set off for the legendary San Siro, but the journey proved to be a true test of endurance.
The bus trip didn’t do them any favours with the night ending in disappointment as they fell 3-1 to their Italian rivals.