1945 in sports

Years in sports
← 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 →
1945 in sports
Air sports American football Aquatic sports Association football Athletics Badminton Baseball Basketball Canadian football Chess Climbing Combat sports Sumo Cricket 1944–45 1945 1945–46 Cycling Dance sports Darts Equestrianism Esports Field hockey Flying disc Golf Gymnastics Handball Ice hockey Ice sports Korfball Lumberjack sports Mind sports Modern pentathlon Motorsport Orienteering Paralympic sports Precision sports Shooting Racquetball Roller sports Sailing Skiing Speedway Rugby league‎ Rugby union Snooker 1944–45 1945–46 Strength sports Weightlifting Squash Table tennis Tennis Triathlon Volleyball

Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II

1945 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football

• NFL Championship: the Cleveland Rams won 15–14 over the Washington Redskins at Cleveland Stadium
• Army Cadets – college football national championship

Association football

England

• With the end of World War II, the FA Cup is reinstated for the 1945–46 season; played on a two–legged basis. However, clubs are not yet prepared for a full league programme, so the Football League does not resume; regional leagues remain for another year.

France

• 26 August: French Division 1 football is resumed for the first time since 1938–39.

Germany

• There is no major football in Germany due to World War II and the Allied occupation.

Portugal

• Primeira Liga won by S.L. Benfica.

Spain

• La Liga won by Barcelona.

Italy

• Serie A – not contested due to World War II.

Yugoslavia (Serbia)

• Partizan Belgrade was founded in Humska area, Belgrade.^{[citation needed]}
• Red Star Belgrade was founded in Dedinje area, Belgrade on March 4.^{[citation needed]}

Australian rules football

• Victorian Football League
  • Carlton wins the 49th VFL Premiership defeating South Melbourne 15.13 (103) to 10.15 (75) in the Grand Final.
• South Australian National Football League:
  • 29 September: West Torrens win their third SANFL premiership, defeating Port Adelaide 15.25 (115) to 15.12 (102).
• Western Australian National Football League:
  • 29 March: After three seasons of football limited to players under 18 or 19, and a proposal to limit eligibility to players under 25, the WANFL decides to restore open-age league football.^[1]
  • 13 October: East Fremantle 12.15 (87) defeat South Fremantle 7.9 (51) for their nineteenth senior WANFL premiership.

Baseball

• World Series – Detroit Tigers defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 3.
• Negro World Series – Cleveland Buckeyes swept the Homestead Grays, 4 games to 0.
• A professional baseball league, Tokyo Senators was founded in Japan on November 6, as predecessor of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.^{[citation needed]}

Basketball

NBL Championship

• Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons over Sheboygan Redskins (3–2)

Events

• The twelfth South American Basketball Championship in Guayaquil is won by Brazil.

Italy

• Pallacanestro Varese was founded in Lombardy Region.^{[citation needed]}

Serbia

• KK Crvena zvezda, as known well for professional basketball club of Serbia, officially founded on March 3. ^{[citation needed]}

Cricket

England

• With the end of World War II in Europe, a small number of first-class matches are played for the first time since 1939, but it is not practicable to resume the County Championship or the Minor Counties Championship.
• Most runs – Len Hutton 782 @ 48.87 (HS 188)
• Most wickets – Dick Pollard 28 @ 24.25 (BB 6–75)

Australia

• 23 November – With the lifting of bans on weekday sport at the end of World War II, first-class cricket is played in Australia for the first time since 1 December 1941. The Sheffield Shield, however, is not contested until the following season.

India

• 4–8 March: Cottari Subbanna Nayudu of Holkar sets two first-class records in the Ranji Trophy final against Bombay, bowling 912 balls and conceding 428 runs in the match.^[2]
• Ranji Trophy – Bombay beat Holkar by 374 runs
• Bombay Pentangular – Hindus

New Zealand

• 24 December: The Plunket Shield is resumed after having not been contested, despite a small number of interprovincial first-class matches, since 1939–40.

South Africa

• 15 December: With the end of World War II, first-class cricket is played in South Africa for the first time since 14 March 1943, though the last regular interprovincial matches had been in 1939–40.

Cycling

Tour de France

• not contested due to World War II^[3]

Giro d'Italia

• not contested due to World War II

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships

• not contested due to World War II

Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament – not played due to World War II^[4]
• U.S. Open – not played due to World War II^[4]
• British Open – not played due to World War II^[4]
• PGA Championship – Byron Nelson
• PGA Tour money leader – Byron Nelson – $63,336

Men's amateur

• British Amateur – not played due to World War II
• U.S. Amateur – not played due to World War II

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open – Babe Zaharias
• Titleholders Championship – not played due to World War II

Horse racing

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Red Rower
• Grand National – not held due to World War II

Hurdle races

• Champion Hurdle – Brains Trust

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Rainbird
• Canada – King's Plate won by Uttermost
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Nikellora
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Piccadilly
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Court Martial
  2. The Derby – Dante^[5]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Chamossaire
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Hoop Jr.
  2. Preakness Stakes – Polynesian
  3. Belmont Stakes – Pavot

Ice hockey

• Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings four games to three.

Motor racing

• Indianapolis 500 – not held due to World War II
• 9 September – The first European Grand Prix since 1939 is held in Paris, being won by Jean-Pierre Wimille.

Rowing

The Boat Race

• Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is not contested due to World War II

Rugby league

• 1945–46 European Rugby League Championship
• 1945 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1945 NSWRFL season
• 1944–45 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season / 1945–46 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

• Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War II

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

• not contested due to World War II

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – not contested
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – not contested

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested

France

• French Men's Singles Championship – Yvon Petra (France) defeats Bernard Destremau (France) 7–5, 6–4, 6–2
• French Women's Singles Championship – Lolette Payot (Switzerland) defeats Simone Iribarne Lafargue (France) 6–3, 6–4

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Frank Parker (USA) defeats Bill Talbert (USA) 14–12, 6–1, 6–2
• American Women's Singles Championship – Sarah Palfrey Cooke (USA) defeats Pauline Betz Addie (USA) 3–6, 8–6, 6–4

Davis Cup

• 1945 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested

References