•Dalton Walsh
Flyball at Crufts 2026: Schedule, Teams & How to Watch
Flyball at Crufts 2026 runs 5-8 March at the NEC. Here's the full schedule, how to watch on Channel 4, and which teams to look out for.
By Dalton Walsh
Founder
Flyball at Crufts 2026: Schedule, Teams & How to Watch
Crufts is back at the NEC Birmingham from 5-8 March 2026, and the flyball competition is one of the highlights on the programme. Sixteen teams will race over four days in a knockout tournament that builds from the Last 16 all the way to a Sunday afternoon final.
Whether you're heading to the NEC or watching from home, here's everything you need to know about flyball at Crufts 2026.
Crufts 2026 Flyball Schedule
Flyball runs across all four days of Crufts, with the rounds getting bigger as the weekend goes on:
Day Date Round Approx. Time Thursday 5 March Last 16 (Group A) Afternoon Friday 6 March Last 16 (Group B) ~15:12 Saturday 7 March YKC Flyball Finals ~15:40 Saturday 7 March Quarter-Finals ~15:50 Sunday 8 March Semi-Finals & Final Afternoon
All times are approximate and subject to change. The Crufts programme shifts depending on how other events run, so if you're there in person, keep an eye on the arena screens. On TV, flyball tends to be covered as part of the afternoon and evening broadcasts.
The Sunday final is the big one. If you can only watch one day, that's the day.
How to Watch Flyball at Crufts 2026
On TV
Crufts 2026 is broadcast live on Channel 4 and More4, with close to 20 hours of coverage across the four days. The presenting team includes Clare Balding, Claudia Winkleman (new for 2026), Radzi Chinyanganya, and Ellie Simmonds, with commentary from Jim Rosenthal and Frank Kane.
Flyball gets featured as part of the main arena coverage, particularly the quarter-finals and final. It tends to go down well with TV audiences because the races are short, the dogs are visibly buzzing, and you can follow what's happening even if you've never seen flyball before.
Online
The Crufts YouTube channel livestreams events throughout each day, and Channel 4's streaming service carries the same broadcast coverage. YouTube is often the better option for flyball specifically, because the livestream tends to cover more of the action than the edited TV broadcast.
In Person
Flyball takes place in the Main Arena (off Hall 1 at the NEC). If you're attending, get to the arena early for the flyball rounds. Seats fill up fast and the noise tends to pull people in from the surrounding halls.
Tickets for Crufts 2026 are available through the official Crufts website and AXS.
How the Crufts Flyball Tournament Works
If you're new to flyball, here's a quick rundown of the format.
Flyball is a relay race between two teams of four dogs. Each dog sprints down a lane of four jumps, hits a spring-loaded box that fires out a tennis ball, grabs the ball, and races back over the jumps. The next dog goes as the previous one crosses the line. First team to get all four dogs home cleanly wins the heat.
At Crufts, the competition uses a knockout format with best-of-three heats:
- Last 16 – eight matches across Thursday and Friday. Lose and you're out.
- Quarter-Finals – four matches on Saturday afternoon.
- Semi-Finals – two matches on Sunday.
- The Final – one match on Sunday afternoon, live on Channel 4.
It's sudden death from the very first round. One dropped ball or one early pass and your Crufts is over. That's what makes the atmosphere so tense.
How Teams Qualify for Crufts
You don't just rock up to Crufts and enter the flyball. Teams have to earn their place.
The Kennel Club runs seven qualifying tournaments across the UK in the months before Crufts. The top two teams from each qualifier earn a spot at Crufts. On top of that, the previous year's champion and runner-up are automatically invited back to defend their title.
That gives you 16 teams, all of them quick and all of them tested at the highest level.
Each team consists of up to six handlers and dogs (four run at any time), plus a team manager, box loader, line caller, and ball collector. Teams can name up to seven dogs on their entry, with one acting as an emergency reserve. Every dog must be at least 15 months old and registered with the Kennel Club.
There's one other rule worth knowing: each team must include at least one designated breed dog (not a crossbreed) running in every heat. This keeps breed diversity in the competition and prevents teams from stacking entirely with crossbred specialists.
Teams to Watch at Crufts 2026
Roadrunners Beep Beep (Belgium)
The dominant force in Crufts flyball right now. This Belgian team won in 2023 (the first non-UK team to take the Crufts flyball title) and set the all-time Crufts record of 14.27 seconds while they were at it. They came back as runner-up in 2024 before winning again in 2025. Three consecutive Crufts finals, two wins.
If they qualify again (which feels likely), they're the team everyone else needs to beat.
Watson's Legacy (Stoke-on-Trent)
The 2024 champions. Watson's Legacy beat the Belgians at Crufts 2024 and showed that UK teams can still win the thing. They're based in Stoke-on-Trent and they'll be looking to get back to the final.
The Qualifiers
With seven qualifying events feeding into the competition, there's always the possibility of an underdog team making a deep run. Crufts flyball has a knockout format, which means upsets can and do happen. One tight heat can send a fancied team home early.
Crufts Flyball Records
For anyone who likes their stats:
Record Team Year Fastest Crufts flyball time 14.27 seconds Roadrunners Beep Beep (2023) First non-UK team to win Roadrunners Beep Beep 2023 Flyball introduced to Crufts — 1990
To put 14.27 seconds in context: that's four dogs, each running roughly 15 metres over four jumps, hitting a box, turning, and running back. All of it done in under 15 seconds. The changeovers between dogs are measured in fractions of a second.
What Makes Crufts Flyball Special
Flyball competitions happen most weekends across the UK during the season. So what makes Crufts different?
For a start, the atmosphere. A regular flyball tournament might have a few hundred spectators spread across the day. At Crufts, you're racing in front of thousands in the Main Arena with TV cameras on you. Dogs that have raced at dozens of competitions can still act differently at Crufts because the crowd is so much louder than anything they're used to.
Then there's the format. There's no points system and no coming back from a loss. It's knockout from round one. Every team knows that one bad heat ends their entire Crufts.
Ask any flyball handler in the UK what they'd most like to win, and Crufts comes near the top of the list. It's the shop window for the sport, the event that gets people watching flyball for the first time and thinking "I want to do that."
Crufts Got You Interested in Flyball?
If you're watching flyball at Crufts for the first time and wondering whether your dog could do it, the answer is probably yes. Any healthy dog with a bit of ball drive can learn flyball. It doesn't have to be a Border Collie or a purebred. If your dog likes chasing a ball, that's the main thing.
Here's where to start:
- What is Flyball? – our full guide to the sport
- Find a Team – search for flyball clubs near you
- Best Dog Breeds for Flyball – any breed can play
- Learn Flyball – how to get started step by step
Most teams run beginner courses and are always happy to have new members. The hardest part is walking through the door at that first session. After that, you're hooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is flyball at Crufts 2026?
Flyball runs across all four days of Crufts (5-8 March 2026). The Last 16 matches are on Thursday and Friday, quarter-finals on Saturday, and the semi-finals and final on Sunday afternoon.
What channel is Crufts flyball on?
Crufts 2026 is broadcast live on Channel 4 and More4, with streaming available on Channel 4's platform and the Crufts YouTube channel. The final on Sunday afternoon typically gets the most TV coverage.
How fast is Crufts flyball?
The Crufts record is 14.27 seconds, set by Belgian team Roadrunners Beep Beep in 2023. A typical competitive heat at Crufts level finishes in 15-17 seconds for all four dogs.
Can any dog do flyball?
Yes. Flyball is open to all breeds and crossbreeds, as long as the dog is healthy, at least 15 months old, and registered with the relevant kennel club or flyball organisation. You don't need a specific breed to get started.
How many teams compete in flyball at Crufts?
Sixteen teams compete each year. They qualify through seven regional tournaments held in the months before Crufts, plus the defending champion and runner-up who receive automatic invitations.
