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UNDER 23 TUG OF WAR

Under 23 tug of war is open to male and female pullers. World Under 23 championships are held annually in conjunction with world and European championships for senior teams. Under 23 tug of war was introduced into international tug of war championships in 2004, and have been held annually at outdoor championships every year since. Under 23 championships have yet to take place at International tug of war events on the indoor circuit, however an open club competition was held at the World Indoor Championships in Scotland in 2012. In September 2013, a ladies under 23 competition was held at the European Championships with three countries taking part.

England endeavor to enter under 23 teams in all international competitions when pullers are available. Further information about how to get involved in under 23 tug of war is below. 

No matter what your ability you are more than welcome to become part of our development squad -  both indoor and outdoor. Registration forms explaining what is required on becoming a member of our U23 England squads are available on this website.


2018 UNDER 23 TUG OF WAR

We are currently beginning to form under 23 mens and ladies development squads.

Please note that to register your interest, you must complete an application form and return it to the relevant team manager, even if you have been involved in previous seasons.

To download an application form to be involved in the under 23 MENS development squad, please click here

To download an application form to be involved in the under 23 LADIES development squad, please click here

Dave Knott
England U23 MENS Coach/Manager

Tel:
01538 385752
Mobile: 07779852610
Email: bigknotty720@gmail.com

David Kitchener

England U23 LADIES Coach/Manager
 
Tel: 01234 720086
Email:
marion.kitchener53@gmail.com


13/07/2017 - ENGLAND UNDER 23 MEN - 2017 SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT

We are pleased to announce that the following pullers have been selected for the Tug Of War Association Men Under 23 England squad for 2017 for the British and Irish Championships and World Under 23 Championships.

Haydon Forbes - Lincoln.
Owen Embleton - Thames Valley.
Aidan Canning - Sandhurst.
Alan Holt - Longridge.
George Worle  -Felton.
Dan Bowen - Upton on Seven.
Alex Brown - Upton on Seven.
Ryan Bird - Upper Eden.
Sean Foster - Upper Eden.
Joe Thirlby - Holland TOWC
Kurt Tatton - Norton.

We wish them well on their selection and know they will give 100% for our Association and England well done for making the squad and a big thank you to all our clubs for the use of their young pullers.


ENGLAND UNDER 23 (MEN) TRAINING SESSION - SUNDAY 2ND JULY 2017

There will be an England men under 23 training day at Holland Sports Club, Efflich Lane, Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire on Sunday 2nd July starting at 10.00am.

This training session will also be open to anyone who wishes to help us train - men, ladies and juniors. Bring your own refreshments, drinking water and sports drinks.

All pullers wishing to be considered to represent England at Under 23 level at the UK and Ireland Championships in August and the World Under 23 Championships in Southport in September must attend.

Further training sessions will be arranged in due course. In addition, under 23s are also requested to attend the competitions to be held at Upton upon Severn in Worcestershire on 23 July, Cheshire Game and Angling Fair on Sunday 6 August, and the National League Finals at Holland Sports Club on Sunday 3rd September where teams will be entered into the senior men's competitions for competition training.

For further info, please contact Dave Knott

Tel: 01538 385752
Mob: 07779 852610
e-mail: bigknotty720@gmail.com


ENGLAND U23 (MEN) TRAINING SESSION - 14 MAY 2017

The first meet-up date for all Male Under 23 pullers will be Sunday 14th of May 2017 at the Midland Open Championships, Jubilee Fields, St Faiths Road, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6AG.

We will be entering and trialling teams in mens Catchweight competition so as not to interfere with your clubs participation in other weight classes on the day. If you are unavailable to attend please let the mens under 23 team manager know. Other sessions are to be arranged on the build up to the British and Irish Championships (which take place in Scotland in August, where England will be entering an under 23 team to compete as England “C” in the mens 600kg competition, and then the World U23 Championships open competition and closed international competition being held in conjunction with the European Championships in Southport in September.

To all clubs - please note that when you register your Under 23 pullers to please provide a copy of their proof of age (e.g. passport or driving licence) to the Hon Gen Secretary when completing your puller registrations. Application forms to register to take part in Under 23 training days and be part of the Under 23 international squads are available by clicking here.

After last year’s B&I championships we have high hopes for this year with the pullers we have available to us. Any questions you may have do not hesitate to get in touch.

Dave Knott
England U23 MENS Coach/Manager
 
Tel:
01538 385752
Mobile: 07779852610
Email: bigknotty720@gmail.com


UNDER 23 LADIES DEVELOPMENT DAYS (2017)

Training days for any female pullers under the age of 23 will take place on the following dates:

Sunday 30 April at Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire

Sunday 20 August in Gloucester

Training sessions will commence at 11.30am

To take part in these training sessions, register to take part in the England Under 23 Ladies Squads for 2017, and for further information, please contact Dave Kitchener using the details below:

Tel: 01234 720086
email: marion.kitchener53@gmail.com

All ladies under the age of 23 are very welcome and encouraged to attend. If you wish to attend, please make sure you register your attendance with Dave Kitchener in advance prior to each training session.

JOIN THE ENGLAND UNDER 23 DEVELOPMENT SQUAD IN 2017

The Tug of War Association intends to form under 23 mens and ladies teams to compete at the forthcoming British and Irish Championships in Scotland in August, and the World Under 23 Championships in Southport, Merseyside, England in September.

England wishes to compete in both the open and closed competitions at these events with the strongest representation possible.

The age limit for male Under 23 Competition is from the beginning of the year a puller turns 18 until the end of the year you reach the age of 22.

The age limit for ladies Under 23 Competition is from the beginning of the year a puller turns 16 until the end of the year you reach the age of 22.

To register your interest to take part in the MENS Under 23 development squad please download and complete the application form by clicking here

To register your interest to take part in the LADIES Under 23 development squad please download and complete the application form by clicking here

If you wish to be part of the under 23 development squads, then please complete a form and return it to the appropriate team manager (details below).

Dave Knott
England U23 MENS Coach/Manager

Tel:
01538 385752
Mobile: 07779852610
Email: bigknotty720@gmail.com

David Kitchener

England U23 LADIES Coach/Manager
 
Tel: 01234 720086
Email:
marion.kitchener53@gmail.com


2016


08/08/2016 - BRITISH AND IRISH TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS - INFORMATION FOR THIS WEEKEND

Please can all Under 23 (male) pullers attending the championships this weekend, please download the information sheet, which contains information regarding weigh in arrangements and your designated weights by clicking here.


ENGLAND UNDER 23 DEVELOPMENT SQUADS - MEN AND LADIES - 2016

The Tug of War Association intends to form under 23 mens and ladies teams to compete at the forthcoming British and Irish Championships in Wales in August, and the World Championships in Malmo, Sweden in September.

The age limit for male Under 23 Competition is from the beginning of the year a puller turns 18 until the end of the year you reach the age of 22.

The age limit for ladies Under 23 Competition is from the beginning of the year a puller turns 16 until the end of the year you reach the age of 22.

Details for getting involved in the mens and ladies teams are below

Under 23 Ladies


The England TOWA is considering developing an under 23 ladies team to partake in the World Championships in Sweden.  We already have a number of ladies who have come forward for this. Mr David Kitchener is managing this and has organised a training day on 24th July at Kempston Hammers, Kempston, Bedford starting at 11.00am

We would strongly encourage any eligible girls/ladies to come along. If you are interested please complete the form which you can download by clicking here and email to David Kitchener - david.kitchener@lineone.net, or you can speak to David further on 01234 720086

Under 23 Men


It is the intention of the Tug of War Association to form Under 23 mens squads to compete at the British and Irish Championships on the weekend of 12th - 14th August 2016 in Wales and the World Outdoor Tug of War Championships in Malmo, Sweden on the week of 7 - 12 September 2016.

If you are interested in becoming part of the mens Under 23 Development Squad, then please download and complete the application form by clicking here and return it to Under 23 Manager Dave Knott as soon as possible. The weight class for Under 23 competition is 600kg.

When returning the form, please indicate whether or not you are available to compete at:

a) the British and Irish Championships (hosted by Wales)
b) the World Championships (hosted by Sweden)
c) both the British and Irish Championships and the World Championships

If you are unable to attend either championship, but wish to be considered for selection in 2017 when England are hosting the World Under 23 Championships in conjunction with the European Championships, then please let us know.

There will be a meeting and training pulls for anyone wishing to become part of the male Under 23 Development Squad on Sunday 10 July in conjunction with the event being held at Glebe Farm, Peel Lane, Astbury, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 4RQ
. All under 23 pullers are requested to attend. If you are unable to attend, please inform the Under 23 manager.

Please can all clubs pass this information on to your younger members.

Dave Knott
England U23 Mens Coach/Manager

Tel:
01538 385752
Mobile: 07779852610
Email: bigknotty720@gmail.com

David Kitchener

England U23 Ladies Coach/Manager
 
Tel: 01234 720086
Email:
david.kitchener@lineone.net


01/08/2014 - UK OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS - BELFAST - NORTHERN IRELAND

After our National Championships it is always a hurry to form our squad for the UK Championships,  it is even harder when a lot of our clubs now have to use our U23s in their own line ups for international competitions- a great advert for our young pullers but limiting our own options for an U23 team . 

I will need full cooperation and understanding from our clubs when we return to N Ireland for the World Championships next year to put out our strongest line up. The UK Championships this time brought a lot of new faces into our squad and for the first time I had the option of using Gloucester and Somerset ACF pullers, our other pullers in the team came from Lincoln, York and Holland. With only one puller from our squad available from Assen, Joe Aikman. 

It was a baptism of fire for our new team members to go straight into a senior championships weighing 20Kilos light but, rest assured,  these young pullers gave a superb account of themselves and did not let me down. All in all a great performance from our squad and something to build on for next year - very pleasing. 

Congratulations to all the other teams competing it was a great competition. I would like to thank our hosts Northern Ireland, the UK Commission and our Association for the opportunity for the U23s to compete at the UK Championships and our club coaches for the use of their pullers: Tim Tatler,Alec Masson, Tim Lee, Gavin Corden and Neil Hudson, also a big thank you to all our U23 supporters.

Our England “C” U23 UK Championships team was Joe Aikman, Hayden Forbes, George Worle, Josh Williams, Liam Macmenemey, Shawn Burnham, Lewis Nightingale, Tom Austin, Sam Palmer, and Carl Dewhurst.

Dave Knott


2014 OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR (MEN AND LADIES)

You can download an application form to become a part of the Under 23 Development Squad by clicking here

We are hoping to form indoor squads for the forthcoming world outdoor championships in America at the end of August, as well as the UK Outdoor Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 2nd August 2014

If you are aged between 18 and 22 (and do not reach the age of 23 before the 31 December 2014) then  you are eligible to compete for our squads and we look forward to you coming along and having a go.

No matter what your ability you are more than welcome to have a try for our squad. Registration forms explaining what is required on becoming a member of our U23 England squads are available on this website with and we eagerly await you response.

Further information:

Under 23 Men - Dave Knott – tel: 01538 385752 - Mob: 07779 852610 – knotty@bigdave50.freeserve.co.uk

Under 23 Ladies - Dave Kitchener
– tel: 01234 720086 – e-mail: david.kitchener@lineone.net


2014 INDOOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - IRELAND

Firstly I would like to congratulate our pullers that competed at the World Indoor Championships In Ireland - Tom Knott (Kilroe), Dan Kenny and Emmett Power-Thomas (Raunds), Charlie Village and George Goodwin (Uppertown). You are a credit to your clubs, our Association and England.

Sadly for the members of the squad that dropped out, a World indoor a medal opportunity has been lost you only get a couple of chances to compete at a world indoor championships before you are too old.

Fair play to the rest of our squad who went to Ireland gaining silver medals in the open with Clonmany Under 23S and bronze medals with the England 680k team. you paid your money, you took your chance and you got your just rewards. You only get out what you are prepared to put into our sport - you made me a very proud with your performance. To the others - think long and hard to what you have missed out on and the rest of the squad you let down at short notice after they paid to go to the Championships.

I would like to thank all our supporters, Daniel and Clonmany for accommodating my pullers with competition at the championships and England coaches Billy, Clem and Mike for giving the chance for our U23 squad members to compete.

We now have some big decisions to make for the World outdoor championships 2014 being held in America. We need serious sponsorship to be able to send an U23 squad to compete, without this it is highly unlikely a squad will be able to go. If there is anybody that can help to fund our squad please contact either myself or our Association. Any help you can give our U23s will be greatly appreciated.

Dave Knott - England U23 Manager/Coach


SEPTEMBER 2013 - WORLD UNDER 23 TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS - ASSEN - NETHERLANDS

Our squad would like to start by thanking the Nederland’s Association for their hospitality and organisation of great championships.

Firstly I would like to praise all my young pullers for the effort that they gave in the open and closed World Championships in Assen both teams gave their all and as coach you cannot ask for more, to reach two semi finals at world level is no mean achievement by anyone’s standards and it was a pleasure to lead you onto the pulling ground. Well done to everyone involved with the squad. You did your clubs and England proud. A big thank you to all our Under 23 supporters for the encouragement around the field - you were fantastic.

The open club competition was a very strong field with teams from South Africa, Nederlands, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and ChineeseTaipe all competing for the top four places. We progressed well within the group of nine to reach the semi finals finishing fourth in the group. In the semi final we met Siegelau from Germany who we had drawn 1-1 with in the group stage. We pulled well fighting all the way but lost two ends to nil. We then had to pull for the bronze medal against a very strong side from South Africa – Wynland.  This turned out to be one of the best pulls of the open competition the first end being nearly three minutes of holding and battering lifts, two cautions a piece, the end eventually going to the men from South Africa. The second end followed and it was the same brutal pulling. We gave our all but lost the pull - congratulations to Wynland on a hard fought bronze medal - a great advert for youth tug of war.

The closed Championships had seven country’s entered - England, Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Belgium, Chinese Taipei and Switzerland.

We started the competition with a win against South Africa 2-0 - a great start. We then had Sweden losing 2-0, Taipei winning 2-0, Switzerland losing 2-0, Belgium wining 2-0, Germany losing 2-0.When the results of the group were announced England, Sweden and South Africa were level on points. TWIF criteria came into play with cautions and weight resulting in England 3rd Sweden 4th and South Africa 5th. This gave us a semi final pull with Germany the same side that we had in the open semi final. Once again it proved to be an exciting pull the first end being nearly four minutes and the second strong lifting from both sides the Germans knew they had been in a pull with us as they progressed to the final and we had to settle for the bronze medal pull off. We then faced Sweden for the bronze. We had a poor first end but on the second end our team gave their all lifting and fighting to the end, everyone giving 110% - you cannot ask for more.

Congratulations to all the medal winning teams in the open and closed Championships you and the others who competed in the U 23 World championships  are a great advert for our youth and the promotion our sport - well done everyone.

As always our development squad is very limited due to the amount of U23 pullers I have available within our Association due to age restrictions.  I do not have the luxury of the senior teams to be able to ask clubs to borrow pullers to save men for other weight classes I have got what I have got and have to utilise these pullers the best way I can. Unlike Minehead where we were able to field two teams with the pullers available from our clubs, this time for Assen I only had eleven men to choose from unfortunately two weeks before the Championships one of my squad broke his arm reducing it to ten.

Disappointingly this time our U 23 development squad has encountered some issues that could have jeopardised competing at the Championships and I will be rectifying these in the very near future with the relevant people within our Association as they had a detrimental effect to our preparation for the Championships.

With fourth place finishes in the open and closed competitions’ we have given a great account of ourselves for our Association and England as everyone knows fourth place is the worst position to end up in just missing out on the medals but we can take great pride in our achievements in Assen.

As always it is an absolute pleasure for me to manage and coach our young athletes. Some will leave the squad due to age and I thank them for their efforts over the past three years you will be sadly missed. To the new members of the squad there is a bright future - keep up the hard work and we will go from strength to strength.

I now have the pleasure of introducing my new assistant for our squad Joe Birch, as my right hand man. I welcome him to his new role he is a great puller and a real asset to myself and the squad. Good luck on your new position within the squad Joe I know we will make a formidable combination to our Association and England teams.

Once again thank you to all our clubs and Association members who have supported our development squad.

Dave Knott - Manager/coach.


LADIES UNDER 23 TUG OF WAR

TWIF announced at their recent congress that they are hoping to organise a ladies under 23 competition in conjunction with this years European Outdoor Tug of War Championships in Assen, Netherlands in September.

As such, England will be seeking to form a team to enter this competition if it goes ahead. The Tug of War Association has appointed Dave Kitchener (Bedford Ladies Coach) to manage the team.

As such, any female pullers aged under 23 (i.e. anyone who does not reach the age of 23 this year) should register their interest by contacting Dave Kitchener on 01234 720086 or e-mail david.kitchener@lineone.net


2013/2014 Indoor Tug of War

Next year Ireland will be hosting the World indoor Championships. The England Under 23 Team Manager has had conformation that the host country would like to enter an U23 team at these Championships. As you may be aware a minimum of four countries must enter to make it a Championship competition. England are once again hoping to be able to send a squad.

We fully understand that only a few clubs compete at indoor pulling and that we are restricted on our U23 pullers. We are going to try to encourage more pullers to be part of our squad and have a try at the Sunday competitions’ that are held at the Harry Mitchell Centre every weekend throughout the indoor season to give them the experience of indoor pulling  and hopefully making the squad.


Contact Information

Dave Knott - England U23s (Men) Coach/Manager

Tel: 01538 385752

Mobile: 07779852610

E-mail: knotty@bigdave50.freeserve.co.uk


Dave Kitchener - England U23s (Ladies) Coach/Manager

Tel: 01234 720086

E-mail: david.kitchener@lineone.net