Please scroll down the page for a full report, photos and videos from the European Championships held in Minehead in September!
01/02/2012 - THE YEAR AHEAD - 2012
Our AGM was held recently on Saturday 28th January 2012. Thank you to all clubs, officials and individual members that attended. Current TOWA treasurer Alan Ludkin was presented the TOWA Award of Merit for services to tug of war. Tony Martin stood down as TOWA president, and our thanks go to Tony for a job well done in representing the TOWA on the national and international scene. Tony will continue with his current duties with TWIF, and we wish him continued success in his post. Members present elected Steve Bowler (Area 6) as TOWA president for 2012, and we wish Steve all the best in his new role.
The use of TWIF rules for all TOWA fixtures has now been ratified by the TOWA membership, and TWIF rules will again be used throughout the season. YFC/Other competitions will still be able to use TOWA fules for their events if they wish to do so.
As for the year ahead, 2012 will be another busy year. The 2012 outdoor and indoor fixtures are now available on the fixtures page, and all teams are welcome to attend any of our events throughout the season. Championship fixtures are as follows:
23-26 February - World Indoor Tug of War Championships, Perth, Scotland
Sunday 27 May - AAA Outdoor Tug of War Championships - Christian Malford, Wiltshire
Saturday 16 June - National Outdoor Tug of War Championships - Buxton Rugby Club, Buxton, Derbyshire
Sunday 29th July - Inter County Championships and National 4+4 Championships - Felton, Bristol
11/12 August - UK Outdoor Tug of War Championships, Llangadog, Wales
Saturday 25 August - GENSB Youth International Tournament - Belgium
Sunday 26 August - National League Finals - Daventry
6-9 September - World Outdoor Championships - Appenzell, Switzerland
Sunday 11 November - AAA Indoor Championships - Harry Mitchell Centre
Saturday 1 December - National Indoor Championships - Harry Mitchell Centre
Youth tug of war - Youth tug of war competitions will take place at various competitions around the country. Please do as much as possible to bring youth pullers/teams out to these competitions. For the first time in many years this year, a youth weight is to be held at the UK championships in Wales. It is also our intention to send youth teams to represent England at the World Championships in September, so again, there is a great incentive to bring youth teams along to our competitions this year. A number of teams will also be making arrangements to attend the GENSB youth international tournament in Belgium in August.
Under 23 tug of war - As with previous years, we will be forming under 23 teams to take part at the UK indoor and outdoor championships, as well as the World Championships in Switzerland in September. All under 23s are encouraged to regularly attend competitions and take part in squad training events. Further details will be announced in due course.
Child Protection Policy - Teams are reminded that they need to name a club welfare officer to comply with our child protection policy - irrespective of whether you have a youth team/pullers or not. If you have not already done so, please notify the TOWA Child Protection Officer, Martin Mulcahy of your club welfare officer by e-mail. Martin can also answer any questions that you have regarding child protection issues.
Press and publicity - teams are reminded to promote themselves as much as possible in local newspapers, etc. Team are also reminded that they are to turn out smartly to ALL competitions. Information posters about tug of war are also available - they come as a set of 5 and can be printed at different sizes. Everyone is encouraged to use them to promote tug of war. Please feel free to put them on display in schools, libraries, council offices, leisure centres, gyms, shows, public exhibitions, etc. Information posters can be downloaded by clicking the links below.
Membership - all clubs that have not yet renewed their TOWA membership for 2012 must do so as soon as possible. If you are a new team and wish to join the TOWA as a full or associate member, then please visit the how to join page for further information.
UK INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - UNDER 23 REPORT
The England under 23 development team once again took part in the UK indoor Championships. We had new faces in our squad from last year in Perth and every member of our small squad gave a 110% both representing England and our Association. We gave every senior team we pulled against good tight ropes and fought them all the way and once again got high praise for our efforts by the teams we pulled against from the UK Commission and our Association committee members. A big thank you for all the encouragement you gave to our squad - it is greatly appreciated.
We had three of our pullers pulling with the senior England teams at both 600 kilos and 680kilos and also in one in the mixed 4x4 which resulted in gold silver and bronze medals for our pullers - an outstanding achievement from our young lads.
We would like to thank the following clubs for the use of their pullers Kilroe, Sheen, Uppertown, 1RHA and Raunds. And for the assistance of Mick Copper the stand-in England team manager for indoor tug of war.
We can now look forward to the world championships in Perth and will be competing in the U23s open championships as ETOWA and will be pulling Taipei in a demonstration event as England. Unfortunately three of our pullers will not be attending due to work commitments but we still have nine members of our squad able to compete.
Our squad for the world championships will be Tom Knott, Joe Bailey, Paul Sharp, Joe Birch, Jack Neville, John Brassington, George Goodwin, Craig Ellis, and Richard Torr.
Well done to all involved with our squad - lets have a great World Championships.
Dave Knott
England U23s Team Manager
UK INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - SAT 21 JANUARY 2012 - RESULTS
2012 was England’s turn to host the UK indoor tug of war championships, which took place at Huddersfield Sports Centre in Yorkshire. This was the first time that an indoor tug of war event was held at this venue since the 2004 national indoor tug of war championships. Scotland went in to the event as defending champions in the men 600 and 680 kilos event, and England went into the event as defending champions in the mixed event.
The first weight was the 600 kilos competition. Scotland A started off by defeated England B, and England A defeated Scotland B. England’s under 23 team competed in the event as England C, and acquitted themselves well against Northern Ireland A first on, but succumbed to a 2 ends to 0 defeat. As the group progressed, England A won all of their pulls by 2 ends to 0, including a 2 ends to 0 win over defending champions Scotland A. England A finished off the competition by defeating Northern Ireland A by 2 ends to 0, who also defeated Scotland A in the group stage. The A teams from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all progressed to the semi finals, with England B and Scotland B left to fight it out for the last place in the semi finals. The final place in the semi-finals went to Scotland B.
In the semi finals, England A defeated Scotland B to reach the final, but a very entertaining contest took place in the second semi-final, with Scotland A and Northern Ireland A taking part in a great battle. Scotland A maintained steady composure to take the first end, however on the second end, Northern Ireland’s persistence and constant work rate broke Scotland down, and they brought the rope over the line to level the match. The third end was again very close, but Northern Ireland A picked up a third caution to lose the end and hand the place in the final to Scotland.
In the bronze medal match, Northern Ireland A had to endure another three ends of tug of war against Scotland B, but this time prevailed by 2 ends to 1 to take a well deserved bronze medal. In the final, England A faced up to Scotland A who had won this event for the past 5 years. A big surprise was how England A steadily pushed Scotland A over the line in under 2 minutes on both ends to take the gold medal.
To watch a video of the first end, please click here To watch a video of the second end, pleaseclick here
The England A representatives in this weight class were Kilroe, with a composite team made up of available pullers from Raunds and Sandhurst representing England B. well done to both teams, and of course, well done to the England under 23 team who competed well throughout the event.
Following the 600 kilos event, the ladies 540 kilos competition took place, with Scotland and England both entering teams. On this occasion, it was the England Ladies who took the gold medal after defeating the Scotland Ladies in the final by 2 ends to 0.
In the 680 kilos event, Scotland A again went into the competition as defending champions. England A started off with a win against Northern Ireland A, and England B started off with a defeat to Scotland A. England B then got their momentum going in the competition by defeating Scotland B and Northern Ireland A, but lost out to England A who progressed to the semi finals without dropping an end after defeating Scotland A.
In the semi finals, England A defeated Northern Ireland A, and England B gave a good account of themselves against Scotland A, but missed out on a spot in the final after a 2 ends to 0 defeat. In the bronze medal pull, England B performed strongly to take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0 against Northern Ireland A.
To watch a video of the first end, please click here To watch a video of the second end, pleaseclick here
In the final, England A and Scotland A faced each other for the second time. England took a tight first end, and looked to be in good form to take the second end, but both teams then started to make mistakes. A costly slip by England saw Scotland take full advantage and level the score in the final. The third end saw both teams retain their composure before England edged their way over the line to take the gold medal by 2 ends to 1.
To watch a video of the first end, please click here To watch a video of the second end, pleaseclick here To watch a video of the third end, pleaseclick here
The England A representatives in this weight class were Sheen, with Uppertown representing England B. well done to both teams.
In the mixed 600 kilos 4+4 event, England A and B were represented by the combined teams from Sheen and Sheen Ladies. Both teams performed strongly, with England A progressing through the group stage with relative ease. England B also gave a good account of themselves to progress as group runners up after a tough 2 ends to 0 win over Scotland A. In the semi finals, England A and B were joined by Scotland A and B. England A defeated Scotland A, and England B defeated Scotland B. In the bronze medal pull, Scotland A took the medal from their B counterparts. In the final, England A maintained their superior form and took the gold medal by 2 ends to 0.
To watch a video of the first end, please click here To watch a video of the second end, pleaseclick here
Following the completion of the closed weight classes, the open 640 kilos competition took place. The semi finalists were Kilroe, Ayrshire, Ballyhagen and the ETOWA Under 23s. In the semi finals, Kilroe defeated the Under 23s, and Ayrshire defeated Ballyhagen. Ballyhagen took the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0 ahead of a highly spirited and committed display by our under 23s. Well done to them.
To watch a video of the first end, please click here To watch a video of the second end, pleaseclick here
The final was a good pull between Ayshire from Scotland, and Kilroe from England. The first end was a good battle which endured for over three and a half minutes before Ayrshire took Kilroe over the line. On the second end, Ayrshire again competed strongly to take the pull and the gold medal.
To watch a video of the first end, please click here To watch a video of the second end, pleaseclick here
On Saturday evening, the presentation dinner took place, and our thanks go to the Cedar Court Hotel in Huddersfield for staging the event. Sunday’s competition saw weight classes take place at 600, 640, and 680, with a ladies 500 and 540, and a mixed 600 kilos event. Kilroe took the gold medal in the 600 kilos event, with Sheen winning the 640 kilos and 680 kilos competitions. Sheen Ladies were successful in the 500 kilos and 540 kilos events, taking both gold medals ahead of Ayrshire, with Sheen Ladies taking gold in the mixed 600 kilos event, with Sheen taking the runners up position to round off a good weekend for the England teams.
Thank you to the Huddersfield Sports Centre for providing the venue for the 2012 UK indoor championships, and thanks to all officials, teams and supporters for supporting the event. We now look forward to the World Indoor Championships in Perth, Scotland in February.
Final Results
Men 600 - Gold - England A (represented by Kilroe) - Silver - Scotland A - Bronze - Northern Ireland A – 4th – Scotland A
Men 680 - Gold - England A (represented by Sheen) - Silver - Scotland A - Bronze - England B (represented by Uppertown) – 4th – Northern Ireland A
600 4+4 - Gold - England A (represented by Sheen Ladies) - Silver - England A (represented by Sheen) - Bronze – Scotland A – 4th – Scotland B
Ladies 540 – Gold – England A (represented by Sheen Ladies) – Silver – Scotland A
Open 640 – Gold – Ayrshire – Silver – Kilroe – Bronze – Ballyhagen – 4th – ETOWA Under 23s
Preparatios are currently under way to field an Under 23 team as England "C" at the UK indoor championshipsin January, and also to field under 23 teams at the World Indoor Championships in Perth, Scotland in February.
All Under 23s are requested to download and read the latest information regarding the under 23 indoor squad by clicking here.
For further details, please contact team manager Dave Knott on 01538 385752 or 07779 852610 or e-mail: knotty@bigdave50.freeserve.co.uk
14/12/2011 - UK INDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS - 20-22 JANUARY 2011
The date and venue for the 2012 UK indoor championships has now been confirmed for 20-22 January 2011. The venue is as follows:
HUDDERSFIELD SPORTS CENTRE, SOUTHGATE, HUDDERSFIELD, WEST YORKSHIRE, HD1 1TW.
This venue has been used for previous national indoor championships. There will be open and closed weight classes for mens teams, ladies teams and mixed teams comprising of 4 men and 4 ladies. All supporters and spectators will be welcome.
The weigh in will take place on Friday 20th January at the Cedar Court Hotel, Lindley Moor Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. HD3 3RH. This is where the official accommodation will be provided in addition to the presentation dinner which will take place on Saturday 21st at 8pm.
For further information, or if you have any further queries, please contact the Secretary (Peter Craft) on 01494 783057 or e-mail peter@tugofwar.org.uk.
06/12/2011 - TUG OF WAR ASSOCIATION YOUTUBE CHANNEL
We now have our own YouTube channel featuring videos from major championships. We currently have videos from the 2011 European Championships (open and closed) as well as videos from the 2011 National Indoor Championships. We intend to publish videos from all future outdoor and indoor championships on this channel, so please feel free to keep visiting. You can visit the TOWA YouTube channel by clicking here
03/12/2011 - NATIONAL INDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
This years national indoor tug of war championships were again held at the Harry Mitchell Centre in Smethwick, West Midlands, with a small number of teams entering this years event. The teams competing were Sheen, Norton, Raunds, Kilroe, Sandhurst and Uppertown. Unfortunately, only Sheen Ladies registered to take part in the ladies weight categories, so we were not able to run a ladies indoor championships this year. This years championships also included a 600 kilos 4+4 event. Photo: Raunds
The catchweight competition opened the proceedings, and it was Sheen who dominated the competition without losing any ground to the opposing teams. Raunds finished the competition as silver medallists, with Sandhurst finishing in the bronze medal position.
The 640 kilos competition followed, and was keenly contested. Sheen finished at the top of the group in the round robin stage without losing any points. Kilroe edged out Raunds to finish in second position, with Uppertown joining Sheen, Kilroe and Raunds in the semi finals. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Uppertown by 2 ends to 0, and Kilroe and Raunds had another tight pull, which Kilroe won by 2 ends to 0 to reach the final. The bronze medal match was a good exciting pull between Raunds and Uppertown, with Raunds going into the match having beaten Uppertown in the group stage. Uppertown this time turned it around to win the match by 2 ends to 0 to take a good bronze medal. To watch the first end, please click here. To watch the second end, please click here The final was between Kilroe and Sheen, with Sheen dominating the match to take the gold medal by 2 ends to 0. To watch the first end, please click here. To watch the second end, please click here. Photo: Kilroe
The 560 kilos weight class followed, and as always, was an eagerly anticipated weight class. Norton and Kilroe both started out with wins against Sheen, before both teams met again in the final. Norton took a tight first end (click here to watch the video), and gained some good momentum on the second end to keep Kilroe moving and take the second end (click here to watch the video) and the 560 kilos gold medal to add to their 560 kilos national outdoor title and European outdoor 560 kilos title which they won earlier in the year. Photo: Norton
The 720 kilos event followed and as with the catchweight competition, Sheen dominated proceedings, winning the competition without losing an end. Raunds finished as runners up again, with Sandhurst finishing in the bronze medal position.
PhotoThe 600 kilos event was the next weight class, and was the most fiercely contested competition of the day. There was some very close competition in this weight class, particularly between Sheen, Norton, and Kilroe. Sheen and Norton were first to pull, and in an evenly contested first end (click here to watch the video), Sheen took the win. On the second end, both teams got stuck into eachother again, and both teams started to pick up cautions. Both teams were then on two cautions, with a third caution being awarded to each team for stepping off the mat (click here to watch the video). On the deciding end, Norton tried to get some early momentum before Sheen settled down to take the winning end (click here to watch the video). Photo: Sandhurst
The next pull saw Norton meet Kilroe, and again, they had to endure three ends of tough pulling. This time Norton took the first end (click here to watch the video), and were very close to taking the second end before Kilroe got themselves back into the pull to start taking Norton back. Kilroe then made some mistakes, and Norton looked as though they were going to take the rope back before Kilroe got themselves back into it to level the match (click here to watch the video). Both teams then endured a third end with Kilroe eventually taking the end for a 2-1 win (click here to watch the video). The final pull between Sheen and Kilroe saw Sheen retain their winning form, taking the first end (click here to watch the video) and second end (click here to watch the video) to take a 2 ends to 0 win to take the gold medal. Photo: Sheen
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. The group stages were again dominated by Sheen who progressed to the semi finals without losing an end. They were joined by Kilroe, Raunds and Uppertown who made up the other semi finalists. In the semi finals, Kilroe defeated Uppertown and Sheen defeated Raunds. Uppertown and Raunds were involved in another exciting pull for the bronze medal, with Uppertown again edging out Raunds to take their second bronze medal of the day. To watch the first end, please click here. To watch the second end, please click here. In the final, Sheen again proved to be too strong, and won their 5th gold medal of the championships, and their 95th indoor national gold medal. To watch the first end of the final, please click here. To watch the second end of the final, please click here. Photo: Uppertown
The final weight class of the day was the 600 kilos 4+4 competition, which was held for the first time at an indoor national championships. Sheen Ladies and Sheen fielded teams, with the 600 kilos mixed competition being won by Sheen Ladies.
Well done to all of the teams who took part on the indoor circuit this year, and thanks to the officials Vic Ludkin, Ray-Fray Smith, Mick Selwood, Mike Callaghan, Ernie Jones, Peter Craft, George Ferrett, Julie Petit, Betty Craft and Jill Thomas for officiating on the day.
We are looking for more teams to take part on the indoor circuit next season, so if you are looking to start an indoor tug of war team (male, female, mixed or youth) for winter 2012, or wish to join an existing team, then please contact us for help and advice on getting started.
Indoor teams now have the UK and World Indoor Tug of War Championships to look forward to. The UK indoor championships are being hosted in England on the weekend of 20-22 January 2012. Further details will be announced in due course. The World Indoor Championships take place from 23-26 February 2012 in Perth, Scotland. Further information about the world championships can be found by visiting www.wic2012.co.uk.
Teams competing - Uppertown, Raunds, Sheen (A and B), Norton, Kilroe (A and B), Sandhurst, Sheen Ladies
This weekend saw the prestigious AAA tug of war championships take place for the indoor teams at the Harry Mitchell Centre, with teams competing for titles at 640 kilos and catchweight.
Sheen's winning AAA Squad
The first weight of the day was the catchweight event. There was a smaller entry of teams in the catchweight this year as most teams kept themselves fresh for the 640 kilos competition. Sheen proved to be the strongest team in this weight class and won the competition without losing an end. Kilroe secured the silver medal after defeating Raunds by 2 ends to 0.
The 640 kilos competition was keenly contested, with no-one considered to be a favourite before the start of the competition. In the group stages Sheen started off with a good 2 ends to 0 win over Kilroe, and went through the remainder of the group stage of the competition without losing an end. Kilroe got over their first round defeat to get through to the semi finals, and they were joined by Raunds and Norton. In the semi finals, Sheen met Raunds and Norton met Kilroe. Sheen defeated Raunds by 2 ends to 0, but it was a good second semi-final between Kilroe and Norton, with Kilroe edging out Norton by 2 ends to 0. Kilroe and Sheen met for the second time in the final, and again Sheen pulled strongly to take a well deserved gold medal by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Norton
The open weights contested were at 580 kilos, 600 kilos, 620 kilos and 680 kilos. Kilroe won the 580 kilos competition ahead of Uppertown who finished as runners up. The 680 kilos competition followed with Sheen A taking the winners position with Kilroe A finishing as runners up. Photo: Kilroe
The 600 kilos was keenly contested with all of the teams getting some good competition. Kilroe and Norton were the two teams who came out ahead of the rest of the teams competing, with Norton winning the competition after they defeated Kilroe by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Raunds
The final weight of the day was the 620 kilos competition. Again, a keenly contested weight class, Kilroe A and Norton came out ahead of the other teams that were competing, and both teams again had a keenly contested pull. Norton took a very close first end, with Kilroe A then taking the second end in the TWIF rules competition with the pull finishing 1 end each.
Open 580 Kilos Competition - Winners - Kilroe A - Runners Up - Uppertown
Open 600 Kilos Competition - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Kilroe A
Open 620 Kilos Competition - Winners - Kilroe A - Runners Up - Norton
Open 680 Kilos Competition- Winners - Sheen A - Runners Up - Kilroe A
06/11/2011 - INDOOR LEAGUE WEEK 4 RESULTS
This weekend, Uppertown, Leek, Kilroe, Sheen, Norton, Sandhurst, Raunds, and Sheen Ladies took part in week four of the indoor season in five weight classes.
Sheen men again won the catchweight competition without losing an end, again ahead of Kilroe and Raunds.
Kilroe again had another good week of competition, winning the 600 kilos and 640 kilos events ahead of Norton and Raunds respectively.
The 620 kilos and 680 kilos competitions were very closely fought out. With all weights being pulled under TWIF rules, both Kilroe and Norton finished on level points in the 620 kilos competition, after the two teams beat all of the other teams, and then drew one end each when they both met. With Norton picking up less cautions than Kilroe, Norton finished up as winners.
The 680 kilos competition was again keenly contested, with Sheen, Kilroe and Raunds in final contention for the winners place ahead of the other teams. Sheen defeated Kilroe earlier in the competition, however Raunds later went on to defeat Sheen. Kilroe then defeated Raunds in the final match to bring all three teams onto level points. With the TWIF criteria being applied, Kilroe were declared the winners having recieved less cautions and being the lightest team, with Raunds finishing second and Sheen third.
Some training pulls were also held for the under 23 pullers that were available on the day against Sheen Ladies and Sheen Men to assist in their preparations for the UK championships and World Championships in January/February. Thank you to Sheen men and ladies for their assistance.
Results
600 - Winners - Kilroe - Runners Up - Norton 620 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Kilroe 640 - Winners - Kilroe - Runners Up - Raunds 680 - Winners - Kilroe - Runners Up - Raunds Catchweight - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe
ENGLAND UNDER 23 INDOOR SQUAD
We are pleased to announce that after consultation with team coaches at this weekends competition at the Harry Mitchell Centre we have enough young athlete's to form a squad for the forthcoming UK Championships held by England and World the Championships in Perth Scotland.
We will have experienced pullers from last year and will be welcoming new faces to our squad which is very encouraging.
Up until our national championships we hope to be able to train our squad in a weight class that will not interfere with club line-ups [the same format as has been used successfully on the outdoor] and thereafter arrange suitable training at a representing teams training facility as this proved very successful last year. As most indoor teams are from the midlands and the north this will mean some of our squad will have to travel to train. Hopefully some of the senior members of their club will be able to assist with transportation for them if it is required.
It was a pleasure to watch our young men at the weekend and we know we have a great selection of lads to be members of our squad. We would like to thank Sheen, Kilroe, Uppertown and Sandhurst for allowing the use of their U23 pullers to form our squad.
All under 23 pullers should now make sure that they attend all competitions up to the national indoor championships in December.
If there are any other young pullers out there who would like to be involved in the under 23 indoor teams, then please contact us and make sure you attend Sunday competitions. You will also need to ensure that you are in regular training with an indoor tug of war team.
Teams in attendance - Sheen (A and B), Sheen Ladies, Uppertown, Norton, Kilroe (A and B), Raunds, Sandhurst.
This weekends indoor competition was much better supported, and the increased competition in all weights resulted in some much more competitive pulling all around, with all competitions except the 640 kilos competition being pulled as a points competition. The 640 kilos competition at the end of the day was run as a knock-out competition. The results were:
Men 600 - Joint Winners - Kilroe A and Sheen A
Men 620 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Kilroe A
Men 640 - Winners - Kilroe A - Runners Up - Kilroe B
Men 680 - Winners - Kilroe A - Runners Up - Sheen A
Men Catchweight - Winners - Sheen A - Runners Up - Kilroe A
23/10/2011 - INDOOR LEAGUE WEEK 2 RESULTS
Teams in attendance - Sheen Men, Raunds Woodbine, Sheen Ladies, Kilroe (A and B), Sandhurst
Results
600 - Winners - Kilroe A - Runners Up - Sheen
640 - Winners - Kilroe A - Runners Up - Sheen
680 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe A
Catchweight - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe A
8th & 9th October 2011 - KESSINGLAND TUG OF WAR WEEKEND - ASSOCIATION AND FEDERATION JOINT EVENT
The annual Kessingland event is now in its 33rd year (started in 1979), and this year, it is the second year it has been held as a joint event organised by Tug of War Association Area 5 on behalf of the Tug of War Association and Tug of War Federation.
Judges: D Kitchener Julie Petit Mick Grimston Maurice Simons and David Ling, Recorders Wendy Dyer and Pam Prosser.
Ten teams took part in the event: Thames Valley, Hadliegh, Raunds, Totham Bull, Holland, York, Melbourne, 1066, Woodton and Leo's Boys from Northern Ireland
Saturday Results
600 4+4 - Winners - Holland - Runners Up - Woodton
Men 600 - Winners - Leos Boys - Runners Up - Holland
Men 640 - Winers Leos boys - Runners Up - Totham Bull
Men 680 - Winners Holland - Runners Up - Totham Bull
Sunday Results
660 4+4 - Winners - 1066 - Runners Up - Woodton
Men 620 - Winners - Leos Boys - Runners Up - Holland
Men 660 - Winners - Holland - Runners Up - Leos Boys
Men 720 - Winners - Totham Bull - Runners Up - Leos Boys
ENGLAND UNDER 23s - TEAM MANAGERS REPORT FROM WORLD UNDER 23 CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MINEHEAD
We are pleased to announce that all the efforts of our U23s England development squad resulted in a marvellous bronze medal in the open clubs competition and fifth place in the closed clubs competition at the Minehead European Championships.
Every member of our squad gave 100% in both competitions and myself and Stuart are extremely proud to have led you all out on the championship field.
OPEN U23’S COMPETITION
We must firstly mention that ETOWA 2 had a Mammoth task only weighing 560 kilos in this 600k competition but, each and everyone of you must be congratulated on your efforts - you were outstanding and fought all the way. We know that had you been up on weight you would be contending the top places. ETOWA 1 had a superb day and, to everyone’s delight, won our first ever open medal - a brilliant bronze!
CLOSED U23’s COMPETITION
A tough corner on endy ground was the order of the day - the same for all teams but spoiling the competition somewhat. We performed well but, due to the ground conditions, drew too many matches and two harsh blowbacks to the middle cost us a place in the last four finally finishing fifth overall. That's tug of war and we will live to fight another day. We congratulate all the medal winning teams well done to all of you you are a credit to myself, Stuart and our Association.
The comments we have received about our squads’ performance from our Association, members and individuals have been extremely positive and very encouraging and our supporters second to none.We have a sound base to build upon for the coming years with all our young pullers and we know we can further improve our placing's at future world championships with the quality of the pullers we now have available to us. We would like to thank all our clubs for allowing our squad to use their facilities and young pullers to form our successful squad.
Dave and Stuart - England U23s coaches
NORMAN HYDE
To everyone in the tug of war community.
It is with sadness that the TOWA has learned of the passing of Norman Hyde. Norman was an active pulling member of Wood Treatment Bosley Tug of War Club during the 1950's, 60's, 70's and early 80's, and continued to be involved with the club during the 80's, 90's and early 2000's, helping out with training and maintainin Bosley's training facilities.
Norman was a member of the Bosley team that went unbeaten at the AAA championships for 20 years, and represented England on several occasions, winning many World and European titles.
Norman was also a Tug of War Association Award of Merit holder in recognition of his services to tug of war.
Norman will be sadly missed by everyone. We pass on our condolences to all of his family, friends and all associated with Wood Treatment Bosley Tug of War Club. Norman leaves behind daughter Wendy, sons Jon, Andrew and Terry, 7 grand children and 2 great grandchildren.
Click here for an audio-visual slide show produced by the Guardian Newspaper
Click here for an article featured in the West Somerset Free Press
PHOTOS
Click here for a selection of photos taken at the 2011 European Outdoor Tug of War Championships
Click here for photos taken by R&P Photographic where you can also order prints
VIDEOS
Click Here to watch videos of the finals and bronze medal pulls from the open and closed competitions in Minehead
This year, the Tug of War Association hosted the European Outdoor Tug of War Championships between 22 and 25 September at Butlins Minehead, Somerset. We were again lucky with the weather, which remained largely dry for the whole event.
The first two days of the championships saw the European Open Club Championships take place with 85 tug of war clubs from Europe, as well as teams from South Africa and Chinese Taipei taking part. A full list of teams competing can be found by visiting the European Championships web site at www.ec2011tow.co.uk.
In terms of the teams from England who took part, the English clubs competing were: Felton Eccles, Sandhurst (A and B), Glos/Som (A and B), Tavistock, Kennford, Holland, Two Dales, ETOWA (1 and 2), Oxney Vines Cross, Bedford Ladies and Team Army. Sheen Men, Sheen Ladies, and Norton were also at the European Championships, representing England in different weight classes, but did not compete in the open club competition.
The first two days of the open club competition saw four weight categories for mens teams (560 kilos, 640 kilos, 680 kilos, and 720 kilos), a mixed gender weight class at 600 kilos, two ladies weight classes (at 520 kilos and 560 kilos), a junior weight class at 560 kilos, and an under 23 weight class at 600 kilos take place.
Open Men 560 Kilos
In the open club competition, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst A and B, Tavistock, Kennford, Oxney Vines Cross and Team Army all competed in the mens 560 kilos weight class. The only team to make it to the knock-out of this weight class were Felton Eccles, who were knocked out by the eventual fourth placed team Bancran from Northern Ireland. The eventual winners of this weight class were Gaztedi from the Basque region of Spain, with Ebersecken from Switzerland finishing as runners up, with Mosnang from Switzerland winning bronze in a fiercely competitive weight class.
Open Men 640 Kilos
In the open 640 kilos event, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst A and B, Tavistock, Kennford, Holland, Oxney Vines Cross, and Team Army were the English teams that took part. Felton Eccles and Oxney Vines Cross both made it to the knock out stages, with Oxney being knocked out by the eventual bronze medallists Boley from Ireland, and Felton Eccles were knocked out by Gaztedi. The eventual winners of this weight class were Engelberg from Switzerland, with Eibergen from Holland finishing as silver medallists.
Open Men 680 Kilos
In the open 680 kilos weight class, Felton Eccles, Two Dales, Kennford, and Holland all took part. Felton Eccles were the only English team to progress to the knock-out stages of the competition, and progressed all the way to the final, only to be defeated by Engelberg from Switzerland in the final. TTV Vorden from the Netherlands won the bronze medal.
Open Men 720 Kilos
In the open 720 kilos weight class, the English teams competing were from Holland and Kennford. Both teams competed well, but neither reached the knock-out stage of the competition. This competition was won by TTV Heure from the Netherlands, with PTC from South Africa winning the silver medal, and Koapman from the Netherlands winning the bronze medal.
Open Ladies 520 Kilos
The ladies 520 kilos saw Bedford Ladies competing in a full group competition with the top four teams progressing to the semi finals. Bedford were involved in close pulling with both Gonten from Switzerland and Gaztedi from the Basque Region of Spain to make the cross over, but in the end, missed out to finish in 5th spot overall. This weight was won by the impressive Chinese Taipei ladies team, with Gaztedi winning the silver medal, and Disa Ladies from South Africa winning the bronze medal.
Open Ladies 560 Kilos
The ladies 560 kilos competition did not see any English clubs taking part, but again, the impressive Chinese Taipei Ladies took the gold medal, with silver going to Vechtlust from the Netherlands, and the Koapman Ladies also from the Netherlands winning the bronze medal.
Open Junior 560 kilos
The junior 560 kilos competition took place with Gloucester and Somerset ACF team fielding two teams. The B team failed to make an impact on the final standings in their group, however the A team competed very well, losing only to the eventual winners Drostdy A from South Africa. Glos/Som A finished in third place in their group overall, missing out on the semi final places to Simonswald from Germany. The eventual winners were Drostdy A from South Africa, with Simonswald from Germany winning the silver, and the Chinese Taipei youth team winning the bronze medal.
Open Under 23 600 Kilos
The under 23 600 kilos open competition saw the England under 23 development squad field two teams, which was a great showing for our Association. The two teams (ETOWA 1 and ETOWA 2) competed very well, with the second team being almost 40 kilos under weight. The first team however competed exceptionally, finishing top of the group at the end of the group phase of the competition, having only dropped two ends to Swiss opposition. In the semi finals, the team met Ebersecken from Switzerland and suffered their first defeat of the competition. ETOWA 1 went into the bronze medal match with Paarl from South Africa, and took a well deserved bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The eventual gold medallists were Ebersecken from Switzerland with Mosnang, also from Switzerland, finishing as silver medallists.
Open Mixed 600 Kilos
The mixed 600 kilos competition saw English teams Team Army and World Open 4+4 silver medallists from 2010 Holland take part in the competition, but neither team progressed to the knock-out stage of the competition, which was eventually won by Wallby from Sweden. Touwtje from the Netherlands won the silver medal, with Gaztedi taking the bronze – their clubs third medal of the tournament.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony for the European Championships and World Under 23 Championships took place on the Friday evening after the open competitions had been completed with a parade of teams, performances from the Minehead Spotlight Dance Academy, and opening speeches from TOWA president Mr. Tony Martin, and TWIF president Mr. Cathal McKeever. England’s representatives in the opening parade were Mick Grimston, Zak Baker, Diane Mcdonald, Matt Frost and Tom Knott.
Men 680 Kilos Closed Competition
The closed event saw England field teams in all weight classes. The first event was the 680 kilos, with the England team being represented by Two Dales from Derbyshire, who were representing England for the very first time. The team acquitted themselves well to the competition, however defeats to the medal winning teams, and a couple of other dropped ends meant that they missed out both the cross-over and fifth place, with England finishing in 6th place in this competition overall. A good result from the England representatives, who would have learned a lot from their experience.
Junior 560 Kilos Closed Competition
The world junior 560 kilos event was next up, with England being represented by the Gloucester and Somerset ACF team, who as a club, were also representing England for the first time. This year, we saw one of the most competitive youth competitions take place for many years, with no team progressing to the knock-out stages without losing any ends. The England team competed exceptionally well, and were only defeated by the eventual finalists Sweden and Switzerland, however to many draws with some of the teams, meant that they missed out on a place in the cross over, and finished in joint 5th position with Chinese Taipei, dropping to 6th place overall once the cautions were taken into account. A great performance from the England juniors nonetheless and a good learning experience for them. The gold medal eventually went to Sweden, with Switzerland winning the silver medal, and South Africa the bronze.
Mixed 600 Kilos Closed Competition
The mixed 600 kilos event saw England being represented by pullers from Bedford Ladies and Oxney Vines Cross. England competed well in the group stages to finish third in the group overall and make it to the semi finals. In the semi finals, England met the Netherlands, and were close to taking them over the line on the first end, however they did not have quite enough to take the Dutch over the line. England lost the semi final by 2 ends to 0 and went into the bronze medal match against Germany who they had already defeated in the group. Germany this time had more in the tank, and defeated England by 2 ends to 0 to take the bronze medal. The eventual gold medallists were Sweden, with the Netherlands winning the silver medal.
Ladies 560 Kilos Closed Competition
The ladies 560 kilos event saw Sheen Ladies representing England. England competed strongly and progressed to the semi finals along with Switzerland, Netherlands and Sweden. In the semi finals, England were defeated by 2 ends to 0 to the Netherlands, and went on to meet Switzerland to pull for the bronze medal. In the bronze medal pull off, England had a good battle with Switzerland, and did well to start taking rope on the first end, but the Swiss hung on and managed to turn England over to take the first end. On the second end, Switzerland again pulled strongly to take the end, and deny England the bronze medal. The gold medal was won by Sweden who defeated the Netherlands in the final by 2 ends to 0.
Men 560 Kilos Closed Competition
The mens 560 kilos event saw Norton representing England. Norton went into the event on the back of a good domestic season, and having also won the 2009 European Championships at 600 kilos and reaching the final of the World Championships last year. England started off their challenge against current World 580 kilos champions the Netherlands and competed well to secure a 2 ends to 0 win to get their campaign off to a good start. England defeated all of their other opponents in the group stage, only dropping one end to Switzerland. England progressed to the semi finals along with Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland. In the semi final, England defeated Ireland, whilst Sweden pulled off a good win against Switzerland. England progressed to the final to meet Sweden, with the first end lasting just over 4 minutes before England drove strongly to take Sweden over the line. On the second end, England got Sweden under pressure from the drop, and took just over a minute and a half to take the second end and the gold medal. The bronze medal went to Switzerland with Ireland finishing 4th.
Men 720 Kilos Closed Competition
The second day of competition started with the mens 720 kilos event. England were represented by Sheen in this weight class, who were representing England at an outdoor European Championships for the first time since 1993. England started off with a defeat to Sweden, but got back into the competition to progress to the semi finals along with the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. In the semi finals, England were drawn against Sweden, and suffered another defeat, meaning that they would go through to pull off for the bronze medal against Switzerland, who had been defeated by the Netherlands. England performed well in the bronze medal pull off to defeat Switzerland by 2 ends to 0 to take bronze. The gold medal was won by the Netherlands, with Sweden winning the silver medal.
Under 23 600 Kilos Closed Competition
The world under 23 competition was a fiercely contested weight class this year, and England were again represented by a composite team selected from different TOWA clubs. The corner where the teams were competing turned out to be a little endy, which resulted in some 1-1 draws, and England competed well through the group, but had two bruising encounters with South Africa and Sweden, both of which involved no pulls. In the final round of pulls, England were level on points with South Africa, needing to win by 2 ends to 0 against Wales in their last match to have a chance of qualifying. England surprising lost the first end, but won the second end, and with South Africa defeating Chinese Taipei in their last match, they progressed to the semi finals at the expense of England. The gold medal was won by Switzerland, with Germany taking silver and South Africa the bronze.
Ladies 520 Kilos Closed Competition
The Ladies 520 kilos competition again saw England Ladies being represented by Sheen Ladies after Bedford Ladies withdrew from the event having suffered injuries and withdrawals from their team. As with the 560 kilos competition the previous day, England progressed to the semi finals along with Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands. As with the previous day of competition, England were drawn to face the Netherlands and were defeated by 2 ends to 0. England went into the bronze medal match to face Switzerland, and made up for the disappointment of the 560 kilos competition the previous day, taking the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The gold medal was won by Sweden, with the Netherlands taking the silver medal.
Men 640 Kilos Closed Competition
The final weight of the competition was the mens 640 kilos competition. England were represented by Felton Eccles in this weight class, who were representing England at 640 kilos for the 17th consecutive season at an outdoor European or World Championships. England faced current European Champions Switzerland early on, and came close to taking the first end, only to be blown out for receiving three cautions. England progressed through the group well, but then hit three hard teams in a row – Sweden, Netherlands and Germany, narrowly losing out to Holland, defeating Sweden, and losing to Germany. In the final pull of the round, England faced Ireland, only needing 1 end to guarantee a place in the semi final. Ireland also needed at least an end to guarantee qualification as they were level with Sweden going into the last match. England took a keenly contested first end, and then took the second equally tough end to make it through to the semi finals. In the semi finals, England met the Netherlands where they were defeated by 2 ends to 0. England went through to the bronze medal pull off against Sweden, and comfortably took the first end. On the second end, Sweden had to drop to 7 pullers after one of their team members had picked up an injury. Sweden had no option but to carry on with 7, as they had already used their substitute. England sportingly dropped to 7 pullers, but still took the second end to secure the bronze medal. The gold medal was won by Switzerland with Netherlands taking silver.
Well done to all of our teams who took part in the open and closed competitions, and thank you to all the teams, supporters, volunteers and the organising committee for making the 2011 European Tug of War Championships a big success.
25/09/2011 - TWIF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WORLD JUNIOR AND UNDER 23 CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 2
Congratulations to the England mens 640 kilos team (represented by Felton Eccles) who won bronze today against Sweden
Congratulations to the England Ladies 520 kilos team (represented by Sheen Ladies) who won the bronze medal against Switzerland.
Congratulations to the England Mens 720 kilos team (representd by Sheen) who won the bronze medal.
Congratulations to the England Under 23 team who finished 5th in the under 23 kilos competition.
afternoon results will follow later. Results are also available via www.ec2011tow.co.uk
24/09/2011 - TWIF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WORLD JUNIOR AND UNDER 23 CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1
Congratulations to the England Men 560 kilos team (represented by Norton) who won gold in the final against Sweden.
Congratulations to the England Junior Men 560 kilos team who finished in joint 5th position with Chinese Taipei (6th after cautions taken into account).
Congratualtions to the England men 680 kilos team (represented by Two Dales, representing England for the first time) who finished in 6th position.
Congratualtions to the England Mixed 600 kilos 4+4 team (represented by Bedford/Oxney) who finished in 4th place.
Congratualtions to the England Ladies 560 kilos team (represented by Sheen Ladies) who finished in 4th place.
23/09/2011 - TWIF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS - OPEN CLUB COMPETITION DAY 2
Congratulations to the England Under 23 development team (ETOWA 1) who won bronze in the under 23 600 kilos event this morning! Congratulations also to the under 23 ETOWA 2 team who competed very well but missed out on the semi finals.
22/09/2011 - TWIF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS - OPEN CLUB COMPETITION DAY 1
Congratulations to Felton Eccles TOWC for winning silver in the Men 680 kilos weight class this morning.
14/09/2011 - ENGLAND UNDER 23 NOTICES
The England U23 development squad would like to thank Sandhurst Tug of War Club for their assistance in our training for the World U23 Championships in Minehead we are eternally grateful for all your help time and advice shown by all involved at Sandhurst when our squad has held training sessions with you.
We are also indebted to Len Hall and Area 2 for all the help given at Daventry and Mr Peter Craft Hon Gen Sec for his support; and finally Mick Grimston - England Team Manager, our Association, and clubs for allowing our squad to compete. A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL.
Another good session was had this weekend and everyone gave 110%. What more can coaches ask for!! We are now set for Minehead and we hope we can make our Association proud of our squad.
It has been a short time in the making of our squad and as always there are situations that occur that are beyond our control, frustrating at times for everyone but that is the nature of the beast. We can now look forward to Minehead and enjoy the experience of representing our Association and England. Good luck to all of you.
Contact numbers
Knotty 07779852610 Mob
Stuart 07900303490 Mob
We wish everyone from our Association and teams competing at Minehead the best of luck - lets have a great Championships.
Dave Knott/Stuart Canning - England U23s Coaches
06/09/2011 - NATIONAL LEAGUE FINALS RESULTS
Teams competing – Senior Men – Glos/Som (A and B), Sandhurst (A and B), Felton Eccles (A and B), Norton, Oxney Vines Cross, Bedford, Inkberrow, Under 23s, Caradoc, Two Dales.
Ladies and Youth – Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, Glos/Som (A, B and C), LNR ACF (A and B).
Photo: Under 23 Development Team
The national league finals was this year again held at Daventry and was reasonably well supported. The event started with the 600 kilos competition, which was split into two groups. Norton were well ahead in the points standings going into the event, so would require a disastrous performance to deny them the gold medal. However, Norton continued their consistent form shown throughout the season, and won their group, however did drop an end to the England Under 23 development team who looked very smart in their new strip to be worn in the European Club Competition in Minehead. Norton progressed to the cross over of their group ahead of Sandhurst A. Photo: Glos/Som ACF
The second group contained Caradoc, Two Dales, Glos/Som A and Inkberrow, and Sandhurst B with both Two Dales and Caradoc progressing through to the cross over. There was some good performances in this group from Glos/Som A and Inkberrow with both teams holding their own and winning some good ends. The semi finals saw Norton and Sandhurst A both progress to the final, with Two Dales and Caradoc left to contest third place. This pull went to three ends, with Two Dales competing really well to win by 2 ends to 1 to secure third place. The final saw Norton and Sandhurst A line up against each other, with Norton taking both ends to win the competition on the day and secure national league gold. Photo: Norton - 2011 national league champions at 600, 640, and 680
The 640 kilos was the next weight to be contested, again split into two groups. Norton again won their group without losing an end and despite being pushed hard by Oxney. Caradoc again progressed to the semi finals along with Felton Eccles. In the semi finals, Norton defeated Caradoc and Felton Eccles defeated Oxney to make the final. Oxney won the third place pull by 2 ends to 0, and Norton defeated Felton Eccles to take their second win on the day, and again, secured the national league gold medal. Photo: Inkberrow TOWC
The final weight of the national league was the 680 kilos event. Again, this weight was split into two groups. Norton and Felton Eccles yet again proved to be the strongest in this weight class and both progressed to the final. Norton again stood firm to round off another strong season with a 2 ends to 0 win to win the competition on the day, and secure the overall gold medal in the 680 kilos national league. Photo: LNR ACF TOWC
At the end of the competition, a training competition was held at 600 kilos for the England Under 23 squad. We did have members of the squad missing due to work etc, but nonetheless all squad members present looked the business in their new shirts. In hindsight we wished we had entered two teams in the 600 kilos league finals as there were a few tired legs by the end of the day as a result of squad members pulling in the other weights. Both our teams pulled very well and many thanks to all the teams who helped us out to enable us to compete - we appreciate your help. Photo: Bedford Ladies
The ladies and youth league finals were contested with 7 teams taking part. Gloucester and Somerset ACF continued their winning streak, with their A team winning both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight classes. Sheen Ladies finished as runners up in the 560 kilos weight class on the day ahead of the Glos/Som B and C teams, Bedford Ladies, and the Leicester and Northants ACF A and B teams. In the 520 kilos event, Bedford Ladies finished as runners up on the day ahead of Sheen Ladies, Leicester and Northants ACF and the Glos/Som B and C teams. In overall youth league, Gloucester and Somerset ACF finished as overall winners of both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos, with Leicester and Northants finishing as runners up. In the ladies league, Sheen Ladies finished as overall winners of the 560 kilos and 520 kilos events, with Bedford Ladies finishing as runners up. Photo: Sheen Ladies
Well done to all of the teams who have taken part in the various leagues this year.
20/08/2011 - 2011 GENSB YOUTH INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Sursee (Switzerland) played host to the 14th GENSB tournament on Saturday 20th August.
54 teams entered the competition from 10 different countries. The founder members of GENSB entered the following number of teams, Germany (7 teams), England (8 teams), Netherlands (10 teams), Switzerland (11 teams) and Belgium (6 teams) and in addition teams were entered from Sweden (3 teams), South Africa (1 team), Lithuania (4 teams), Ireland (2 teams) and Latvia (1 team). The 54th team was a mixed nationality team under the banner of “Europa”, made up of spare pullers to give everyone attending a chance to compete. Photo: Glossom ACF
The competition commenced at 10 am in very warm conditions. Following the officials the 54 teams progressed into the arena and lined up for the opening ceremony. The penultimate team and last years winners Mosnang (Switzerland) entered the arena carrying the GENSB trophy, which they then handed to a member of the organising committee to mark the end of their reign as champions. The last team to enter the arena were our hosts Nottwil carrying the GENSB flag. There was a short speech by the GENSB chairman Vic Ludkin and the competition was ready to commence. Photo: LNR ACF
The 54 teams (a record entry for the event) were divided into 6 groups of 9 teams. The best two teams from each group and the four best third placed teams went into the last 16.
The eight teams from England came from two clubs. Glossom (Gloucester & Somerset) Army Cadet Force and Leicester Northants and Rutland Army Cadet Force, with each club fielding four teams.
Our best performance came from Glossom A who gained 19th place overall. They finished fourth in their group, which included both semi finalist (Sins and Ebersecken from Switzerland) as well as Velkonis from Latvia who reached the last sixteen.
Other positions were 46th Glossom, 47th, 48th, and 49th. LNR; 52nd Glossom, 53rd LNR; and 54th Glossom.
The teams from England gained valuable experience from the competition. They learnt much about themselves, their competitors and the standard they must aim to achieve to be successful. Defeat can be hard and in tug of war often brutal, but all sides conducted themselves in a mature manner and maintained the high standards of our sport. Well done to all who took part. Photo: 2011 GENSB Champions Streefkerk
The final positions after some intense competition were
Teams reassembled in the arena for the presentation of medals to Sins (Bronze), TTV Powerrangers (Silver) and TTV Streefkerk (Gold) followed by the presentation of the GENSB trophy by Vic Ludkin to the 2011 winners TTV Streefkerk.
The 2012 GENSB youth international tournament will take place in Retie (Belgium) on 24 – 26 August 2012.
Thanks to Martin Mulcahy (TOWA Child Protection Officer) for providing this report.
13/08/2011 - UK OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS UNDER 23 REPORT
Please click here for a report from the England Under 23 team manager
13/08/2011 - UK OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
The 2011 United Kingdom Outdoor Tug of War Championships were this year hosted in England with Bedford Ladies doing much of the organisation to stage the event at Kempston in Bedford. The event was supported by teams from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with Scotland opting not to support the event this year, whilst concentrating their efforts on competing at the European Championships in Minehead instead. The UK weight classes this year were 600 kilos and 680 kilos for men, 520 kilos and 560 kilos for ladies, and a mixed 4+4 600 kilos event.
The 600 kilos event saw England field an A and B team (represented by Norton and Oxney Vines Cross respectively), and also a C team represented by the England Under 23 development squad.
England A started off Strongly with a win against Wales A, before comfortably beating the rest of the field, including the England B team represented by Oxney from Sussex. England B and England C started first on, but there was no upset here as England B defeated the under 23 team by 2 ends to 0. The England C team competed well throughout the day, but failed to take any ends off the opposition, despite running the Welsh teams close.
In the semi finals, England A met Wales A in the semi finals, going on to secure a comfortable 2 ends to 0 win to meet England B who defeated Northern Ireland A in their semi final by 2 ends to 1 in a good match. England A. represented by Norton again proved to be very strong and overcame the England B team by 2 ends to 0 to win the gold medal without dropping any points. The bronze medal was won by Northern Ireland A who had a good 2 ends to 0 win over Wales A in the bronze medal play off.
Whilst it was a great performance by England A, England B (represented by Oxney) did a great job throughout the competition, with many young new faces in their team representing England for the first time. When they join up with the England Under 23 team, they should help to make a strong England under 23 team for the world under 23 championships which are taking place alongside the European Championships in Minehead in September.
The ladies weight classes were the next weights to be contested, and in the absence of Scotland, four teams competed in each weight class – England A and B, and Wales A and B. England A and B were represented by Sheen Ladies and Bedford Ladies, With Sheen Ladies representing England A in the 560 kilos and England B in the 520 kilos, and Bedford Ladies representing England A in the 520 kilos and England B in the 560 kilos.
In both of the ladies weight classes Sheen Ladies, took gold for England, and on the hard ground proved to be formidable opponents to all before them, and were rarely troubled by any other the other teams from the UK nations, including the England B team represented by Bedford Ladies. Sheen Ladies took gold as England A in the 560, and gold as England B in the 520 kilos. Bedford Ladies, were worthy winners of the silver medals as England representatives in both weight classes. In the 520 kilos, Wales B defeated Wales A to take the bronze, and Wales A took the bronze in the 560 kilos event.
The second mens weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. England A were represented by Sheen and England B were represented by Felton Eccles.
England A started off strongly by defeating Wales B, before beating all the other teams in the group, including England B, represented by 2010 UK champions Felton Eccles without losing an end. It wasn’t quite as straight forward for England B as they dropped an end to the strong Wales A side, however they progressed to the semi finals in second place in the group. In the semi finals, England A again defeated Wales B.
Again, England B, represented by Felton Eccles had to endure a tough three end pull with the Wales A side, and managed to overcome Wales by 2 ends to 1. In the final, England A were up against England B. England A took the first end fairly comfortably, however on the second end, England B raised their game to try and level the score. After a gruelling pull that lasted almost four minutes, and with both teams on 2 cautions, England A brought England B over the line to take the UK 680 kilos outdoor title. This was the first time that Sheen have won the 680 kilos weight class at an outdoor UK championships.
The final weight class of the closed event was the mixed 600 kilos 4+4. In this weight class, England A were represented by Bedford, and England B were represented by Oxney. Both England A and England B progressed to the semi finals along with Wales A and Wales B. In the semi finals, England A defeated Wales B, and England B defeated Wales A. Wales A took the bronze medal, and England A took the gold medal ahead of England B who won silver as runners up to cap off a good weekend for the England teams in which gold and silver medals were won in each weight class.
Acknowledgements
The Tug of War Association would like to make special thanks to Dave and Marion Kitchener and all associated with Bedford Ladies Tug of War Club for organising this years United Kingdom Tug of War Championships on behalf of the Tug of War Association. It was very well received by all who took part and supported the event over the weekend. A good job well done.
Men 600 Kilos - 1. England A (Represented by Norton) - 2 - England B (Represented by Oxney Vines Cross - 3 - Northern Ireland A - 4 - Wales A
Men 680 Kilos - 1 - England A (Represented by Sheen) - 2 - England B (Represented by Felton Eccles) - 3 - Wales B - 4 - Wales A
Ladies 520 Kilos - 1 - England B (Represented by Sheen Ladies) - 2 - England A (Represented by Bedford Ladies) - 3 - Wales B - 4 - Wales A
Ladies 560 Kilos - 1 - England A (Represented by Sheen Ladies) - 2 - England B (Represented by Bedford Ladies - 3 - Wales A - 4 - Wales B
Mixed 600 kilos 4 + 4 - 1 - England A (Represented by Bedford) - 2 - England B (Represented by Oxney Vines Cross) - 3 - Wales A - 4 - Wales B
12/08/2011 - TUG OF WAR IN THE NEWS
Please click here to read the BBC news article about the UK tug of war championships taking place in Bedford this weekend.
07/08/2011 - INTER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS AND NATIONAL OPEN 4 + 4 RESULTS
This years Inter County and National Open 4+4 Championships were held at Cranleigh Agricultural Show in Surrey. The event was supported by Norton (Staffordshire), Felton Eccles (Somerset), Sandhurst (Berkshire), Oxney Vines Cross (Susses), 1066 (Sussex), Totham Bull (Essex), Leek (Staffordshire), and Woodton (Nortfolk). Photo: Staffordshire, represented by Norton
The championships were not quite as well supported as last year with some teams competing abroad or being unable to travel to the event, however the competition was good, and teams had the opportunity of trying out the new ropes that are to be used at the European Outdoor Championships in Minehead in September. Photo: Sussex, Represented by Oxney Vines Cross
All weight categories were pulled under TWIF Rules with the top four teams in each weight class progressing to the semi finals and finals. The two inter county weights at 640 kilos and 680 kilos were won well by Staffordshire who were represented by Norton. The runners up in the 640 kilos weight class were Sussex represented by Oxney Vines Cross. The runners up in the 680 kilos weight class were Somerset, Represented by Felton Eccles. Photo: Bedford - National 4+4 Champions
The national 4+4 competition was supported by five teams. Bedford Ladies finished up as the overall winners to defend their title from 2010. The runners up this year were Leek, with Oxney winning the bronze medal. Well done to all of the teams who took part in this event. Photo: Leek TOWC - National 4+4 silver medallists
The open weights were contested at 600 kilos and 660 kilos. Norton again finished as worthy winners without losing any ends. Oxney finished as runners up in the 600 kilos competition, with Felton Eccles A finishing as runners up in the 660 kilos event.
Please click here for a report from the latest England Under 23 training event and information regarding the UK championships coming up this weekend.
05/08/2011 – DARTMOUTH TOWC OPEN COMPETITION
Dartmouth held a competition on Friday with 7 mens teams and 3 ladies teams attending. The men’s competition was pulled in 2 groups. The winner in group A were Dartmouth with Culm Valley in the runner up spot followed by Whimple then another new team to the area Chagford. In group B Chumleigh were the winners with Okehampton in the runner up spot with Kingsbridge in 3rd.
In the first semi final, Dartmouth overcame Okehampton 2-0 and in the second semi final Culm Valley beat Chumleigh by the same score. Dartmouth then went on to defeat Culm Valley 2-0 in the final
In the ladies competition South Dartmoor girls were the victors again in a 3 team group points competition followed by Culm Valley and Whimple.
This week sees a busy one with Okehampton Show on Thursday with a 5.30 WI for 6.00pm first pull. Weights - men 640k & CWT and a ladies competition. Then on Saturday itsManaton show – weigh in 1.30pm first pull 2.00pm - weights also 640k & CWT.
With the FWA league now getting even tighter at the top this weeks events could make it very interesting. The latest FWA league table is as follows after 12 events:
The winners of a group of 4 teams were Culm Valley followed by Whimple then Yarcombe then Honiton
In the ladies Culm Valley were the victors with Whimple in the runner up spot
Some very tight pulling was to be had at this event, and as usual, the tug of war kept the very large and sometimes overenthusiastic crowd entertained.
ADDITIONAL FIXTURE
Sheen Ladies TOWC will be hosting a competition on Sunday 11th September as follows:
02/08/2011 - ENGLAND UNDER 23s - IMPORTANT NOTICES
South West Open Day - Please click here to read a report from the South West Open Day, hosted by Felton Eccles TOWC.
England Under 23 Squad Selection for UK Championships - Please click here to read about the squad selection for both the closed and open championships for the UK Outdoor Championships taking place in Bedford on 13th/14th August 2011.
29/07/2011 – WHIMPLE TOWC OPEN COMPETITION
6 mens teams and three ladies teams attended a Friday evening competition hosted by Whimple TOWC.
The men’s catchweight competition was pulled in a straight group of 6. The winners were Culm Valley on 14 points followed by Whimple A in the runner up spot with 11 points. Chumleigh finished in joint third place with Dartmouth, both on 6 points. The Lamb Inn finished on 5 points and finally Whimple B finished on 3 points
In the ladies competition South Dartmoor girls were the victors again in a 3 team group with maximum points followed by Whimple and Culm Valley.
The latest FWA league table is as follows after 11 events
24/07/2011 – NATIONAL LEAGUE WEEK 6 – EAST CHESHIRE HOSPICE, MACCLESFIELD
Teams competing: Senior Men – Bosley, Felton Eccles (A and B), Norton, Sheen, Sandhurst, Penistone, Two Dales, Bakewell. Ladies and Youth – Sheen Ladies, Penistone Ladies, Leicester and Northants ACF A and B.
This weekend’s East Cheshire Hospice fundraiser brought with it good weather and excellent competition in all weight classes contested on the day in both the mens weights and ladies and youth weights. Sheen Ladies won all of the ladies and youth weights, only dropping the odd end at 500 kilos, 520 kilos, 540 kilos and 560 kilos ahead of Penistone Ladies in the 500 kilos, 520 kilos and 540 kilos, with the Leicester and Northants ACF A team finishing as runners up in the 560 kilos competition. Photo: Penistone Ladies
The mens weight classes were well contested. Sheen and Felton had some great battles in the 720 kilos and catchweight events, with Sheen winning the gruelling ends in both the group stages and the finals of both of those weight categories. Felton were in the mix again in the 680 kilos competition, this time, having to battle it out with Norton for the gold medal. Felton managed to overcome Norton by 2 ends to 0 in the final to take a hard fought win, with Norton succumbing to a rare defeat. Photo: Felton Eccles
Norton however pulled successfully in the 600 kilos, 620 kilos, and 640 kilos events, winning all three of those weight classes, despite being pushed harder this week by the likes of Bosley, Sandhurst and Bakewell. Norton defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0 in the final of the 640 kilos event, Bosley in the final of the 620 kilos event, and Bakewell in the final of the 600 kilos event. Photo: Sheen Ladies
The organisers, on behalf of the East Cheshire Hospice would like to thank all of the teams and supporters for coming along and supporting the event again this year. Unfortunately we had no novice 6 a side teams competing like we have had in previous years, but it was still a good day nonetheless. Photo: Bosley
Results:
Men Catchweight – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up – Felton Eccles A
Men 720 kilos – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up – Felton Eccles A
Men 680 kilos – Winners – Felton Eccles A – Runners Up – Norton
Men 640 kilos – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Sandhurst
Men 620 kilos – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Bosley
Men 600 kilos – Winners – Norton – Runners Up - Bakewell
Ladies/Youth 560 kilos - Winners - Sheen Ladies - Runners Up - Leicester and Northants ACF A
23/07/2011 – HELP FOR HEROES CHARITY EVENT – NEWTON ABBOT RACECOURSE, DEVON
On Saturday TOWA officials Nick Major and John Neal travelled to Newton Abbot to run the Help for Heroes competition.
We had 7 totally novice teams attend and a good afternoon’s entertainment was had by all.
Newton Abbot All Whites rugby club were the winners with a South West Highways team in the runner up spot.
After the competition, we had an enquiry from one of the teams who had enjoyed themselves so much they are thinking of starting a team, John gave them a TOWA handbook and have taken their details. Nick Major will be sending them the remaining FWA fixtures and told them they would be made most welcome if they attended any FWA/TOWA events in the future. You never know we might get yet another team in our growing ranks in this area.
The latest FWA league table is as follows after 10 events
11 team’s attended Culm Valley’s open tug of war competition in Devon on Friday evening - 8 men’s teams & 3 ladies teams.
The men’s catchweight competition was split into 2 groups. In group A the winners were Culm Valley with Whimple the runnesr up. In group B the winners were Dartmouth with Chumleigh the runner up
The cross-over produced wins for Culm Valley by 2-1 over Chumleigh in a very close match and Whimple over Dartmouth 2-1 in another very close match. The final saw hosts Culm Valley defeat Whimple 2-1 in an exact repeat of their earlier group match.
The Far Western Area had another new team join their ranks in the Lamb Inn who pulled very well in their first competition at this level and if they choose to stick with it will be a very useful addition.
In the ladies competition the very impressive South Dartmoor girls won the 3 team group with maximum points followed by Culm Valley and Whimple (It is good to see the ladies teams out and about in the Far Western Area once again).
17/07/2011 - FORGE LANE TOWC OPEN COMPETITION RESULTS
Teams competing: Forge Lane, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst (A and B), Oxney, Hailsham, Cowbeech, 1066.
600 - Winners - Oxney
640 - Winners - Oxney
660 - Winners - Oxney
680 - Winners - Sandhurst
Catchweight - Winners - Felton Eccles
17/07/2011 – TOWA – TUG OF WAR FEDERATION JOINT EVENT – ASHBOURNE HIGHLAND GATHERING - RESULTS
Teams competing – York, Church House, Lutterworth, Sheen, Bosley, Norton, Leek, Two Dales, Lincoln, Sheen Ladies, Holland, Triple F, Whittlesey, Totham Bull, Woodton, Melbourne
The joint event at Ahbourne Highland Gathering was well supported by teams from both the Tug of War Association and The Tug of War Federation. 7 weight categories took place on the day, including two mixed weight classes. The day started off without too much rain, although later on conditions deteriorated with the ground becoming wet, but it made it a good leveller. The event was held under Federation rules, with pulls being decided as a best of 3 ends. Photo: Lincoln
8 teams competed in the 720 kilos competition, with Sheen, Holland, Lincoln, and Totham Bull progressing to the semi finals. Lincoln defeated Holland in their semi-final, with Sheen defeating Totham Bull. Sheen went on to win the event with a 2 ends to 0 victory over Lincoln.
8 teams competed in the 660 4+4 mixed competition. The competition was split into two groups, with Sheen Ladies and Holland both progressing to the final without losing any ends. The final was close, with Sheen Ladies winning the gold medal by 2 ends to 1.
m 10 teams competed in the 600 kilos event, being split into two groups. Lincoln and Totham Bull progressed through group 1 ahead of Church House, Whittlesey and Melbourne, and Norton and Two Dales progressed through group 2 ahead of York, Woodton and Triple F. The semi finals saw Norton defeat Totham Bull, and Lincoln defeat Two Dales. Norton went on to defeat Lincoln by 2 ends to 0 in the final.Photo: Totham Bull
The 680 kilos event was again entered by 11 teams split into two groups. Norton progressed from group 1 along with Bosley ahead of Two Dales, York, and Whittlesey, whilst Sheen and Lincoln progressed from group 2 ahead of Holland, Lutterworth, Totham Bull and Leek. Norton defeated Lincoln in their semi final, and Sheen defeated Bosley. Norton then won their second weight of the day with a 2 ends to 0 win over Sheen. Photo: Sheen
The 600 kilos mixed 4+4 competition was again contested by 8 teams, and again it was Sheen Ladies and Holland who progressed to meet each other in the final for the second time. This was another close three end pull, and this time it was Holland who took the win by 2 ends to1.
:The 640 kilos competition followed, and at this stage of the day, there was a heavy downpour. 12 teams entered the 640 kilos event, and to speed up the proceedings, the competition was split into four groups of three, with the top team in each group progressing to the final. Lutterworth, Norton, Whittlesey and Bosley all progressed, with Bosley being defeated by Lutterworth and Norton defeating Whittlesey. Norton and Lutterworth went into the final, and Norton took their third win of the day by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Holland
The final weight of the day was the catchweight competition with only three teams entered. Sheen won this weight without losing an end, with Lincoln finishing as runners up after defeating Holland by 2 ends to 1.
The event was considered to be a success, and thanks go to the officials from both organisations - Stuart Bell, Roger Beardsmore, Tony Gray, Glyn Lawrence, Maurice Simons, Pam Prosser and Sue Lawrence. The next joint event will take place at Kessingland in October. All teams are welcome to take part in this event. See the fixtures page for more info.
720 – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up – Lincoln 660 4+4 – Winners – Sheen Ladies – Runners Up – Holland 600 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Lincoln 680 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Sheen 600 4 + 4 - Winners – Holland – Runners Up – Sheen 640 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Lutterworth Catchweight – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up – Lincoln
17/07/2011 – WIDECOMBE TOWC OPEN COMPETITION, DEVON – RESULTS
9 teams attended this weekends competition at Widecombe in Devon.
The day started with the catchweight with a straight 5 team group. The winners were Whimple with Kennford the runner up, followed by Dartmouth, Chumleigh and Widecombe.
Next up was the 600 in a group of 6. The winners were the hosts Widecombe with Kennford again the runner up, followed by Whimple Dartmouth, Okehampton, and Princetown.
The third weight of the day was the 680 kilos, again another straight 6 group. The winners were Tavistock and the runners up were Kennford A, followed by Dartmouth Chumleigh, Widecombe, and Kennford B.
The biggest weight of the day was the 640 kilos competition with 8 teams entered split into 2 groups. In group A the winners were Widecombe with Kennford the runner up. In group B the winners were Tavistock with Okehampton the runner up. The cross over produced wins for Tavistock by 2 ends to 1 over Kennford in a very close match and Widecombe over Okehampton 2-0. The final saw hosts Widecombe defeat Tavistock by 2 ends to 0.
The 660 non finalist event was the last weight of the day, and this weight saw 4 teams qualify to compete. The winners Dartmouth followed by Princetown, Okehampton and then Chumleigh, which ended another great days pulling in the area.
Results Summary
Catchweight – Winners – Whimple – Runners Up – Kennford 600 – Winners – Widecombe – Runners Up – Kennford 680 – Winners – Tavistock – Runners Up – Kennford 640 – Winners – Widecombe – Runners Up – Tavistock 660 Non Finalist – Winners – Dartmouth – Runners Up - Princetown
The Far Western Area league is really hotting up now and getting very tight at the top after today’s results.
The latest FWA league table is as follows after 9 events
Felton Eccles TOWC recently appeared on ITV West Country following their success at the national outdoor tug of war championships in Lincoln. This filming forms part of publicity in Somerset and the South West for the forthcoming European Outdoor Championships in Minehead. To watch the video, please click here
TUG OF WAR DEMONSTRATION
A tug of war demonstration was recently held as part of the Evesham Festival of Sport. Assistance was provided by Richard Lane and Mick Copper of the Tug of War Association Midland Area, with the assistance also from officials of the Tug of War Federation. Pullers from Inkerberrow YFC and Shires Tug of War club formed teams to take part in the demonstration.
Many ends were pulled to help inform spectators on the day about the sport of tug of war and how they can get involved. Well done to those who took part to help us promote tug of war.
ENGLAND UNDER 23 REPORT - SANDHURST - 10/07/2011
We are pleased to report the success of the under 23s team trial at Sandhurst. A total of sixteen pullers attended with a further six that were unavailable on the day . This is by far the largest attendance our Association has had for the under 23s and shows the commitment from our clubs to their youth pullers to allow them to compete .
We would like to thank team Army, Bosley, Felton Eccles, Forge Lane, Holland, Kennford, Sandhurst, Totham Bull, Two Dales and Oxney Vines Cross for their co-operation in allowing the use of their pullers. We now have a squad of both experienced pullers and newcomers to our under 23s to build upon in the coming years and it will be a privilege to see them all develop into seasoned pullers.
It is a great honour to be selected for an England Squad and although only eight are able to pull in the final England selected team every one of you are playing a part on the future of English tug of war - be proud that you have been selected for the squad.
We would like to thank Sandhurst Tug of War Club and our officials for all their help and co-operation on making our trial day such a great success.
Train hard do that extra bit we are England Under 23s.
Dave Knott
England Under 23s Manager
11/07/2011 – TUG OF WAR VIDEO FROM 2010 WORLD OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The official video showing highlights of the 2010 World Outdoor Championships in South Africa is now available to view on Youtube.
Tug of War Association Area 8 had an excellent day at the FWA championships on Sunday 3rd July.
10 teams were in attendance and 5 different teams made it to the trophy table in the end with the results fairly well spread out.
The excellent weather conditions resulted in 3 or 4 other teams who were intending to come missing the event, as they are all farmers and emailed Friday and Saturday to say they could not attend as they were silaging in the good weather. Ten teams however is the best the FWA championships have had for many years.
Thanks must go to John Vargo for the use of his field and Probus for setting it up as hosts. Once the scales closed we had 10 teams weighed in for the various weight categories.
The pulling started with the ladies competition which was won by Helston A who defeated Helston B 2-0. It was a shame that we did not have any more of our ladies teams in attendance to make it a better competition, as the trophy is a nice one!
The main competitions started with the 720K which was pulled as a straight 4 group with Helston the winners and Tavistock runner up followed by Kennford and Chumleigh.
The next weight was the 600k 8 teams entered split in to 2 groups of 4. In group A Tavistock were the winners followed by Kennford in group B Widecombe were the winners followed by Probus. In the semi finals Tavistock defeated Probus 2-0 and Widecombe overcame Kennford 2-0 in a very tight match. The final saw Tavistock overcome Widecombe 2-0
This was followed by the 680K 5 teams entered in one group. The winners were Helston followed by Kennford in the runner up spot, then Tavistock, Widecombe and Chumleigh.
The last weight of the day saw 8 teams again enter the 640K again split into 2 groups.
In group A Tavistock were the winners followed by Probus, in group B Chumleigh were the winners followed by Okehampton.
In the semi finals Tavistock defeated Okehampton 2-0 and Probus overcame Chumleigh 2-0 in another very tight match. The final saw Tavistock overcome Probus 2-0 to lift the trophy.
Also competing on the day were Princetown & Whimple.
The final pull of the day was for the Tillitson trophy and an eagerly awaited match between pullers from Cornwall Vs pullers from Devon selected from the teams in attendance. This year it was at Catchweight as it alternates between 640 & Catchweight each year. After some tight pulling in both ends, Cornwall came out victorious with a 2-0 victory to take the cup for the first time in many years- so well done Cornwall.
The latest FWA league table is as follows after 6 events:
Chumleigh are top as they are the only team to have attended all of the league venues this season so far - Not bad for a team in their first full season with us.
19/06/2011 - YFC MIDLAND REGIONAL FINAL HELD AT THREE COUNTIES SHOW, MALVERN, WORCESTERSHIRE
Results supplied by TOWA Midland Area Number 2.
Men 680 kilo Hereford A 17 Staffordshire A 16 Hereford B 12 Warwickshire 8 Shropshire 5 Staffordshire B 4 Worcestershire 1
Womens’ 580 Staffordshire A 18 Staffordshire B 15 Shropshire A 11 Warwickshire 10 Worcestershire 4 Hereford 4 Shropshire B 1
YFC competitors have over the past five years continued to develop their skills and endurance and this competition demonstrated the best yet. This new level of endurance made for some lengthy pulls, which in turn, had an effect on the time the event took. All agreed that the event was a great success and provided good entertainment for the large audience. Many people commented on how professional the teams looked as they marched out to the rope and upon the quality of sportsmanship demonstrated during the day. The Two Judges Roger Beardsmore and Tony Henshaw were congratulated upon their handling of the competition.
We wish the winning teams the best of luck as the go to represent the Midland Area in the grand final.
20/06/2011 - NATIONAL OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - PRESS ARTICLES
Please click here for a report on the championships from the Lincolnshire Echo.
Please click here for a selection of photos from the Lincolnshire Echo
Pleae click here for a report and video produced by the Young Journalists Academy. The video shows clips of the mens and ladies teams competing as well as an interview with junior ladies pullers from Leicester and Northants ACF
18/06/2011 - 2011 NATIONAL OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
National Outdoor Tug of War Championships 2011 - Teams competing:
Senior Men - Lincoln, Alford, Norton, Sheen, Bosley, Holland, Two Dales, Team Army, Felton Eccles, Tavistock, Widecombe, Sandhurst, Oxney Vines Cross, Forge Lane,
Junior Men – Gloucester and Somerset ACF, Leicester, Northants and Rutland ACF, Lincoln ACF
Junior Ladies (demonstration event) – Gloucester and Somerset ACF, Leicester, Northants and Rutland ACF
This years national outdoor tug of war championships were held in Lincoln at the Sabroan Barracks. The event was organised with the assistance and support of Captain Rob Holland and the Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force. The venue was good, and despite the dry weather experienced in this area, the ground cut up nicely allowing for some good competitive pulling. The weather remained largely dry for most of the day with only one heavy downpour during the 560 kilos event. Photo: Championships Officials
The championships opened with the mens catchweight and ladies 560 kilos events. Four teams competed in the catchweight competition, which was pulled under TWIF rules, meaning that each team pulled each other, before a semi-final cross over. Sheen started strongly with a 2 ends to 0 win over Sandhurst, whilst Bosley and Holland drew 1-1. Sheen then defeated Bosley, and Holland defeated Sandhurst. Bosley then defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, and Sheen defeated Holland. Photo: Holland Ladies
The semi finals saw the top team pull the fourth placed team, and the second placed team pull the third placed team. Sheen defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, and Bosley earned a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win over Holland to make the final. Sandhurst and Holland were left to fight it out for the bronze medal. Despite being very light in this weight, Sandhurst held their own very well, however Holland proved to be that bit stronger on the day, and won through by 2 ends to 0. Sheen and Bosley met again in the final, but Sheen again proved to very strong in this weight and went on to win the gold medal by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Woodton Ladies
The ladies 560 kilos event was contested by four teams this year – Bedford, Sheen Ladies, Holland Ladies and Woodton Ladies. The competition was very good, and like the catchweight competition, the teams pulled each other in a group points competition before contesting semi-finals and finals. Sheen and Bedford both beat Holland and Woodton by 2 ends to 0 each going into their head to head at the end of the group stage. Holland defeated Woodton by 2 ends to 0 in a good group match, whilst Sheen Ladies edged out Bedford Ladies by 2 ends to 0 to finish top of the group. Photo: Sheen Ladies
In the cross over Sheen defeated Woodton by 2 ends to 0 and Bedford defeated Holland by 2 ends to 0. Holland and Woodton contested the bronze medal match, which was won by Holland Ladies by 2 ends to 0. The final was a keenly contested match between Sheen and Bedford. Sheen took the advantage on the first end by beating Bedford to the drop. Bedford worked hard to get themselves back into the pull, however Sheen maintained their advantage to take the first end. He second end again saw Sheen try and take the early advantage, but Bedford tried hard to fight back and get some lifts in against Sheen. As Bedford looked to be getting themselves into it, Sheen got their momentum going again and went on to take the second end and the gold medal. Photo: Lincoln TOWC
The 640 kilos event followed, which was a competition split into two groups. Home team Lincoln were looking to get to the final again on home soil, having finished second in the event last year, and Felton Eccles were looking for their fifteenth 640 kilos title in 16 years. Felton progressed to the semi-final after finishing top of their group ahead of Sheen who finished second. Alford finished third in this group after some excellent pulling, taking the scalps of Sandhurst and Holland on the way. Group 2 was keenly contested, with Bosley eventually finishing top of the group ahead of Two Dales. Lincoln missed out on a spot in the semi finals after being defeated by Two Dales first on, and drawing 1-1 with Bosley. Tavistock finished fourth in this group ahead of Team Army. Photo: Wood Treatment Bosley
The semi finals saw Felton Eccles defeat Two Dales in a very fierce pull by 2 ends to 0, and Sheen defeated Bosley by 2 ends to 0. The bronze medal pull off was a close pull, and saw some very determined pulling by Two Dales which resulted in them taking the bronze medal ahead of Bosley by 2 ends to 0. The final saw Felton Eccles take on Sheen. Felton had already defeated Sheen in the group, however the incentive of a gold medal always ensures that a final is not so straight forward. Felton however managed to stand firm on the first end to take the advantage. On the second end, Felton started to take advantage, with Sheen then starting to throw in some big lifts in return, however Felton managed to keep taking the rope to secure their 15th 640 kilos gold medal in 16 years. Photo: Two Dales
During the 640 kilos weight class the junior weight classes were held. Defending champions Sandhurst were unable to field a team at the event this year, which meant that their would be new youth champions for 2011. Leicester and Northants ACF sprung the first surprise of the day by taking the gold medal in the junior 530 kilos weight class ahead of Gloucester and Somerset ACF, who had been winning most of the junior weight classes in the run up to the national championships. Photo: Holland TOWC
The junior 560 kilos weight class was another keenly contested youth weight class. Gloucester and Somerset ACF won all of their group matches ahead of Leicester and Northants ACF and Lincoln ACF without losing an end. A final was then contested between Leicester and Northants ACF and Gloucester and Somerset ACF. Gloucester and Somerset ACF took the advantage on the first end and moved Leicester and Northants ACF over the line to take their first step towards their first ever gold medal. Gloucester and Somerset then took the second end off a very determined Leicester and Northants ACF to take the junior 560 kilos title. Photo: Felton Eccles TOWC
A tug of war demonstration event took place for the junior ladies teams with Gloucester and Somerset ACF and Leicester and Northants ACF taking part. Leicester and Northants have had an established team set up over the past couple of years for junior ladies, having fielded junior ladies teams at past GENSB tournaments. This previous experience showed as they managed to beat Gloucester and Somerset ACF in both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight classes. We are hoping to run weight classes for junior ladies teams in future events, so anyone interested in setting up junior ladies teams are encouraged to do so. Photo: Alford TOWC
The mens 560 kilos event followed, which was again split into two groups. Norton finished as winners of group 1 ahead of Oxney, and Sandhurst finished as winners of group 2 ahead of Forge Lane. In the semi finals, Norton defeated Forge Lane by 2 ends to 0, and Sandhurst won a very keenly contested semi final against Oxney by 2 ends to 0 with Oxney making a couple of costly slips which Sandhurst did well to take full advantage of. The bronze medal match was a good battle between the two Sussex teams of Oxney Vines Cross and Forge Lane. Despite a great effort from Forge Lane, where on many occasions they put in some good lists against Oxney, Oxney stood firm to take a well earned Bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final was yet another showpiece between Norton and Sandhurst. Norton held their angles well to take a long first end off Sandhurst. For the second end, Sandhurst opted to make a substitution to add a fresh pair of legs to their team to try and get back into the final. Again after another long end, and a resilient effort by Sandhurst, Norton took the win and the gold medal. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF
The mens 720 kilos event followed, and like the catchweight competition, four teams entered. This time however, Bosley and Sandhurst did not enter, but Two Dales and Felton Eccles were entered in their place. Sheen put in another strong performance to finish top of the group without losing an end. Felton finished in second place in the group stage, followed by Holland and Two Dales. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Two Dales and Felton Eccles defeated Holland. The bronze medal match was a very tense affair between Holland and Two Dales. Holland won the group match between these two teams in a very close pull, however Two Dales took a very close first end in the bronze medal match. The second end was equally as tight, and with Holland on two cautions and Two Dales on one caution, Holland picked up their third caution and the bronze medal was won by Two Dales. The final was contested between Sheen and Felton Eccles. Both teams have been competing in many finals against each other at catchweight and 680 kilos throughout the season, and despite defeat to Felton in the 640 kilos event, Sheen went on to take the gold medal in this weight class strongly by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF
The Ladies 520 kilos weight class was contested alongside the mens 720 kilos event. Three teams contested this weight class – Holland, Sheen, and Bedford. Both Bedford and Sheen defeated Holland in the group rounds, meaning that both clubs would pull each other again in the final. The final this time was much closer than the final of the 560 kilos event with both teams favouring this weight class as their strongest weight. The final was close between these two very experienced ladies teams, however this time, Sheen Ladies made it two gold medals on the day to take the ladies national championships title off Bedford. Well done to all of the ladies teams who took part on the day, making a good advert for ladies tug of war. Photo: Forge Lane
The mens 600 kilos weight class was the next weight to be contested. Again, split into two groups, the competition started with a bang. Group 1 saw Fleton Eccles and Sandhurst battle it out to a 1-1 draw, and Lincoln defeated Oxney in group 2 by 2 ends to 0 in very hard fought battle. Norton went through as winners of group 1, with Felton Eccles finishing as eventual runner up after receiving less cautions than Sandhurst. In group 2, and despite defeat to Lincoln, Oxney finished as winners, with Bosley coming through as runners up after losing to Oxney in their final pull of the group. Norton defeated Bosley in the first semi final with Felton Eccles defeating Oxney in the other semi final to make the final. The bronze medal pull off saw Oxney and Bosley meet for the second time. This time, Bosley took the first end by catching Oxney off guard from the drop. On the second end, Bosley got Oxney moving again, and then stopped, allowing Oxney back into the pull to take the second end. The same thing happened again on the third end, and Oxney took a hard fought bronze medal. The final saw Norton pull strongly again as they have done all year and they took the gold medal ahead of Felton by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Norton TOWC
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos weight class. This weight can sometimes throw up a few surprises, being the last weight class of the day, with most clubs entering a team for their last chance of winning a medal. Like most of the weight classes on the day, this competition was again split into two groups. Sheen were the winners of group 1, ahead of Two Dales who finished as the eventual runners up. Norton were the winners of group 2 ahead of Felton Eccles who finished as group runners up. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Felton Eccles and Norton defeated Two Dales. The bronze medal match was a good battle between Felton Eccles and Two Dales. Two Dales managed to lift Felton to their toes on more than one occasion, however the experience and determination of the Felton team enabled them to hang on and take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final between Sheen and Norton was a tense affair. Norton opted to try and outlast Sheen on the first end, however Sheen started to work Norton out of shape, and a good battle unfolded with Sheen taking the first end. The second end saw both teams battle hard again, but Sheen proved to be that little bit stronger on the day, and they took their third gold medal of the championship. Photo: Sandhurst TOWC
At the end of the championships, the presentations took place, firstly with the ladies weight classes. The medals were presented in memory of Lynsey Chipperfield, with presentations being made by her parents Stafford and Lynsey. Fittingly, the gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to clubs with whom she had previously been actively involved with – Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, and Holland (with whom her fiancé Gavin is also a member). The presentations for the mens weight classes were made by the TOWA chairman Pete Dyer in the absence of the TOWA president Tony Martin who was unable to attend the championships as his wife Sue has recently undergone an operation. We wish Sue a speedy recovery. A presentation was also made to the chief judge, Mr. Vic Ludkin. The Tug of War Association would like to thank all of the teams and supporters for coming along and making the day a success, and we would also like to thank all of the officials, recorders, and marshals for helping the event run smoothly. We would also like to place on record our thanks to Rob Holland and the Lincolnshire ACF for helping to stage the championships. Photo: Duncan Craft (Sheen Ladies Coach) receiving the winners medals from Stafford and Lesley Chipperfield.
PGood luck to all of the teams for the remainder of the outdoor season with the European Championships to look forward to in Minehead, Somerset. There is both the international event and open club competition taking place at this event. Any club team may take part in the open competition, so we look forward to seeing many English clubs at the event. Accommodation bookings, accreditation and weight entries are currently being taken, and early booking of accommodation is recommended. Please visit www.ec2011tow.co.uk for further information! Photo: Widecombe TOWC
Photo: Oxney Vines Cross
Photo: Team Army
Photo: Tavistock TOWC
Photo: Sheen TOWC
05/06/2011 - SANDHURST TOWC OPEN COMPETITION RESULTS
640 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sandhurst
CWT - Winners - Felton - Runners Up - Lincoln
580 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Oxney
680 - Winners - Felton - Runners Up - Lincoln
600 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Oxney
Ladies and Youth 560 - Winners - Glos/Som A - Runners Up - Sheen Ladies
Ladies and Youth 520 - Winners - Sheen Ladies - Runners Up - Glos/Som A
04/06/2011 & 05/06/2011 - TUG OF WAR COMPETITIONS IN THE FAR WESTERN AREA
A busy weekend has just passed in the Far Western Area
At Dartmouth’s competition on Friday evening there were 6 teams in attendance with the host club victorious in the catchweight event followed by Chumleigh in the runner up spot. Also in attendance were Culm Valley, Okehampton, Kingsbridge & South Dartmoor.
On Sunday 5th June, the Devon championships took place and were hosted by Kennford and thanks must go to them for that and for their work to make the day a success.
A very high standard of pulling was to be seen, the best in the area this season so far with some great pressure pulling. The two county weights were pulled under TWIF rules where all teams pull in a group and then the top 4 teams advance to a knock out semi final.
The results are as follows;
The 640 kilos winners were Tavistock, and the runners up Whimple - who made the final after defeating Widecombe in the semi final. Tavistock defeated Kennford in the other semi final.
The Torbay shield was won by a very spirited Princetown side, who have recently reformed and with a mixture of some old heads and some new younger blood and pulled very well (although very light) -Well done to them.
The 680 kilo Winners were again Tavistock who defeated Widecombe in the semi final, and Kennford were the Runners up defeating Whimple in the other semi final.
In the Open Catchweight Tavistock were the Winners with Kennford the Runners up.
The Far Western Area league placings are as follows after 3 competitions;
Please download the notice from the England Under 23 Manager by clicking here. Those wishing to be considered for the under 23 team should attend Sandhurst's competition this Sunday. If you are unable to attend but would like to be considered, please contact the England Under 23 Manager as soon as possible.
UNDER 23’s SQUAD 2011
The present Under 23’s Team Manager (Sam Canning) has had to stand down for personal reasons. A new Under23’s Team Manager has been appointed and his details are as follows:
If you have any pullers that qualify by age to compete at Under 23 level, please contact Dave as soon as possible. Ages for competitors are as follows:
Rule 5.2 TWIF Rules Manual Edition 2008 - 2010
A puller is eligible to participate in the under 23 category from the beginning of the year in which the puller reaches the age of 18 years until the end of the year in which the puller reaches the age of 22 years.
29/05/2011 - WESSEX OPEN COMPETITION RESULTS
Teams competing - Sandhurst (A and B), Haye-on-Wye, Oxney Vines Cross, Felton Eccles (A and B), Widecombe, Cupids Hill, North Wiltshire, Kennford.
580 kilos – Winners – Oxney – Runners Up – Cupids Hill
600 kilos – Winners - Sandhurst A – Runners Up – Oxney
640 kilos – Winners – Sandhurst A – Runners Up – Oxney
680 kilos – Winners – Felton Eccles A – Runners Up – Sandhurst A
29/05/2011 - SHEEN LADIES TOWC OPEN COMPETITION
Sheen Ladies hosted a tug of war competition at Someral Herbert near Uttoxeter on 29th May. The competition was supported by teams from Sheen Ladies, Ashbourne YFC ladies, Waterhouses YFC Ladies and Bedford Ladies. Sheen, Norton, Lincoln, Bosley, Two Dales, Waterhouses and Melbourne supported the mens competition with Sheen A and B, Bedford, Melbourne and Waterhouses suppoting the mixed 4+4 competition. The weather remained largely dry and the ground cut up well resulting in very big holes for the teams to contend with, resulting in some very hard fought pulls.
Bedford Ladies won the 520 kilos event ahead of Ashbourne who finished in second place and Waterhouses finished in third place. Sheen ladies won both the 540 kilos and 560 kilos events with some good performances, winning those weights without losing any ends. Sheen were closely challenged in these two weights by Bedford who finished as runners up. Waterhouses finished in third place in both of these weight classes.
The mens competition saw Sheen win the catchweight competition by defeating Lincoln in the final by 2 ends to 0. The 620 kilos followed and was a keenly contested weight class with the top two teams of the group stage progressing to the final. Norton defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in their first pull, with Bosley and Two dales going one end each. Norton progressed to the final without losing an end, and it was close between Sheen and Bosley as to who would go through. In that match, Bosley took the first end, but Sheen almost took Bosley over the line on the second end to take the end they needed to get to the final, however Bosley stopped Sheen within inches of the line to bring the rope back and take the second end. In the final, Bosley put up a good fight against Norton, but it was Norton who took the win by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Norton
The 680 kilos competition was pulled as a group of 6, again there was some very close pulling in this weight as a result of the ground conditions. Norton progressed through to the cross over along with Sheen, Two Dales and Lincoln. Norton defeated Two Dales, however there was a very close semi final between Sheen and Lincoln. Sheen took the first end, but Lincoln made a real fight of it on the second end, however Sheen dug deep to take Lincoln back over the line. In the final, Sheen started well, however Norton kept their composure to take the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: host club Sheen Ladies
The 600 kilos was contested between Sheen, Two Dales and Melbourne. Melbourne put in a spirited performance on the day but did not finish in the top two. After the group stage the top two teams pulled again. Two Dales had defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in the group, however the final was much closer and went to three ends. Sheen took the first end, and Two Dales took the second end. Two Dales won the toss, but Sheen held on to take the win. Photo: Two Dales
The final mens weight was the 640 kilos competition with the top two teams going to the final. Again, this was a group of 6, and with some very close competition again, it was Norton who progressed along with Two Dales who edged out Bosley into second place. Norton won the final by 2 ends to 0.
The final weight of the day was the 660 4+4. Melbourne put in a great performance in this weight giving the teams some good tight pulling and were much improved from the 600 kilos competition. At the end of the pulling Sheen B topped the group followed by Sheen A. Bedford finished third and Waterhouses in fourth. The final saw a reversal of the pull in the group with Sheen A winning the final by 2 ends to 0.
Well done to all who took part and thanks to Mick Grimston and Julie Petit for keeping the pulling going all day, ensuring the event finished by 5pm and thanks to Angela Battye for undertaking the recorders duties.
22/05/2011 - AAA CHAMPIONSHIPS - FELTON
Teams competing: Felton Eccles (A and B), Tavistock, Widecombe, Kennford, North Wiltshire, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Oxney Vines Cross, Forge Lane, Sandhurst (A and B), Lincoln, Sheen, Norton, Wood Treatment Bosley, Llanboidy.
The 2011 AAA championships were this year hosted by Felton Eccles TOWC at The Bungalow Inn, Felton near Bristol. This year it was decided to hold the AAA championships prior to the national championships to increase support. This year 11 teams supported the closed AAA weights, a vast improvement on the attendance of the 2010 event. The first weight of the day was the 640 kilos event, pulled as a straight group under TWIF rules with the top four progressing to the semi-finals. Norton, Sandhurst, Bosley and Lincoln all progressed, with Norton defeating Bosley by 2 ends to 0 in their semi final, and Sandhurst edging Lincoln out in the other semi final by 2 ends to 0. In the final, reigning champions Norton conceded little ground and took a well deserved 2 ends to 0 win to take the gold medal with Sandhurst earning a well deserved silver. Photo: Norton competing against Sandhurst
The catchweight event followed. Again, this was pulled as a straight group with the top four progressing to the semi final. Sheen, Felton, Lincoln and Tavistock all progressed ahead of Sandhurst, Widecombe and Kennford. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Tavistock by 2 ends to 0 and Felton defeated Lincoln by 2 ends to 0 in a hard fought pull. In the final, Sheen went out to look to win their first AAA outdoor title since 1980 with reigning champions Felton Eccles standing in their way. Sheen pulled strongly against Felton and gave the host team little opportunity to get themselves back into the pull. Sheen went on to win the gold by 2 ends to 0 to secure their first AAA outdoor title for over 30 years. Photo: Sheen - AAA Catchweight winning team
The open national league weights followed, the first being the 600 kilos event, being pulled as two groups of 7. Norton progressed as winners of group 1 along with Oxney who progressed as group runners up. Sandhurst progressed as winners of group 2 with Tavistock finishing as group runners up. In the semi final, Norton defeated Tavistock by 2 ends to 0. Sandhurst and Oxney had a very close pull in the second semi-final with the match going to three ends. Sandhurst took the first end and Oxney the second. Sandhurst then took the third end to make the final. Norton then went on to take the win in the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Kennford TOWC
The 680 kilos competition was another competition split into two groups of 7. Llanboidy from Wales progressed as winners of group 1 ahead of Bosley, whilst Sheen progressed as winners of group 2 ahead of Norton. In the semi final, Norton defeated Llanboidy by 2 ends to 0, whilst Sheen defeated Bosley by 2 ends to 0. Sheen and Norton met in the final for their second match in this weight having drawn 1 end each in the group. Norton took a very close first end and then took the second end to take their third gold medal of the day. Photo: Tavistock TOWC
The 580 kilos competition was pulled as a straight group of 5 with no cross over. Teams therefore had to win the group outright to win the competition. Oxney pulled strongly in this weight to win the competition without losing an end. Tavistock and Kennford both put in strong performances to defeat Felton and Sandhurst to put themselves both in contention of the silver medal. Tavistock won the resulting decider by 2 ends to 0 to take the runners up spot. Photo: Widecombe TOWC
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos competition. This was pulled as two groups with the top team in each group progressing straight to the final. Norton were the winners of group 1 ahead of Sandhurst A, Sandhurst B, Felton, Forge Lane and Widecombe. Bosley were the winners of group 2 ahead of Oxney, Llanboidy, Kennford and North Wiltshire. Both teams attacked from the drop in the final, but again, Norton had the edge and took the final by 2 ends to 0.
Felton Eccles Open Competition and National League
680 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sheen 640 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Bosley 600 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sandhurst A 580 - Winners - Oxney - Runners Up – Tavistock
21/05/2011 - DEVON COUNTY SHOW RESULTS
There were 9 male and 3 female teams in attendance at the 2011 Devon County Show's tug of war competition, which was run as a catchweight competition. Teams in attendance were from Holland, Dartmouth, Chumleigh, Culm Valley, Kingsbridge, Helston, Princetown, Ansty and Whimple. South Dartmoor, Whimple and Helston took part in the ladies competition.
The male competition was split into 2 groups. The winners of group 1 were Holland Sports from Staffordshire with Dartmouth runner up. In group 2 Chumleigh were the winners with Culm Valley runner up. In the semi finals Holland defeated Culm Valley and Dartmouth Defeated Chumleigh 2-1 in a very close match.
In the final Holland defeated a spirited Dartmouth to retain the trophy for the 4th year.
In the Ladies event South Dartmoor were the winners on maximum points followed by Whimple then Helston.
As usual we were thanked by the organisers for keeping the biggest crowds to that arena over the 3 days of the show well entertained.
15/05/2011 - MIDLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS - SHROPSHIRE COUNTY SHOW
There was a great turnout for this weekends Midland Area Championships held at the Shropshire County Show in Shrewsbury, the venue for the 2008 national outdoor championships. Many teams from England and some from over the border in Wales took part. The teams competing were: Norton, Felton, Holland, Sheen, Bosley, Two Dales, Lincoln, Sandhurst (A and B), Caradoc, Haye on Wye, Bolver, Cupids Hill, Rushock. The ladies and youth competitions were also well supported with Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, Gloucester and Somerset ACF (A, B, C), Leicester and Northants ACF (A, B, C) taking part. Photo: Caradoc
In the mens weight classes, Norton were again in top form, winning the bottom four weight classes on the day at 600, 620, 640 and 680 kilos. Norton defeated Sandhurst A in the final of both the 620 kilos and 640 kilos competitions by 2 ends to 0, and also won the 600 kilos and 680 kilos competitions by defeating Sheen in the finals by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bolver
There was some good pulling by local club Caradoc from Church Stretton, who made the cross over in both the 600 kilos and 620 kilos events only to be defeated by eventual winners Norton in both semi finals.
Sheen won the catchweight event, coming out of their group ahead of Felton Eccles, Holland and Bolver. Sheen defeated Two Dales in the semi final with Felton Eccles defeating Lincoln. Sheen then went on to defeat Felton Eccles in the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Sandhurst A
The ladies and youth events were again very well supported. Gloucester and Somerset ACF A were the winners of both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos events. Sheen Ladies were strong in finishing as runners up in the 560 kilos event, with Bedford Ladies finishing as runners up in the 520 kilos event. Photo: Sheen
Results of the Midland Championships held at the Shropshire County Show 15th May 2011
Cwt – Winners - Sheen – Runners Up - Felton Eccles 680 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up - Sheen Farmers 640 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Sandhurst 600 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up - Sheen Farmers 620 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up - Sandhurst Ladies/Youth 560 – Winners – Glos/Som ACF A – Runners Up – Sheen Ladies Ladies/Youth 520– Winners – Glos/Som ACF A – Runners Up – Bedford Ladies
08/05/2011 - GREAT ORMOND STREET CHARITY EVENT - DAVENTRY
This weekend saw another well supported tug of war event at Daventry in Northamptonshire. Despite the possible threat of rain, the weather remained dry, allowing for a good day of competition. The teams competing in the senior weights were Felton, Lincoln, Sandhurst (A and B), Killyloughey, Norton, Bosley, Two Dales, Caradoc, Oxney, Forge Lane, Triple F, with Boyneside from Ireland, Sheen, Bedford, LNR, and Gloucester and Somerset ACF taking part in the ladies competitions. Eire Og, LNR A, LNR B, Glos/Som A, Glos/Som B competed in the youth weight classes.
The first weight was the catchweight, which was pulled as a straight group with a top four cross-over. Felton Eccles met Killyloughey from Ireland whilst Sandhurst A and Lincoln met in the other semi-final. Felton defeated Killyloughy by 2 ends to 0 to be the first team to make the final, however it was a very close pull between Lincoln and Sandhurst to make the final, with Lincoln managing to overcome Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0. Felton defeated Lincoln by 2 ends to 0 to win the catchweight final. Photo: Caradoc TOWC.
At the same time as the catchweight event, the ladies 560 kilos and youth 560 kilos also took place as separate weight classes, with 5 teams competing in each weight class, both of which included teams from the Republic of Ireland. The youth competition was pulled with teams having best out of 5 end matches to give them all more pulling. Both Leicester and Northants ACF and Gloucester and Somerset ACF fielded two teams in the junior 560 kilos competition, with the Eire OG team from Ireland taking part. The deciding pull in this weight came between Gloucester and Somerset ACF A and Eire OG. Eire OG took the first end, with Gloucester coming very close to taking the second end, only to be stopped close to the line and taken all the way back. Eire OG then took the third and final end to confirm first place. Photo: Boyneside Ladies from Ireland
The ladies 560 competition was pulled in a straight group of 5 teams. There were some good performances from the Gloucester and Somerset ACF and Leicester and Northants ACF junior ladies teams, in addition to a good performance from the Irish Boyneside team, however it was the pull between the experience Sheen and Bedford Ladies teams which decided first place. Sheen continued their strong start to the ladies tug of war season by defeating Bedford Ladies by 2 ends to 0 to take first place. Photo: Forge Lane
The second mens weight of the day was the 600 kilos. This competition was split into two groups with the top two teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals. Norton finished as winners of the first group ahead of Oxney, with Sandhurst finishing as winners of group 2 ahead of Forge Lane. Norton defeated Forge Lane in their semi final, with Oxney and Sandhurst having a great pull in their semi-final with Sandhurst defeating Oxney by 2 ends to 0 in two very hard fought ends. Norton continued their dominant streak by winning the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Oxney Vines Cross
The 680 kilos event followed and it was another weight split into two groups. Norton were the winners of the first group ahead of Bosley, and Felton Eccles were the winners of the second group ahead of Sandhurst. Norton defeated Sandhurst in their semi final, but Felton and Bosley had a good battle for the other place in the final. Felton took the first end, but Bosley came very close to taking the second end only to stop a few inches short of the line with Felton managing to bring them back over to make the final. Norton then took their second win of the day by defeating Felton by 2 ends to 0 in the final. Photo: Eire OG Youth from Ireland
Both the ladies and youth 520 kilos events were the next weights to be pulled alongside the 680 kilos competition. The youth 520 kilos competition was again won by the Eire OG team without losing an end. Gloucester and Somerset A came a close second, but were given a challenge by the Leciester and Northants A team who managed to take an end of the Gloucester team, but it wasn’t quite enough to take second place. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF A youth team.
The ladies 520 kilos event was another good competition with all teams giving a good account of themselves. Boyneside got themselves into the competition in this weight, giving Sheen Ladies a good pull, but Sheen held on for the 2 ends to 0 win. The deciding pull was between Sheen and Bedford, with Bedford this time winning the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF Junior Ladies team.
The mens 580 kilos event followed pulled as a straight group with a cross over of the top four teams. Forge Lane, Oxney, Sandhurst and Bosley all made the cross-over with Oxney defeating Bosley and Sandhurst defeating Forge Lane. Both Sandhurst and Oxney gave it their all in the final, with Oxney this time getting the better of Sandhurst to win the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Killyloughey from Ireland
The 640 kilos was the final mens weight of the day, again split into two groups. Felton Eccles were the winners of group 1 ahead of Oxney whilst Norton were the winners of group 2. The battle for the last semi-final place was between Bosley and Sandhurst A. Bosley were travelling back nicely with Sandhurst on the first end only to be blown out for receiving three cautions, and then Sandhurst A went on to take the second end to make it to the semi-finals. In the semi final Norton defeated Oxney whilst Sandhurst A defeated Felton. Norton went on to take their third win of the day by defeating Sandhurst A by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF Junior men and ladies squad
01/05/2011 - LINCOLN TOWC OPEN EVENT
Teams competing – Lincoln, Market Raisen, Alford, Holland, Two Dales, Sheen, Norton, Bosley, Felton Eccles, Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies.
This weekend, Lincoln TOWC held their annual event at Harby near Melton Mowbray. The weather remained dry as it has done over the past few weeks, and despite the ground being hard to start off with, the ground cut up nicely to give the teams some good holes to work with.
The first weight of the day was the catchweight event, split into two groups. Sheen and Felton had a tough battle first on in their group, with Felton coming away with a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win. This pull took a bit out of Felton as they went on to drop an end in their next pull to Two Dales, however they still progressed as group winners to the semi finals along with Sheen. In the other group, Holland and Lincoln had a good pull first on, but it was Holland who came away as 2 ends to 0 winners. Lincoln edged Bosley and Market Raisen out into second place in their group to progress to semi finals along with Holland. Sheen defeated Holland and Felton defeated Lincoln to make the final. This time in the final however, Sheen had altered their line up and went on to defeat Felton by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bosley
The second weight of the day was the 600 kilos competition, which was pulled as a straight group of 6 with the top four teams progressing to the semi finals. The surprise package in this event was Alford who were competing in their first TOWA event. Alford made the cross-over along with Norton, Two Dales and Sheen. Alford went on to be defeated by Norton in the semi final despite a good effort and Sheen defeated Two Dales. Norton then went on to defeat Sheen in the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Sheen
The 680 kilos event was the third weight of the day, again split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group one ahead of Bosley, Market Raisen, and Lincoln. The pulling in group 2 was very keenly contested, particularly between Felton, Holland and Two Dales. In the end, it was Two Dales who progressed to the semi finals in second place behind Sheen. Norton proved to be too strong for Two Dales in their semi final, and Sheen and Bosley had a good pull in their semi final, with Sheen edging Bosley out to progress to the final. Norton continued their winning form by defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in the final. Photo: Host club Lincoln
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos event. Again split into two groups, Norton progressed from their group as group winners ahead of Bosley, Lincoln, Market Raisen and Sheen. Two Dales finished winners of group 2, closely followed by Holland, Alford and Felton. Norton defeated Holland in their semi-final by 2 ends to 0, and Two Dales and Bosley had a close fought battle in the second semi final. Bosley took the first end, but Two Dales were very close to taking the second end only for Bosley to draw the rope back to take the second end. Norton again proved to be ahead of the game in the final by defeating Bosley by 2 ends to 0 to win their third end of the day. Photo: Felton Eccles
There were only two ladies/youth teams present at this competition – Sheen Ladies and Bedford Ladies, competing at 520 kilos and 560 kilos. The ladies teams were given more pulling by going around three times in each weight class, with Sheen proving to be worthy winners of both weight classes. Bedford competed well whilst fielding two new ladies pullers in their team. Photo: Holland
Well done to all of the teams who took part on the day. Well done also to the judges. With only two officials available, Peter Craft and Mike Callaghan kept the pulling going all day to ensure the competition finished in good time, with the able assistance of Betty Craft and Jill Callaghan who fulfilled the timekeeper/recorders duties. The prizes at the end of the day were presented by Paul and Doreen Dolan.
27/04/2011 - BASIC SKILLS DOCUMENT FOR TUG OF WAR IN SCHOOLS AND YOUTH ORGANISATIONS
The Tug of War Association has recently developed a "basic skills" manual for use by schools/youth groups in running basic tug of war sessions/competitions as part of a PE lesson or sports day. The manual covers the basics of tug of war and how to set up a pulling area.
The document can be downloaded and read by clicking here.
If any individual or club is working with a school or youth club, then please provide them with a copy of this document. Anyone involved in promoting tug of war within schools are also encouraged to inform the TOWA Schools/Youth Officer, Terry Spoore with their progress. Please visit the Schools Tug of War Page for contact details.
27/04/2011 - TUG OF WAR ASSOCIATION AND TUG OF WAR FEDERATION JOINT EVENTS
As many will be aware, the Tug of War Association and Tug of War Federation have a joint committee working together and co-operating to develop tug of war.
Please note that there will be two joint events taking place this year, which will be officiated by officials from both the Tug of War Association and the Tug of War Federation. The venues are as follows:
Sunday 17th July - Ashbourne Highland Gathering
Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October - Kessingland Autumn Tug of War Weekend
Details of the above fixtures are available on our fixtures page. We now also have a link to the Tug of War Federation fixtures via our links page. We would like to make it clear again (as stated by the Chairman at the TOWA AGM), that teams are welcome to attend any event organised by either organisation if they wish to do so, so long as they respect each others rules and officials and become members (full or associate members in the case of the TOWA) of each organisation as appropriate if competing in events of both organisations on a regular basis.
25/04/2011 - GUILDFORD RESULTS
Six clubs attended the Easter Monday event at Shalford Park, Guildford - Forge lane, Oxney, 1066 and Hailsham YFC, Sandhurst and Holland Sports. The longest pull of the day was between Sandhurst and Oxney, which Oxney eventually won after more than six minutes.
660 – Winners – Oxney - Runners Up - Sandhurst
600 – Winners – Forge Lane - Runners Up - Sandhurst
640 – Winners – Oxney - Runners Up - Sandhurst
580 – Winners – Sandhurst - Runners Up – Forge Lane
680 – Winners – Sandhurst - Runners Up – Forge Lane
24/04/2011 - THAMES VALLEY RESULTS
This weekend there was a small turnout for ther easter sunday competition at Thames Valley, held at Reading Abbey Rugby Club near Reading. The weather was warm and sunny and the ground very hard. The teams competing were Oxney, Sandhurst, Forge Lane, Felton Eccles and Bosley, with Bedford Ladies and Gloucester and Somerset ACF (A, B, and C) all taking part. Photo: Glos/Som A in the 520 kilos event
The hard ground conditions again meant that there weren't any really long ends, however it made the pulling very competitive and lively. There were some close battles between Sandhurst and Oxney, particularly in the lighter weight classes, with both teams coming away with first and second place position between them in the 580 kilos, 600 kilos and 640 kilos events. Felton Eccles pulled well to win both the 680 kilos and catchweight events. The enxt national league fixture is at Daventry on Sunday 8th May. With many teams expected to attend as in previous years, this will provide a good opportunity for teams to accumulate a good number of national league points. Photo: Sandhurst competing in the 580 kilos event.
Ladies/Youth 520 - Winners - Glos/Som A - Runners Up - Bedford
Ladies/Youth 560 - Winners - Glos/Som A - Runners Up - Glos/Som B
TOWA ADOPT TWIF RULES
As people may be aware, at the TOWA AGM, a resolution was passed to pull TOWA competitions under TWIF International Rules. This will be the case for all TOWA Competitions for 2011 - outdoor and indoor. The implementation of these rules has been discussed at length by the TOWA general committee, and will be adopted in a flexible and practical way. As such, amended rules have been published that integrate the TWIF rules into our own rules. The 2011 tug of war rules document can be downloaded by clicking the link below.
The above rules will be applicable to all open and closed competitions throughout the year for indoor and outdoor.
Young Farmers Tug of War
Please note that the previous TOWA rules will still apply to young farmers tug of war competitions (county, regional, and national) at the request of the National Federation of Young Farmers.
600kg - Winners- Tavistock - Runners Up - Widecombe
640kg - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Kennford
660kg - Winners - Kennford - Runners Up - Widecombe
680kg - Winners - Kennford - Runners Up - Tavistock
CWT - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Kennford
18/04/2011 - NATIONAL LEAGUE WEEK 1 RESULTS - BEDFORD
Teams Competing - Forge Lane, 1066, Oxeny Vines Cross, Sandhurst, Felton Eccles, Norton, Bosley, Sheen, Lincoln, Two Dales, Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, Leicester and Northants ACF (A, B, and C), Gloucester and Somerset ACF (A and B).
This weekend was the first competition of the 2011 outdoor national league. The teams taking part were treated to another dry and sunny day, and the dry ground conditions meant that there weren’t so many long ends.
The first weight of the day was the catchweight event, pulled as a straight points competition. 6 teams competed in this weight class, with Norton dominating the proceedings, winning the competition without dropping an end. The battle for second place was close between Lincoln, Felton, Sheen and Sandhurst, but it was Felton who took enough points to take the runners up spot.
During the catchweight event, the ladies and youth league competition was held, and following on from last week, it was another well supported event with seven teams competing. The first ladies and youth league weight was the 560 kilos event. Gloucester and Somerset ACF A were the strongest team on the day, winning the competition without losing an end. Sheen ladies finished as worthy runners up, only losing the two ends to Gloucester and Somerset.
The first national league weight of the day was the 600 kilos, which was split into two groups and pulled under TWIF international rules, with group stage pulls being best of two ends. The winners of group 1 were Norton, followed by Bosley who finished as group runners up ahead of Forge Lane, Lincoln, and Bedford. Group 2 was won by Sandhurst, with Two Dales finishing as group runners up, followed by Oxney, 1066, and LNR. As per the international rules, the top two teams in each group progressed with Norton as winners of group 1 pulling Two Dales as runners up of Group 2. Sandhurst as group 2 winners pulled group 1 runners up Bosley. Both Sandhurst and Norton progressed to the final after winning their respective semi-finals by 2 ends to 0. Norton again pulled strongly in the final to defeat Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0.
The 680 kilos event was another TWIF rules competition that was split into two groups. Norton progressed as winners of group 1 ahead of Sandhurst, and Felton Eccles progressed as winners of group 2 ahead of Bosley. Norton and Sandhurst again won their semi finals against Bosley and Felton respectively by 2 ends to 0 to meet in the final for the second time. Norton again won the final by 2 ends to 0.
The second ladies and youth weight class was the 520 kilos event. Again, no-one managed to stop Gloucester and Somerset ACF and they won the event again without losing an end. This time however, LNR ACF A finished as overall runners up ahead of Sheen Ladies who finished third. Well done to Bedford, LNR B and C, and Gloucester and Somerset B, who also competed well again this week in the ladies and youth league.
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos weight class. Again this was pulled in two groups under TWIF Rules. Norton were the winners of group 1 ahead of Sandhurst, and Felton were the winners of group 2 ahead of Bosley. Norton and Sandhurst again defeated Bosley and Felton respectively to set up a third final between the two sides, but Sandhurst could not overhaul Norton, and Norton took their fourth final win of the day by 2 ends to 0.
Results
Men Catchweight - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Felton Eccles
Men 680 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sandhurst
Men 640 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sandhurst
Men 600 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sandhurst
Ladies and Youth 560 - Winners - Glos/Som ACF A - Runners Up - Sheen Ladies
Ladies and Youth 520 - Winners - Glos/Som ACF A - Runners Up - LNR ACF A
NORTON TUG OF WAR CLUB COACH JOHN WEB VISITS CHINA TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON TUG OF WAR
John Webb, the Coach of Norton Tug of War Club has recently been to China to promote tug of war through an international judging and coaching course organised by the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF).
John was invited by TWIF to give a presentation to 160 delegates attending the event from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, Poland and other Asian countries, teaching the basics of judging, indoor tug of war and outdoor tug of war at the Beijing Language and Culture University. Photo: John teaching the basics of outdoor tug of war in Beijing
John was invited by the Tug of War International Federation as a coach of both indoor tug of war and outdoor tug of war, having led both Sheen and Norton to World and European Championship finals.
Photo: John teaching the basics of indoor tug of war
Speaking about his experience at the event, John said that “I was invited by TWIF to give a presentation on both outdoor and indoor tug of war, followed by practical training in the sports hall as well as outside"
“It was a very proud moment for me to represent the English Tug of War Association on the world stage, and assist the International Federation in promoting tug of war worldwide. The sport appear to be growing in popularity around the Asian region, so hopefully by educating more countries in tug of war, we will see more countries participating at international events in the future, which will hopefully help the sport reach its goal of returning to the Olympic Games some day” Photo: John receiving a gift from the Macau delegation in recognition of his attendance at the course.
“I have to add that the hospitality shown to me and other TWIF delegates at the event was second to none. I was even asked to stay on for an extra couple of days to give an advanced outdoor course for the China national coaches, which went very well. The whole event was a great success for our sport”.
Tug of War Association think that it is fantastic that a coach of one of our teams has been recognised by the Tug of War International Federation in this way. John has given a lot to both the sport, and the teams he has coached over the years, and we are very proud of his dedication and achievements in tug of war. Photo: John Webb (fourth from right) with TWIF secretary general Glen Johnson (fourth from left) and the rest of the Chinese delegation.
10/04/2011 - WOOD TREATMENT BOSLEY OPEN COMPETITION
The second full week of outdoor competition took place this weekend in Bosley, near Macclesfield, Cheshire, hosted by Wood Treatment Bosley Tug of War Club. The weather was warm and sunny, with soft ground conditions which made for some good competitive pulling in both the men’s weights and the ladies and youth weights.
The teams that were competing were Bosley, Norton, Sheen, Lincoln, Two Dales, Holland, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst, and Altrincham Young Farmers who were competing at a TOWA event for the first time.
In the ladies and youth league, Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, Gloucester and Somerset A and B, and Leicester and Northants ACF A, B and C took part.
The first weight of the day was the catchweight event, which was very lively, with many pulls going to three ends. Felton Eccles finished as the eventual winners, with Lincoln overcoming Sheen and Holland in two very close pulls to finish as eventual runners up. Bosley and Altrincham had good pulls in this weight too, with both teams taking ends throughout the competition. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF "B" Team
The 640 kilos was another good contest, with some good close pulling. The fight for first place came between Norton, Sandhurst and Bosley. Norton and Bosley met first out of the three, with Bosley setting out to try and take the pull to Norton. Norton held firm however to take the pull by 2 ends to 0. The same was the case when Sandhurst took on Norton, but again, Norton took the pull by 2 ends to 0. Bosley and Sandhurst fought each other for second place, with Sandhurst keeping their shape better to win the pull by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bedford Ladies
The 600 kilos competition had a smaller entry of teams, and again, it was Norton who went on to win the competition without losing an end. The battle for second place was between Two Dales and Sandhurst, with Sandhurst winning a close pull by 2 ends to 1.
The 720 kilos was a five team competition, again with some exciting pulling. Holland, Two Dales and Lincoln missed out on the battle for second spot, with all three teams giving a good account of themselves, however the key battle for first place was between Norton and Felton Eccles. This was a great pull between the two teams, with Felton being taken very close to the line on the first end, only for Norton to be blown out for receiving three cautions. The second end was another good contest, with Felton managing to draw Norton over the line to take first place. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF "A" team
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. There were certainly a few tired bodies on the field, however Norton ran out as eventual winners without losing an end, with Sandhurst finishing as worthy runners up. Photo: Norton competing in the 720 kilos competition
The ladies and youth league competition was well supported this week with 7 teams taking part in each weight category. There were many new pullers on the field this week, which was very encouraging. Both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight classes were won by the Gloucester and Somerset ACF “A” team, but they were pushed all the way by the “A” team of Leicester and Northants, and also Bedford Ladies and Sheen Ladies. Photo: Lincoln - Runners Up in the catchweight event
03/04/2011 - WILTSHIRE COUNTY OPEN RESULTS
Catchweight - Winners - Felton - Runners Up - Sandhurst A
600 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Oxney
680 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sandhurst A
640 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sandhurst A
27/03/2011 - DORSET TRAINING LEAGUE - OVERALL RESULTS
The Dorset Training League was completed this weekend, with the total scores over the four weekends added up to determine the overall winners. The overall winners were Tavistock, with Kennford finishing as runners up. The full list of placings are as follows:
1. Tavistock 2. Kennford 3. Widecombe 4. Whimple 5. 17 Port Maritime 6. Probus 7. North Wilts 8. Blandford 9. Culm Valley 10. Helstone 11. Ansty
Well done to all of the teams who took part.
27/03/2011 - SECOND MIDLAND EARLY PULL RESULTS
A cold day ensured the second round of the Early Pulls moved at a pace. The venue was good and the ground even. The six teams who attended enjoyed good pulling in an air of cooperation and friendship. Medals were presented to first and second in each weight based upon the grand score over the two weeks. York Youth received the Best Youth Cup and Melbourne the Most Improved Team Cup. Lea Hall Welfare Club was very happy with the event and wish us to return next year. Rodger Beardsmore, Julie Pettit and Tony Henshaw maintained a very high standard of judging and Jill Thomas kept efficient control of the results and proceedings. The teams that competed over the two weeks were Holland, Barton, York, Melbourne, Triple F, York Youth, Luutterworth and Diesel Power. Well done and thank you to all of the teams for taking part. Photo - Diesel Power on the Rope
Photo - York TOWC
Results from Week 2
620 - Winners - Holland - Runners Up - Barton
660 - Winners - Holland - Runners Up - York
680 - Winners - Holland - Runners Up - York
Catchweight - Winners - Holland - Runners Up - York
660 4+4 - Winners - Holland - Runners Up - York Youth
Overall Results
620 Kilos
1. Holland 2. Barton 3. Triple F 4. Diesel Power 5. Lutterworth 6. York 7. Melbourne
660 Kilos
1. Holland 2. York 3. Barton 4. Lutterworth 5. Diesel Power 6. Triple F 7. Melbourne
680 Kilos
1. Holland 2. York 3. Diesel Power 4. Barton 5. Lutterworth 6. Melbourne 7. Triple F
Catchweight
1. Holland 2. York 3. Lutterworth 4. Barton 5. Melbourne 6. Triple F 7. Diesel Power
660 4+4
1. Holland 2. York 3. York Youth 4. Diesel Power 5. Melbourne 6. Barton 7. Triple F
20/03/2011 - MIDLAND EARLY PULL RESULTS
The first Midland Area Early Pull took place this Sunday at Barton-under-Needwood. Area 2 of the Tug of War Association would like to thank Holland Tug of War Club of Staffordshire for all of their efforts in organising the venue. The weather was kind and the pullers keen. York brought their youth team and we were able to accommodate them with a pull against six of Holland Sports team. No women's teams weighed in but three 4+4 teams at 660 gave good day of sport. Melbourne showed clear development in pulling as the day wore on. The day was a good shakedown for both the teams and judges after the winter layoff. The next venue at Rugely, Staffordshire promises a good day's pulling. The results were:
620 1. Holland 2. Triple F 3. Barton 4. York
660 1. Holland 2. York 3. Barton 4. Triple F 5. Melbourne
680 1. Holland 2. York 3. Barton
Catchweight 1. Holland 2. York 3. Barton
660 4+4 1. Holland 2. York 3. Barton
20/03/2011 - DORSET TRAINING LEAGUE RESULTS
The third Dorset training league took place at Fraddon in Cornwall. The weather was overcast but dry which made for some great competition.
A judges course took place in the Far Western Area over the weekend, and the new prospectus judges did some judging as part of their practical examination. We are pleased to report that Graham Taylor and Jonny Neal become fully Qualified TOWA judges. There was one other judge who passed the theory side of their judges course on the previous day, but unfortunately could not make it to the competition so will take their practical examination in the near future.
In terms of the pulling, 8 teams attended and 3 teams were made up to make a 4+4 competition and a good days pulling was had by all. The results were as follows
The location of the Final Dorset Training League Meeting is this weekend on Sunday 27th March 2011. It will be held at The Crown Meadows, Blandford Forum. The Crown Meadows is next to The Crown Hotel in Blandford Forum, opposite the Marsh and Ham Car Park (Morrison's car park).
The presentation of trophies will take place at the Rugby Club in Blandford Forum after pulling is completed.
06/03/2011 - DORSET TRAINING LEAGUE RESULTS
620k
1. Tavistock 2. Kennford A 3. North Wilts 4. Widecombe 5. Ansty
660k
1. Tavistock 2. Kennford A 3. Kennford B 4. Widecombe 5. Ansty 6. North Wilts
Catchweight
1. Tavistock 2. Kennford A 3. Blandford 4. Widecombe 5. Ansty 6. Kennford B
28/02/2011 - DORSET TRAINING LEAGUE RESULTS
The Dorset Training League commenced this weekend, with a good number of local clubs turning out to support the event so early in the year. The next event for the Dorset training league takes place this weekend at Marshwood, Dorset.
Results
Men 600
1. Tavistock 2. Probus 3. Whimple 4. Kennford 5. North Wilts 6. Widecombe 7. 17 port Maritime 8. Culm Valley
Men 640
1. Tavistock 2. 17 port Maritime 3. Kennford 4. North Wilts 5. Probus 6. Widecombe
Men 680
1. Tavistock 2. Kennford 3. Widecombe 4. Culm Valley 5. Kennford B 6. 17 port Maritime 7. Whimple
Photos from the UK indoor Championships are now available to view via our Facebook page.
Results sheets from the UK open club championships can be downloaded by clicking here.
14/02/2011 - UK INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
England tug of war teams this weekend competed at the United Kingdom Indoor Tug of War Championships in Perth Scotland, which will also be the venue for the 2012 World Indoor Championships.
England did not send as many teams to the event as in previous years, however still had teams capable of bringing home medals. After a short opening ceremony, the event started with the 600 kilos competition. England A were represented by Kilroe, England B were represented by Raunds.
In the 600, some of England’s youngsters had the chance to shine as they were invited to represent the England Under 23 team in the senior 600 kilos event. As part of the 600 kilos competition, each of the home nations were invited to field under 23 teams for the first time. England were the only country that took on the challenge and competed as England C. Although the under 23 team did not finish in a final medal position, the team competed extremely well, winning many plaudits along the way and providing much encouragement for the future. The England C (under 23) team were mainly made up of pullers from Sheen, Kilroe and Uppertown. Well done to them.
When it came to the top four stage of the competition, England B represented by Raunds missed out on a spot in the last four after losing out to Northern Ireland A in a good tussle. England A, represented by Kilroe, progressed to the semi finals behind Scotland A, and ahead of Scotland B and Northern Ireland A. England A won through their semi final to meet Scotland A in the final. Scotland A took a close first end, but the second end went right down to the wire. Scotland picked up two early cautions for locking, however England were also given two cautions before the bull was brought back to the middle for the re-start. On the re-start, England missed the drop completely, and Scotland took full advantage, inching England over the line to take victory. Scotland B took the bronze medal after defeating Northern Ireland.
The second weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. England only fielded one side in this event, and were represented by Sheen. England progressed to the semi-finals as a top two team, level on points with Scotland A. Scotland B and Northern Ireland A were the other teams to progress. England defeated Scotland B in the semi-finals before going on to meet Scotland A again in the final. Both countries fielded much changed teams from the very close 2010 final, however it was Scotland A who looked stronger this time around, and took the gold medal by 2 ends to 0.
England fielded two teams in the mixed 600 kilos event. These teams were made up from pullers from Sheen Men and Sheen Ladies. This weight class provided a much happier ending for England, with England A winning the competition without losing an end, and defeating Scotland A comfortably in the final to win a well deserved gold medal. England B finished in fourth position behind Scotland B after being narrowly defeated by 2 ends to 1.
There was no ladies competition in the closed event this year, however a club event was held at 540 kilos, with Sheen Ladies finishing in first place ahead of Ayrshire. The Saturday competition also saw the first of two open 640 kilos competitions take place. The final was between Ayrshire of Scotland and Mountain View of Ireland, with Ayrshire winning a thrilling final by 2 ends to 1.
The second day of the UK championships saw the open club competition take place. In addition to the home countries a number of teams from the Republic of Ireland, Italy and also the Basque region of Spain took part. It was another good day of competition with Sheen winning the 640 kilos after defeating Mountain View from Ireland in the final with a well deserved 2 ends to 0 win, and Sheen Ladies also won the ladies 540 kilos event. Sheen Men and Ladies also joined forces again to form a mixed team, and again won that 600 kilos 4+4 event in style, defeating Ayrshire from Scotland in the final by 2 ends to 0.
Kilroe enjoyed success too by winning the mens 560 kilos event, defeating Mountain View from Ireland in the final, but lost the final of the 600 kilos event by 2 ends to 1 to Mountain View in another great final. Raunds and the Under 23 team also competed in the open 600 kilos event, competing very well again on the day, but missing out on a place in the last four.
Well done to all of the England teams that took part, and well done to the Scottish Tug of War Association for hosting a good championships. The venue was excellent, and we are sure that the venue used in Perth will provide an excellent venue for next years world indoor championships.
Saturday - Closed Men 600 - Gold - Scotland A - Silver - England A (Kilroe) - Bronze - Scotland B Men 680 - Gold - Scotland A - Silver England A (Sheen) - Bronze - Scotland B Mixed 600 - Gold - England A (Sheen/Sheen Ladies) - Silver - Scotland A - Bronze - Scotland B Open 640 - Gold - Ayrshire (Scotland) - Silver - Mountain View (Ireland
The TOWA AGM took place on Saturday 29th January. Please take note of the following notices regarding the outcomes of the weekend’s meetings.
2011 EUROPEAN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The championships web site has now been made available, and contains all information relating to the championships, including details on how to book accommodation, how to get there, etc.
All clubs are reminded that they must have a nominated welfare officer. This is a mandatory requirement. All welfare officers should be CRB checked. Please contact Martin Mulchahy, TOWA Child Protection Officer, for further guidance.
At the AGM, a proposal was passed that all TOWA competitions (Open and Championship events) be pulled under TWIF rules.
The above rule will stand for 12 months until it is ratified at the 2012 AGM.
An up to date rules manual will be published on this web site in due course which incorporates the TWIF rules into the TOWA rules.
2011 NATIONAL LEAGUE
The National League will take place over 8 weekends throughout the 2011 outdoor season as follows:
Sunday 17th April – East of England Championships, Kempston, Bedford
Sunday 24th April – Thames Valley, Abbey RFC, Reading
Sunday 8th May – Daventry Rugby Club, Daventry, Northants
Sunday 22nd May – Felton Eccles, Bristol
Sunday 10th July – Memorial Ground, Sandhurst, Berkshire
Sunday 24th July – Fermain Centre, Macclesfield, Cheshire
Sunday 21st August – Madeley Court Leisure Centre, Madeley, Telford
Sunday 4th September – National League Finals, Daventry Rugby Club, Daventry
Further details are available on the National League 2011 page. The national league finals will also include a 660 non finalist competition.
LADIES AND YOUTH LEAGUE
The Ladies and Youth League for 2011 will take place at the following venues over the course of the season:
Sunday 10th April - Bosley, Cheshire
Sunday 17th April - Kempston, Bedford
Sunday 24th April - Thames Valley, Abbey RFC, Reading
Sunday 15th May - Shropshire County Show, Shrewsbury
Sunday 5th June - Memorial Ground, Sandhurst, Berkshire
Sunday 10th July - Memorial Ground, Sandhurst, Berkshire
Sunday 4th September - National League Finals, Daventry
There are of course other ladies and youth fixtures taking place throughout the season, so please see the fixtures page for further details.
SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER - NATIONAL INDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
started with an emotional tribute to Lynsey Chipperfield, whose parents Stafford and Lesley, brother Andrew, and fiance Gavin were in attendance. On behalf of the Tug of War Association, thank you to everyone for the support and respect shown to Lynsey and her family.The 2010 national indoor tug of war championships took place this weekend at the Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre in Smethwick, West Midlands. Raunds, Sheen, Kilroe, Norton, and Uppertown took part in the event, with team attendance down on last year after a hard season of outdoor tug of war, and no World Indoor Championships to aim for. Despite the freezing weather conditions, a reasonably good number spectators turned out to see if Sheen and Norton could defend their 2009 national indoor titles.
The day started with an emotional tribute to Lynsey Chipperfield, who sadly passed away on 28th November. The event was attended by her parents, Stafford and Lesley, brother Andrew, and Fiance Gavin. Tributes were paid to Lynsey by TOWA President Tony Martin, and TOWA Chairman Mike Callaghan at the start of the event, prior to a moments silence being held in Lynsey’s memory. Thank you to everyone for the support and respect shown to Lynsey and her family during this difficult time. Photo: Lynsey Chipperfield whilst representing England at the European Outdoor Tug of War Championships in Minehead, 2007.
The tug of war competitions started with the catchweight event. Sheen took the gold medal in this weight ahead of Raunds who finished as close runners up. The 640 kilos event followed the catchweight competition, with world indoor 640 kilos champions Sheen looking to defend their national title. This years strong contenders came in the form of Norton, who had earlier defeated Sheen in the AAA 640 kilos championships in November. These two teams met in their first pull, which was a good close match, with the first end going to almost 6 minutes of pulling before Sheen took the end. The second end was not as long and Sheen took the end required to defeat Norton by 2 ends to 0. Sheen went on to take the gold medal without losing any ends, Norton taking the silver, and Raunds the bronze. Photo: Norton
The 560 kilos competition had a small entry of teams, but it was the pull between Kilroe and Norton that would determine the gold and silver medals. Norton were the defending champions, and after another long first end, Norton this time took the upper hand. The second end was another close pull, put the gold medal never really looked in doubt for Norton. Uppertown finished in the bronze medal position. Photo: Uppertown
The 720 kilos, was again between Sheen and Raunds, with Sheen taking their third gold medal of the day. The 600 kilos event followed, which was another close run competition. Sheen defeated Kilroe first on, and then defeated Uppertown and Raunds to go into their final pull against Norton needing the win to take the gold medal. Norton went into that pull on the back of a 2 ends to 0 defeat to Kilroe, needing a 2 ends to 0 win against Sheen to get back into the running for the gold medal. Despite giving Sheen a good pull, Sheen went on to take the two ends they needed to secure their fourth gold medal of the day. Photo: Raunds
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. No-one was capable of matching Sheen’s dominance in this weight, and they went on to take their fifth gold medal of the day for the third year running. The challenge for silver and bronze was much closer between Norton, Raunds, and Kilroe. Kilroe and Norton both defeated Raunds in close matches, which left Kilroe and Norton to battle it out for the silver. Norton took the first end, but Kilroe turned it around in another long end to level the match. The third end was another close battle, but this time it went to Norton, giving them the silver medal. Photo: Kilroe
The medals were presented to the winning teams on the day by TOWA President Tony Martin, and all the teams and officials were thanked for their efforts on the day. The officials on the day were Peter Craft, Mike Callaghan, Vic Ludkin, Ray Fray-Smith, Mike Selwood, Julie Petit, Betty Craft, Wendy Dyer, Jill Thomas and Pete Dyer. Our thanks also go out to Paul Richards and Tony Henshaw of Area 2 who have taken care of hall hire and making sure that ropes and mats are available at the venue. Photo: Sheen
Teams will now be looking forward to the UK indoor championships in Perth, Scotland in February.
Thank you to all of the teams who have supported the indoor tug of war season this year. We will be looking for more teams to take part on the indoor circuit next year. Anyone wishing to find out more about taking part in indoor tug of war in 2011 should contact us.
It is with sadness that the Tug of War Association has learned of the passing of Lynsey Chipperfield after a long battle with illness.
Lynsey until recently was an active puller, and was a member of Bedford Ladies, before joining Kilroe Ladies More recently, Lynsey pulled with Sheen Ladies, winning a world open bronze medal in 2008 at the World Indoor Championships in Italy. Lynsey has represented the England ladies on a number of occasions.
Our thoughts go out to her parents Stafford and Lesley; brother Andrew; fiancé Gavin, and all of her family and friends.
The family would like family flowers only and donations should anyone wish, should be made to Cancer Research UK by clicking here. This is a special page dedicated to raising funds in Lynsey's memory.
29/11/2010 - INDOOR LEAGUE WEEK 7
This weekend was the final competition of the Indoor League prior to the national indoor championships. Uppertown, Sheen, Kilroe, Sheen Ladies and Raunds took part at the event in five weight categories at 600, 640, 680, 720 and catchweight.
Sheen were the winners of four weight classes on the day, winning the 640, 680, 720, and catchweight, with Raunds springing a surprise by winning the 600 kilos event, ahead of Kilroe who finished second. Raunds also finished as runners up in the catchweight event, with Kilroe finishing as runners up in the 640, 680 and 720.
Uppertown and Raunds had a great three end battle in the 640 kilos event, with Raunds taking it by 2 ends to 1.
At the end of the event, the Len Hall indoor league trophies were presented, with Sheen winning all weights after accumulating the most points over the course of the season. Well done to them, and all of the other teams who have taken part in the league this year. We have not seen as many teams taking part on the indoor circuit this year, however, hopefully more teams will wish to have a go at indoor next year.
Indoor League week 7 results:
Catchweight - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Raunds
720 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe
680 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe
640 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe
600 - Winners - Raunds - Runners Up - Kilroe
Mrs Elsé Rolfe
Please see below a statement from Area 6 following the passing of Mrs Elsé Rolfe a timekeeper/recorder of the Tug of War Association:
"I am sorry to have report that Mrs Elsé Rolfe passed away on 4th November.
Elsé was a Timekeeper/Recorder and a staunch supporter of Tug of War in Area 6. Elsé was the first lady recipient of the Tug of War Association Award of Merit. Elsé’s funeral was attended by close family members only, but a service of thanks giving for her life was held at Warbleton Church, East Sussex on 19th November. The church was packed and among the congregation were several members (past and present) of the Tug of War Association. Tug of War was only one of Elsé’s many interests. She was a prominent supporter of her local church and a member of the choir. Elsé was Danish, which was hard to believe, because she spoke such perfect English. I’m sure everyone in the Association will join me in offering our sincere condolences to Elsé’s husband Sam and her family at this sad time".
Peter Tuckwell - Area Six Secretary
21/11/2010 - INDOOR LEAGUE WEEK 6
There was only a small number of teams competing at this weekends competition at the Harry Mitchell Centre. Norton, Sheen, Sheen Ladies, Raunds (A and B), and Kilroe (A and B) took part.
The first weight was the catchweight. Sheen continued their dominance at this weight by winning the competition without losing an end. Raunds finished as the eventual runners up ahead of Kilroe.
The 620 kilos weight class was a lively competition, but again it was Norton who were too strong for everybody, and they finished as winners of the competition without losing an end. Sheen finished as runners up ahead of Kilroe.
The 680 kilos weight class, again saw teams evenly matched, with Norton again edging out Sheen into first place with Kilroe finishing in third position.
The 640 kilos weight class again saw Norton win the competition without losing an end, despite another strong challenge from Sheen, who again finished as runners up, again ahead of Kilroe.
Disappointingly, only two teams entered the 600 kilos event, with Kilroe winning ahead of Sheen Ladies.
This weekend is the final week of competition before the national indoor championships take place on Saturday 4th December.
14/11/2010 - AAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The AAA championships this weekend took place at the Harry Mitchell Centre, with Norton, Sheen (A and B), Kilroe (A and B), Hedge End, Raunds, BAC and Uppertown taking part. Sheen went into the event as defending champions in both the 640 kilos and catchweight events, and went into the event with a good chance of repeating that feat, however this year, they faced a very strong challenge in the 640 kilos event.
The catchweight event was first on, and Sheen started off by defeating Kilroe before going to defeat Raunds and Hedge End to go on and win the competition without losing an end. Kilroe finished as the eventual silver medallists after beating Raunds into second place.
The 640 kilos weight class was a keenly contested weight class. Both Sheen and Norton both got a good start winning their first matches, with Sheen defeating Kilroe, and Norton defeating Raunds, and they both went all the way through the remainder competition without dropping any ends to meet each other in the final pull. Both teams started strongly, but it was Norton who went on to control the match, winning a well deserved gold medal by 2 ends to 0.
The open competitions took place after the championship events, with Norton continuing their good run of form, winning the 680 kilos event, despite a very strong challenge from Sheen who finished as runners up, and also winning the 600 kilos event, again ahead of Sheen to round off a good day of competition for them.
The 620 kilos weight class was the final competition of the day. There was some good pulling in this weight from all of the teams who took part, with Kilroe, Sheen and Norton finishing on level points in the end after Norton defeated Sheen, and Sheen defeated Kilroe. Norton later picked up an injury, which resulted in Kilroe defeating them in the final pull to round off the competition.
Catchweight - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe
640 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sheen
Open
680 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sheen
620 - Joint Winners - Norton, Sheen, Kilroe
600 - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sheen
Photos to follow
VECTOR ROPE TRAINERS
HaB International Limited have contacted the TOWA to inform us that they are supplying a number of Vector Rope Trainers in the UK, which could be used as part of a fitness programme for tug of war teams. Anyone interested in finding out more about this product should click the link below.
This week saw another good indoor competition take place, with overall team performances improving, and competition getting closer in some weight classes. The event started with the catchweight event, with Sheen A and Raunds finishing as winners and runners up respectively.
The 620 kilos event followed, pulled as one straight group. Norton had more or less a full compliment of men this week, and they won this weight well without losing an end. Sheen A finished as runners up, with Kilroe finishing in third place.
The 680 kilos weight class was another keenly contested weight class between all sides. The deciding pull for the winners and runners up spot came between Sheen A and Norton, with Norton taking a close 2 ends to 0 win over their Staffordshire rivals. Raunds followed closely behind, finishing in 3rd place.
The 600 kilos competition was another lively event. Sheen A made up for defeat in the final of the previous weight class by winning this weight without losing an end, followed by Kilroe who finished as runners up. Uppertown and BAC had a great battle in this weight, with Uppertown battling hard to overturn BAC by 2 ends to 1 in a very close pull.
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos weight class. Normally teams approach this last weight with fatigue, however, there was some really close pulls, a sign that teams are improving as the national championships approach. BAC gave Norton a tight pull first on, but Norton took the win by 2 ends to 0. Kilroe and Sheen had a great battle in this weight which went to four ends, Sheen Ataking the first end, the second end being blown back to the middle after both teams received three cautions, and then Kilroe taking the next two ends. BAC and Sheen A also went to three ends with another no pull, but Sheen won through by 2 ends to 0. Norton finished as the eventual winners with Kilroe finishing as runners up.
Results
Men Catchweight – winners – Sheen A – Runners Up – Raunds
Men 680 – Winners - Norton – Runners Up – Sheen A
Men 640 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Kilroe
Men 620 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Sheen A
Men 600 – Winners – Sheen A – Runners Up - Kilroe
31/11/2010 - INDOOR LEAGUE WEEK 3 RESULTS
Week 3 of the Indoor League saw another better supported competition take place. In addition to Sheen (A and B), Norton, Kilroe, Raunds (A and B), BAC, and Uppertown, we also welcomed back Hedge End, who have re-formed after a two year absence.
Five weight categories took place at Catchweight, 680 kilos, 640 kilos, 620 kilos and 600 kilos. The catchweight competition was a lively weight first on, with Sheen fielding two evenly weighted teams against Raunds, Kilroe, and Hedge End. Raunds came out on top, winning the competition without losing an end, with Sheen A finishing as runners up. Photo: Hedge End TOWC
The lightweight competitions provided more lively pulling, particularly in the 600 kilos and 620 kilos weight categories. Sheen A won the 600 kilos weight class, with Sheen B finishing as eventual runners up ahead of Kilroe, Uppertown, BAC and Raunds. The 620 kilos was also another good competition, with Norton finishing as the winners, however Uppertown, Sheen A and Kilroe all finished on level points in second place after all teams took ends off each other. Photo: Raunds TOWC
Sheen completed another dominant display on the day, winning the 640 kilos and 680 kilos weight classes, with Norton finishing as runners up in the 680 kilos weight class, and Kilroe finishing as runners up in the 640 kilos weight class. Photo: Kilroe TOWC
Full Results
Catchweight – Winners – Raunds – Runners Up – Sheen A
680 Kilos – Winners – Sheen A – Runners Up – Norton
640 Kilos – Winners – Sheen A – Runners Up – Kilroe
600 kilos – Winners – Sheen A – Runners Up – Sheen B
WORLD OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS PHOTOS
Photos from the world outdoor championships held in Pretoria, South Africa are now available via our Facebook Page. You do not have to have a Facebook account to view these photos, however you have to have an account to post comments to our Facebook page.
The second week of the indoor league saw a better turn out of teams and pullers, which gave us an excellent second weekend of competition. The teams competing were Sheen (A and B), Raunds (A and B), Norton, Kilroe, and BAC. There was some good close pulling in all of the weight classes, with a few good three end pulls giving all the teams that took part some good competition. A number of clubs were still not at full strength so we expect some more ferocious competition in the coming weeks. The results were:
Men 720 – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up – Norton
Men 600 – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up – Norton
Men 680 – Winners – Norton – Runners Up – Kilroe
Men 620 – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up – Norton
Men 640 – Winners – Sheen – Runners Up - BAC
17/10/2010 - INDOOR LEAGUE WEEK 1
Only a small number of teams attended the first week of the indoor league, but each team that did attend fielded a side in most of the weight classes. Sheen, Raunds, Kilroe and Sheen ladies attended the competition. Sheen ladies competed with 9 pullers against the mens teams which made for some good competition in the lighter weight classes. Photo: Sheen Ladies
Sheen men won 3 of the five weight classes on offer on the day, with Kilroe and Raunds also winning a weight class each. The first week of indoor competition is always low on numbers, and it is hoped that we will see a few more teams in attendance next week. Photo: Sheen Men
The results were:
600 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Raunds
620 - Winners - Kilroe - Runners Up - Sheen
640 - Winners - Raunds - Runners Up - Sheen
680 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Kilroe
720 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Raund
9th & 10th OCTOBER 2010 – KESSINGLAND AUTUMN TUG OF WAR WEEKEND – TUG OF WAR ASSOCIATION & TUG OF WAR FEDERATION JOINT EVENT - RESULTS
At this historic event where the competition was jointly run by the Tug of War Association and Tug of War Federation with Officials from both organisations, there were 13 teams competing.
Leo’s Boys from Ireland; St Ouen from Jersey; Raunds; Holland; Triple F; Woodton; Wymondham; 1066; Leek; York; Hadleigh; Toton Bull; Holland B.
The Saturday started with the 600 Kilo competition with some good competition between the teams. Winners were Leo’s Boys with Holland in the runner up spot.
The second competition was the 640 Kilos with 11 teams in two groups of 6 and 5 with Leo’s Boys once again coming out on top with Raunds finishing a very credible second. The third competition was the 600 4+4 which was one group of 6 and was a very strongly contested competition. Holland came out winners with second place being decided on the last pull between York and Woodton, with the winners taking second place. York took the honours. Photo: Leo's Boys TOWC from Northern Ireland
The final competition for Saturday was the 680 Kilos which again was one group of 6 with Holland coming out as winners and Raunds as runners up. Photo: Wymondham TOWC
The Sunday saw another day of good competitions starting with the 620 with 9 teams in a group of 5 and 4. Under Federation rules where there are two groups they always have the crossover to give semi-finals. The winners of group 1 were Holland with Triple F second and in group 2 the winners were Leo’s Boys with Leek second. The semi-finals were then Holland v. Leek and Leo’s Boys v. Triple F. Holland and Leo’s Boys made it through to the final with Leo’s Boys coming out on top in an excellent final. Photo: Hadleigh TOWC
The second competition on the Sunday was the 660 Kilos again with 9 teams in a group of 5 and 4 with Raunds winning group 1 and 1066 taking second spot. Group 2 saw Holland in first place with Leo’s Boys coming second. The semi-finals were Raunds v. Leos Boys and Holland v. 1066. The final was a repeat of the 620 but this time Holland took first place with Leo’s Boys runners up. Photo: Woodton TOWC
Next up was the 660 4+4 in one group of 6. Once again there was some very good battles between the teams with Holland taking the spoils and it was great to 1066 taking the runners up spot. Photo: St Ouens TOWC from Jersey
The final competition was the 720 Kilos with 6 teams in 1 group. Holland once again came out winners with Raunds being a very credible second. Photo: Working together - Officials from both the Tug of War Association and the Tug of War Federation
The two days of competition, the first joint event between the Association and Federation was considered by those present to be a great success.
Men 600 – Winners – Leos Boys – Runners Up – Holland
Men 620 – Winners – Leos Boys – Runners Up – Holland
Men 640 – Winners – Leos Boys – Runners Up – Raunds
Men 660 – Winners – Holland – Runners Up – Leos Boys
Men 680 – Winners – Holland – Runners Up – Totham Bull
Men 720 – Winners – Holland – Runners Up – Raunds
600 4+4 – Winners – Holland – Runners Up – York
660 4+4 – Winners – Holland – Runners Up – 1066
2010 WORLD OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS - PRETORIA - SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 2010
Below is a detailed report from all four days of the world outdoor championships 2010.
15/09/2010 - WORLD OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - DAY 1
The 2010 World Outdoor Championships were this year hosted by the South African Tug of War Federation in Pretoria. This is the second time the event has taken place in Pretoria, the last time in 2002. The ground in 2002 was very hard, which made for very difficult pulling conditions. However the ground had been treated in the build up to this event to address that problem. Despite regular watering, the ground was still quite hard, but after a few ends, it did start to cut up although not providing deep holes, which meant that we did not see many long ends.
The first day of the 2010 World Outdoor Championships saw teams competing in the 580 kilos and 700 kilos weight classes for senior men, 540 kilos for senior women, and 560 kilos for junior men. A non TWIF junior ladies 480 kilos club competition also took place on the day for South African teams. Photo: Holland TOWC competing in the open 700 kilos competition.
The day started with the mens 700 kilos competition. English interest in this competition came in the form of Felton Eccles from Somerset, and Holland from Staffordshire. Both teams got off to a good start, with Holland defeating Vechtlust from the Netherlands. Felton Eccles also got off to a good start with a very good 2 ends to 0 win over Latvian team Velkonis. Both Holland and Felton competed in the same group, with the competition split into two groups. The two English sides met half way through the group stage of the competition, having a good pull, with both teams taking a share of the spoils, winning one end each. Despite both teams getting some good wins over tough opposition, defeats and dropped ends to Lakehill from Ireland, Shongau from Switzerland, and Valsbaii from South Africa meant that neither side progressed to the semi finals. Photo: Felton Eccles competing in the open 700 kilos competition
The semi finals was between Veenseboys from the Netherlands who won group 1, and Shongau from Switzerland as runners up of group 2. Lakehill from Ireland faced Eibergen from the Netherlands in the second semi final. Veenseboys comfortably dispatched of Shongau by 2 ends to 0 to maker the final, with Eibergen getting a hard earned win over Lakehill to set up an all Dutch final. The bronze match between Lakehill and Shongau saw Lakehill dictate the pull from start to finish and they took the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final saw Veenseboys from the Netherlands put on an impressive display of power pulling by defeating current European Club 640 champions Eibergen by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Seigelau - winners of the junior 560 kilos club competition
The Junior 560 kilos event was contested at the same time as the mens 700 kilos event, and was pulled as a straight group. There were many good South African teams in the event, joined by teams from Germany, Chinese Taipei and the Basque country. The group stage was dominated by Drosty from South Africa, and Dream Team Seigelau from Germany. Both teams progressed to the semi final stage with relative ease, followed by two other South African teams from Drackenstien and Oakdale A. The team from Chinese Taipei finished in 5th place to miss out on the semi finals after a good display for their first world championships. Like with the indoor, they pull a good style, and are certainly ones to watch on the outdoor in the future. Photo: Lakehill - 700 kilos bronze medallists
The semi finals were again dominated by Seigalau and Drosty who won their respective matches in impressive style to leave Oakdale and Drackenstien to fight it out for the bronze. Both teams fought very hard for the bronze medal, but in the end, it was Drackenstien who took the bronze medal. The final was yet again another clash between a German and a South African youth team. The final saw Drosty dominate the early exchanges, but the German team hung on to take a hard fought first end. The second end saw the Germans assert a little more control, and they took the second end to take the gold. Photo: Team Army competing in the open 580 kilos competition
The mens 580 kilos in the afternoon was pulled as two groups. With many good teams competing. English involvement in this event came in the form of Team Army. Despite all their efforts, they faled to make the semi finals in a group containing world class opposition, including Engelberg from Switzerland, and Boley from Ireland. It was those two teams who progressed from their group, with Engelberg going through in first place, Boley in second. The second group was won by Veenseboys from the Netherlands who were chasing their second gold medal of the day, however the pulling was very close to decide second place, with Gortletteragh from Ireland, Derryogue from Northern Ireland, Mosnang and Ebersecken from Switzerland, and Goiherri from the Basque country all with a good chance of finishing second. It was the Basque team that ended up pipping Mosnang to second place overall, and they progressed through to the semi finals. Chinese Taipei - ladies 540 kilos open club silver medallists
The semi finals saw Veenseboys defeat a determined Boley by 2 ends to 0, with Engelberg having a tough task in overcoming Goiherri by 2 ends to 0 to reach the final. The bronze medal match saw Goiherrie pull very well to hold there positions against Boley to take a hard earned bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final between Veenseboys and Engelberg was a case of seeing how long Engelberg could hold onto the strong Dutch team to try and find any weaknesses. The first end saw Veenseboys win in impressive style. On the second end, Engelberg threw everything at the Dutch side, drawing back any rope they lost, however they were picking up cautions on the way, before the Dutchmen drew the rope back to haul Engelberg over the line to claim their second gold medal of the day. Photo: Veenseboys - 580 kilos open club champions
The ladies 540 kilos weight class was pulled as a straight group, with some good teams from the Netherlands, South Africa, Lithuania, USA, the Basque Country, Japan, and Chinese Taipei. The surprise team was certainly the Chinese Taipei ladies team, having not competed at many World Outdoor Championships. They made it through the the semi finals, along with Koapman and Vechtlust from the Netherlands, and the South African team. The Chinese Taipei team pulled off a great 2 ends to 0 win over the South Africans to make it to the final, where they met Vechtlust, leaving Koapman and the South African team to fight it out for the bronze. The South Africans pulled very strongly in the bronze pull off to win by 2 ends to 0. The final between Chinese Taipei and Vechtlust was a good contest, with Chinese Taipei pulling a good level rope, just like what they are renowned for on the indoor. They got a good drive early on, but the Dutch held firm to take the first end. On the second end Chinese Taipei managed to unsettle the Dutch, but were a couple of lifts short of bringing them over, with Vechtlust taking the gold medal. It was a good performance from the Taipei team to take their first ever outdoor world medal. They certainly look like they can be as good on the outdoor as they are currently at indoor tug of war. Photo: Vechtlust - ladies 540 kilos open club competition
16/09/2010 - WORLD OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 2
The second day of the open club competition started with the mixed 4+4 600 kilos event. This competition was pulled as a straight group of 11, with English interest coming in the form of Holland TOWC. Holland made a strong start, winning their first two pulls two straight, before going on to pull well in the remainder of their group matches, only losing to Gaztedi of the Basque country. Holland progressed to the semi finals along with Gaztedi, Jaersrust from the Netherlands, and Koapman, also from the Netherlands. In the semi-finals, Holland comfortably defeated Kopaman by 2 ends to 0 to reach their first ever final at a TWIF world championships. They would alter meet Gaztedi who overcame Jargersrust in a tough semi final pull. The bronze medal match went to three ends with Jagersrust taking the bronze by 2 ends to 1. The final between Holland and Gaztedi was a good pull, with Holland taking an early advantage, before Gaztedi got themselves back into the pull to take the first end. The second end saw Holland again take some early rope, but Gaztedi seized the advantage to take the gold medal by 2 ends to 0, giving Holland the silver. Photo: Goldschuere - winners of the open under 23 championship
The under 23 600 kilos competition also took place alongside the 600 4+4 competition and was pulled as a straight group. Along with strong teams from South Africa, clubs from Switzerland, Germany, Chinese Taipei, USA, and Belgium also took part. There was some close pulling at the start of the event with all teams dropping ends. The team from Chinese Taipei again gave another strong showing taking ends from Mosnang and Goldscheure early on. Goudini were also strong in defeating Mosnang and taking points from Goldscheure. Most of the other teams also acquitted themselves well, including DJs from the USA, who were competing in the under 23 category for the first time. Goudini, Goldscheure, Mosnang, and Chinese Taipei all progressed to the semi finals. Mosnang defeated Chinese Taipei, with Goldscheure defeating Goudini. The bronze medal match was a real tough encounter between two very strong teams, but it was Goudini who managed to break down Chinese Taipei to bring home the bronze medal. The final was between the German team of Goldscheure, and the Swiss team of Mosnang. Golscheure kept better body angles on the hard ground to defeat Mosnang by 2 ends to 0 to take a well deserved gold medal. Photo: Holland TOWC pulling in the 4+4 event
The afternoon saw the 640 kilos and ladies 540 kilos competitions take place. England teams in the 640 kilos competition were from Felton Eccles, Team Army, and Holland. The competition was split into four groups. Felton Eccles battled through their group to finish in first place ahead of Goudini from South Africa who progressed in second place. Holland and Team Army were both placed in the same group, but despite some good performances, neither side progressed through to the knock out stages. Their group was won by Boley from Ireland, with Goiherri from the Basque country progressing through in second place. Photo: Holland TOWC 4+4 team after winning the silver
The quarter finals saw Boley defeat Lakehill, Eibergen defeat Goudini, Felton Eccles defeat Veenseboys B, and Veenseboys A defeat Fam. Janssens from Belgium. The semi finals saw Eibergen win well against Boley to earn a place in the final, with Veenseboys A defeating Felton Eccles. Felton Eccles went into the bronze medal match where they faced Boley from Ireland. Felton pulled strongly in this match and managed to contain Boley’s counter attacks really well to take Boley over the line to take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0 to win a well deserved bronze medal. The final was the second of the weekend between Veenseboys and Eibergen, both of the Netherlands. Eibergen, current European Champions had a point to prove after defeat in the 700 kilos on the previous day and they pulled strongly early on, putting Veenseboys under some real pressure for the first time in the whole of the open club competition. Veenseboys however had a good long counter lift, which Eibergen on a couple of occasions did well to contain, but no-one was going to deny the Veenseboys their third gold medal of the competition and they took the 640 gold by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Team Army Squad
Bedford competed in the ladies 500 kilos competition, pulled as a straight group of 11. The teams from the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland all kept a low profile in this weight, but there were still strong teams from Germany, Chinese Taipei, USA, and Belgium all taking part. Bedford met Chinese Taipei. Fam. Janssens and Dietenbach from Germany in their first three pulls coming away with two points from the first three matches, however, the team settled down, and they went on to win all the remaining pulls in their group to reach the semi final. Chinese Taipei finished as overall group winners, with Bedford, Fam. Janssens and Dietenbach all finishing on level points. Dietenbach finished in second place after cautions and weight were taken into consideration. Leaving the draw to be decided on the toss of a coin. Bedford were drawn against Chinese Taipei, with the Chinese Taipei team winning by 2 ends to 0 to reach there second final of the weekend. Dietenbach won the second semi final by 2 ends to 0 to reach the final. Bedford went into the bronze medal match with high hopes, but came undone at the last hurdle, with Fam. Janssens getting Bedford moving early on. Beedford looked as though they were going to stop them, but it was too close to the line before they could get the rope back, and it was the team from Belgium that ended up taking the bronze medal. The final turned out to be a great performance from the Chinese Taipei team, and they were too strong for Dietenbach, taking their first ever outdoor gold medal by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bedford Ladies 500 kilos - 4th place in the open competition.
The evening saw the opening ceremony for the closed world championships take place, with traditional African dancing, as well as a speech from TWIF president Cathal McKeever to mark the 50th anniversary of the Tug of War International Federation. England’s representatives in the opening ceremony were Diane McDonald of Bedford Ladies, and Emmett Power and Ryan Tommins of Sandhurst Youth. Photo: Felton Eccles - world 640 kilos bronze medallists
17/09/2010 - WORLD OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 3
The closed competition started with the mens 700 kilos competition, later followed by the junior mens competition at 560 kilos. England did not enter a team in the mens 700 kilos competition, so it was a chance to watch some of the other countries in action. 9 teams competed in the competition, with the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland making the semi finals. The Netherlands defeated Sweden to reach the final, whilst Switzerland defeated Ireland. The bronze medal match went to three ends with Sweden taking the first end against Ireland, before Ireland took the next two ends to take the bronze. The final was another three end match, with the Swiss taking the first end. On the second end, Switzerland were unable to contain the big Dutch lifts and they took the second end to level the match. The Dutch won the toss to choose the winning end and they went on to secure the gold medal. Photo: England Youth Team
England entered a team in the junior 560 kilos competition, this year being represented by Sandhurst Youth, with most of their team representing England for the first time. It was a tough competition with no easy teams to pull against at youth international level. England started against Chinese Taipei, who sent very strong sides to the World Championships this time in the ladies and youth weights. On top of the ground they were not an easy team to pull, and despite both teams trying to get momentum, Chinese Taipei got England moving and they took the first pull by 2 ends to 0. It was to be a tough day all round for the England youth with defeats to Switzerland, South Africa, Sweden and Germany, which meant that they missed out on a place in the semi finals. Despite not winning any ends it was a good performance, and a good learning experience for our youth. There will be an opportunity for a youth team to represent on home soil again next year at the European Championships in Minehead. Photo: Switzerland Youth Team on the podium
Switzerland, Sweden and South Africa all made it to the semi finals, but Germany and Chinese Taipei finished on level points. Germany picked up less cautions in the competition, and they progressed to the semi finals. Switzerland defeated Germany in their semi final, and Sweden managed to overcome South Africa by 2 ends to 1 to reach the final. The bronze pull off was an exciting battle between the home nation and Germany. Germany took the first end, but South Africa levelled the pull to take the match to three ends. Germany managed to hang on to take a hard earned bronze medal. The final was between Switzerland and Sweden. Switzerland had much more left in the tank than Sweden and they earned a good 2 ends to 0 win to win the youth gold medal. Photo: England 580 kilos team
The mens 580 kilos competition followed in the afternoon and England were represented by current European Champions Norton. England went into the event with high hopes of getting a medal, but the early stage of the competition proved to be a stern test. The 580 kilos competition this year was fiercely competitive, with 5 or 6 teams out of the 11 looking like they were capable of reaching the final. England started off with a tough pull against Germany first on, securing a 2 ends to 0 win. England then met the other early favourites – Netherlands and Sweden – losing to both teams by 2 ends to 0 to put England under some early pressure. England then had Northern Ireland, taking the first end, but losing their balance on the second end to drop points to Northern Ireland. England then pulled off a good 2 ends to 0 win over Ireland to get themselves back into the competition, rounding off the competition without dropping any more points, including a good 2 ends to 0 win over Switzerland. Photo: Netherlands 580 kilos winning team
England qualified for the semi finals along with Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and were drawn against Sweden who had earlier defeated them in the group. The ground had cut up more now which gave both teams a sound footing. Sweden took the first end after England were harshly blown out for receiving three cautions. England then assumed control for the next two ends to take a good win into the final. England met the Netherlands who defeated Switzerland in the other semi final. The Netherlands were the hot favourites going into the final, having only lost one end in the group. England gave a good account of themselves on the first end, but could not quite tie down the big lift and row style of the Dutch team. The second end went the same way and the Netherlands secured their second gold medal of the championship. It was a great result for England after a terrible start, and the pullers came off the field happy that they won a silver medal when earlier in the competition it looked as though they could have finished out of the medals. Switzerland secured the bronze medal by defeating Sweden by 2 ends to 0. Photo: England 580 kilos team on the podium with their silver medals
The ladies 540 kilos competition took place at the same time as the mens 580 kilos competition. England did not have a team entered in this weight class, but the event was won by Sweden, with the Netherlands winning silver, South Africa the bronze and Chinese Taipei finished in fourth place. Photo: Sweden ladies winning the ladies 540 kilos title
18/09/2010 – WORLD OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 4
Day four started with the 600 4+4 competition. England were not entered in this weight class, but 7 countries entered the event. Switzerland, Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden made the cross over with the Netherlands and Sweden both progressing to the final. South Africa and Switzerland both fought it out for the bronze medal, with Switzerland taking a hard fought pull by 2 ends to 0 to take the bronze medal. The final was between Sweden and the Netherlands. Sweden dropped in with good angles to start with and started to inch the Dutch team over. The Dutch tried to get some big lifts through but Sweden managed to contain them to take the first end. The second end went much the same way and Sweden took the first TWIF international 4+4 title. Photo: Sweden 4+4 Team
The under 23 600 kilos competition was fought out by 9 countries. There was some competitive pulling in this weight with Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Sweden all progressing through to the semi finals. Germany defeated South Africa and Switzerland defeated Sweden, both in two straight ends. The bronze medal pull off saw Sweden defeated a spirited South Africa team by 2 ends to 0. The final saw Switzerland dominate Germany by 2 ends to 0 to secure the Under 23 title for the second year running. Photo: Switzerland Under 23 Team
The afternoon saw the men 640 kilos and ladies 500 kilos competitions take place. England were represented in the ladies 500 kilos competition by Bedford Ladies. England started off with a good 2 ends to 0 win over former world champions USA, in a tough field. England failed to make the cross-over in what was a very competitive weight class, with all teams pulling at a high standard. The teams that made the cross over were Germany, Chinese Taipei, Sweden and the Netherlands. Sweden defeated the Netherlands, and Chinese Taipei defeated Germany. Netherlands and Germany fought it out for the bronze medal, and it was Germany who took the two ends to earn the bronze medal. The final between Sweden and Chinese Taipei was between a team who was not been defeated for a few years in ladies tug of war, and another team who are an emerging force. It was Chinese Taipei who caused the biggest upset of the whole tournament by defeating Sweden by 2 ends to 0 to win their first ever outdoor world title. Photo: England Ladies 500 team
The 640 kilos competition saw England being represented by Felton Eccles. This was another great competition. England made a good start by defeating Germany by 2 ends to 0, and progressed through the competition, only dropping ends to Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands, as well as getting a good 2 ends to 0 win over Ireland early on in the group stages. England progressed to the semi finals in second place in the overall group ahead of Ireland and Switzerland, with the Netherlands finishing in first place in the group. In the semi finals, England were drawn against defending world champions Switzerland. England dropped in well on both ends, not allowing Switzerland to get into the pull, driving Switzerland out in two straight ends. The Netherlands won their semi final against Ireland to reach their third final of the mens weight categories, leaving Ireland and Switzerland to fight it out for the bronze. Despite losing to Switzerland in the group stages Ireland put in a good performance take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. England went into the final looking to inflict defeat on the Dutch mens team for the first time in the championships. Despite dropping in well against the Dutch on both ends, the long lifts and rows of the Netherlands proved to be effective yet again, and they went on to take the gold medal by 2 ends to 0 to finish off a fine weekend of pulling for them. Photo: England 640 kilos team
Well done to all the England teams and clubs who travelled to the event to take part. It took a lot of commitment by everyone to travel and compete at the event, and to come away with two medals in the open competition, and two medals in the closed competition is a great achievement considering we did not have the large contingent of pullers travelling to the event like we have done in previous years. England TWIF judges were Ray-Fray Smith and Mike Callaghan. Wendy Dyer was chief recorder, and Pete Dyer was assistant chief marshall. Alan Ludkin was commentator and liaison officer. Photo: Netherlands 640 kilos team
Next year, we host the European Outdoor Championships and World Junior and Under 23 Championships in Minehead, England. We look forward to competing in that event, and we look forward to welcoming everyone from Europe and the world. Photo: England 640 kilos team with their silver medals
JUDGES COURSES
Mick Grimston of Area 5 has recently passed his judges course. Mick had to take his course later than other candidates and completed the practical course at competitions held during April. Mick was presented with his certificate for passing the course at the weekend. Mick is a former puller and was a member of Lincoln, St Pats and Congleton Tug of War Clubs. Photo:Mick Grimston (left) is pictured recieving his judges certificate from TOWA president Tony Martin (right)
05/09/2010 - NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Results
The national league finals were this year again held in the central location of Daventry. This was the final weekend of the 8 competition national league, which included mens, ladies, and youth weight classes. The teams competing were in the senior weights were Sandhurst, Felton Eccles (A and B), Bosley, Hanging Bridge, Norton, Oxney Vines Cross, Triple F, and Gloucester and Somerset. In the Ladies and youth, Sheen, Bedford, Sandhurst, Gloucester and Somerset ACF and two teams from Leicester and Northants ACF competed.
Three mens weights took place, all run as points competitions at 600 kilos, 640 kilo and 680 kilos. The first weight was the 600 kilos. Norton had a healthy lead of 21 points going into the event, and were almost certain of taking the final gold medal on the day unless they had a disastrous competition. Norton pulled strongly throughout the weight without dropping an end to confirm the gold medal. The competition was much closer for the silver and bronze medals however, as Sandhurst, Felton Eccles, and Oxney were most likely to take the two remaining medals. Oxney competed well throughout the competition to only lose to Norton to secure the silver medal, and Felton Eccles overtook Sandhurst to take the bronze. Photo: Norton
The 640 kilos was again won by Norton, but was not quite as straight forward, having dropped an end to Oxney during the competition. Norton had an unassailable 33 point lead in this weight going into the event so losing ends did not matter. They again finished top of the pile, with Felton Eccles finishing as silver medallists on this occasion, having been two points behind Sandhurst at the start of the competition. Sandhurst took a well deserved bronze medal. Photo: Felton Eccles
The 680 kilos was the final mens weight of the day. Norton had achieved a small lead going into the final event, and it was most possible in this weight that teams behind them could catch up, provided that a few teams could take points off them. Felton Eccles pulled strongly, and were the only team to achieve this feat, beating Norton in a hard pull by 2 ends to 0 on the day. Both teams won all of their other pulls, which meant that Norton took their third gold, with Felton Eccles taking the silver. The fight for the bronze ended up between Bosley, Sandhurst and Oxney. Bosley were ahead of the other teams by 11 points, so needed to win a few points to secure the medal. Despite a few defeats, Bosley got enough points on the board to take the bronze medal. Photo: Bedford Ladies
The ladies and youth league competition was well supported, with some good pulling in both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight class. Sandhurst Youth had a tough day with many pullers competing in both the senior and junior weights. They had a tough battle first on in the 520 kilos event with Gloucester and Somerset giving them a hard time, with Sandhurst eventually winning the pull by 2 ends to 1, and later went on to win the competition, finishing two points ahead of Gloucester and Somerset in the overall youth league for this weight class. Leicester and Northants finished as bronze medallists. Bedford Ladies took the gold medal in the ladies 520 kilos weight class, with Sheen Ladies finishing as runners up. Photo: Sandhurst Youth
The 560 kilos weight class was dominated by Sandhurst, and they won the competition on the day to secure the overall league title, again followed by Gloucester and Somerset, with Leicester and Northants winning the bronze. Bedford Ladies again won the ladies league, having a good battle with Sheen Ladies to win by 2 ends to 1 on the day. Sheen Ladies finished as overall runners up. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF Squad
Thank you to all of the teams that have supported the leagues over the whole season. Hopefully there will be many more teams taking part next year, particularly with the added incentive of the European Championships taking place in England.
Thank you also to the officials on the day – Timekeeper/Recorders – Betty Craft, Wendy Dyer and Yvonne Ludkin – Judges – Ray-Fray Smith, Ernie Jones, Vic Ludkin, Peter Craft, Mick Selwood, Mick Grimston, Ray Wells, Julie Petit, Matt Cowlard and Roger Beardsmore.
Youth 520 – Gold – Sandhurst – Silver – Gloucester and Somerset – Bronze - Leicester and Northants
Youth 560 – Gold – Sandhurst – Silver – Gloucester and Somerset – Bronze - Leicester and Northants
Ladies 520 – Gold – Bedford – Silver – Sheen
Ladies 560 – Gold – Bedford – Silver – Sheen
SATURDAY 28TH AUGUST 2010 - GENSB YOUTH INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
City and North East London ACF TOW club competing at GENSB 2010
GENSB 2010 was held at Heino (a small town between Zwolle and Deventer) in the Netherlands. Thirty seven teams took part this year, and they included seven army cadet teams from England (LNR ACF A, B and C; GLOSSOM ACF A and B; NE London ACF A and B). Each GENSB country has to provide two judges, and the English judges were Ray Fray-Smith and Peter Tuckwell. Vic Ludkin was also in attendance at the event as England GENSB Representative. There was a lot of rain in the area on the Friday, but Saturday (the day of the competition) started fine. About half way through the competition the Sun disappeared and we were hit by a heavy thunderstorm. Fortunately the venue was a riding school with a huge indoor facility, which had been made available to the teams. The competition was temporarily suspended until the storm had passed over, and everyone was relieved that the riding school building was available for shelter.
Leicester and Northants ACF TOW Club competing at GENSB 2010
There were four groups in the first (points) part of the competition, and the top four teams in each group progressed to the knockout stage. LNR ACF A was the only English team to progress out of the group stage, and they were beaten in the last 16 by Dutch team Streefkerk, who ended up as losing semi finalists. The eventual winners were Mosnang of Switzerland, who beat TTV Powerrangers of Belgium in the final. Mosnang also won the competition last year, and are a very strong team. A lot of the non-English clubs entering GENSB are junior sections of senior teams who always manage to recruit sufficient young pullers to make top-rate teams, and these young pullers progress to the senior men’s teams. This is something that the TOWA will be looking to address in the future. The full results and photographs are now available on the GENSB web site - www.gensb.eu.
Thanks to Peter Tuckwell for providing the above report.
Gloucester and Somerset ACF TOW Club competing at GENSB 2010
Photos courtesy of Eddie Van Ramsdonk of the Netherlands Tug of War Association.
13/14 AUGUST - UK OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS - ENNISKILLEN - NORTHERN IRELAND - RESULTS
The 2010 UK outdoor championships were this year hosted by the Northern Ireland Tug of War Association, with the event taking place in Enniskillen. Sheen Men, Felton Eccles, Wood Treatment Bosley, Oxney Vines Cross and Sheen Ladies all represented England in the closed event, with Lincoln TOWC also competing in the open event. The closed competition took place on the Friday afternoon, and started with a short opening ceremony, before the competition got underway with the mens 600 kilos competition. Photo - England B 600 kilos team - represented by Oxney Vines Cross
In the mens 600 kilos competition England A were represented by Bosley, and England B were represented by Oxney. England B started off with the toughest test first, going 1 end each with a very strong and lively Scotland A team. England A started off by defeating Northern Ireland B by 2 ends to 0, but then went on to be beaten by 2 ends to 0 to Northern Ireland A. Both teams had tough battles throughout the remainder of the group stage with England A defeating Scotland A, but dropped ends to Wales A. England A then made a substitution to bring on a fresh pair of legs for their remaining pulls. England B also dropped ends to Wales A. Both England A and England B met in the last pull of the group, with both teams in need of points to ensure that they progressed to the last four. England A needed one point, and England B needed three points and also relied upon Northern Ireland B dropping an end in their final match. Photo - England A 600 kilos squad - represented by Wood Treatment Bosley - 600 kilos gold medallists
England B took a hard first end against England A, but the second end saw England B take England A to within 3 feet of the line. With England A on two cautions it looked as though England A might go out, but England B stopped and England A managed to work the rope all the way back without picking up any more cautions to get the end they needed to secure a place in the semi final. Northern Ireland B won their final group pull by 2 ends to 0 to secure their place in the semi-finals, which meant that England B missed out. In the semi-final, England A came out strongly to defeat Northern Ireland A by 2 ends to 0 in a tough match. Northern Ireland B defeated Wales A to qualify for the final. Northern Ireland A secured the bronze medal with a good win over Wales A. Photo - England B 680 kilos team - represented by Felton Eccles - 680 kilos gold medallists
The final was between England A and Northern Ireland B, two teams who really had to battle hard to make it through to the semi-finals. The first end was very close, with Northern Ireland B starting off strong trying to work England A over the line. Northern Ireland B had England A on two cautions early on, but England A held on to break Northern Ireland B down, and they soon started to pick up cautions, eventually receiving their third which gave the end to England A. Both teams battled hard on the second end, but England A got the momentum this time, taking Northern Ireland B all the way over the line to take a hard earned gold medal. This was a landmark moment for representative club Wood Treatment Bosley, who won their first championship title below 640 kilos. Photo - England A 680 kilos team - represented by Sheen - 680 kilos silver medallists
In the ladies 540 kilos competition, England were represented by Sheen Ladies. Due to travel problems at the airport, England had one of their main pulling members missing for this competition as they could not travel to the event until later in the day, meaning that England had to change the team. England started off with a defeat to Wales A first on, but defeated Scotland B and went one end each with Scotland A which meant that they qualified for the semi-finals. England were defeated by Wales A in the semi-final, and had to settle for a pull against Scotland B for the bronze medal. England were too strong for the Scottish B team, and ran out as 2 ends to 0 winners to take the bronze medal for England. Photo - England Ladies 540 kilos team - represented by Sheen Ladies - 540 kilos bronze medallists
The closed event finished with the mens 680 kilos competition. England A were represented by Sheen in this weight, with England B being represented by Felton Eccles. England B started off with another tough test against Scotland A going to a 1 ends each draw, but recovered well to progress to semi finals, only dropping ends to Wales A and England A. England A, also endured relatively straight forward qualification for the semi finals, only dropping ends to the very strong Wales A side represented by Llanboidy. Photo - Lincoln TOWC competing in the open 600 kilos event
In the semi finals, England A were drawn to pull against Scotland A, with England B having a tough test against Wales A. England A pulled strongly in the semi final to defeat Scotland A, but England B really had to dig deep against Wales A to grind out a 2 ends to 0 win to make it to the final. The bronze medal pull off was between Scotland A and Wales A, which was a very good contest which went to three ends. Both teams have very strong lifts, and it was Scotland A who took the first end. Wales A however dug deep and took the next two ends to secure the bronze medal. Photo - Sheen Ladies team - ladies 540 kilos UK open champions
The final was between England A and England B. England A opted to try and outlast their opponents on the first end, but as both teams started to wear each other down the rope started to move and a good contest emerged, with England B managing to bring England A over the line. On the second end England B assumed control, and took England A over the line to take the gold medal, giving England B the silver.
The open competition took place the following day, with Felton Eccles, Lincoln, Oxney, and Sheen Ladies taking part. Sheen ladies made up for the disappointment of the previous day, as they took the gold medal in the ladies 540 kilos event, with all of their pullers available. Sheen Ladies defeated Ayrshire by 2 ends to 0 to take the gold medal in the final. Felton Eccles also secured a bronze medal in the open 680 kilos event, defeating Cornhill for the bronze. This event was won by Lakehill from Ireland, with Llanboidy from Wales taking the silver. Felton Eccles also competed in the 640 kilos event but did not progress to the semi final stage. Lincoln and Oxney also competed at the event in both the 600 kilos and 640 kilos events. Both teams competed well, but neither team progressed to the semi final stages in either weight class.
The Tug of War Association would like to take this opportunity to thank the Northern Ireland Tug of War Association for all of their hospitality throughout the weekend, and we would like to congratulate all the teams from England who took part at the event, many of whom were either competing without full strength teams or competing under challenging circumstances. The full results from the event are below.
500KG CLOSED- Gold - Scotland A - Silver - Wales A
540KG CLOSED - Gold - Scotland A - Silver - Wales A - Bronze - England A (represented by Sheen Ladies - 4th - Scotland B
600KG CLOSED - Gold - England A (represented by Bosley) - Silver - Northen Ireland B - Bronze - Northern Ireland A -4th - Wales A
680KG CLOSED - Gold - England B (represented by Felton Eccles) - Silver - England A (represented by Sheen) - Bronze - Wales A - 4th - Scotland A
SUNDAY 8TH AUGUST - INTER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS AND NATIONAL OPEN 4+4 CHAMPIONSHIPS, HOSTED BY BEDFORD LADIES TOWC
The Inter County Championships this year, were much better supported than the previous few Inter County Championships, and this was further boosted by the first mixed pulling event hosted by the Tug of War Association. It was pleasing to see a good turnout of teams, and a good turn out of both Association and Federation teams, all pulling in the same arena. Photo - Norton representing Staffordshire - winners of the 640 kilos Inter County Championship
The Inter County Championships kicked off with the 640 kilos competition and the battle for the coveted 640 kilos shield. The defending champions were Staffordshire (represented by Norton). This event was keenly contested, and was split into two groups. Staffordshire started off their defence with a hard fought win over Somerset (Felton Eccles) before defeating Berkshire (Sandhurst), Lincolnshire (Lincoln), and Essex (Totham Bull). Group 2 (which had loads of pulls which went to three ends) was won by Sussex A (Oxney), with Derbyshire (Hanging Bridge) finishing as runners up, ahead of Cheshire (Bosley), Staffordshire B (Holland) and Sussex B (Forge Lane). The semi finals saw Staffordshire A defeat Derbyshire, and Sussex go through a tough 3 end pull with Somerset to reach the final. Despite a strong performance by Sussex, Staffordshire held their shape well to take the 640 kilos inter county shield by 2 ends to 0. Photo - Holland TOWC 4+4
The second Inter Counties weight was the 680 kilos weight class. Staffordshire A (Norton) were again the defending champions. Staffordshire A started off with a difficult two ends to nil win over Lincolnshire (Staffordshire A were 60 kilos light), before going on to defeat Staffordshire B (Sheen) by 2 ends to 1. Derbyshire (Hanging Bridge) then took another end out of Staffordshire A, but it was Somerset (Felton Eccles) who pulled strongly throughout the competition to win the 680 kilos shield without losing an end. Staffordshire A (Norton) finished as runners up. Photo - Woodton TOWC 4+4
The national open 4+4 championship at 600 kilos was then contested. This was a first for the Tug of War Association, with 7 teams taking part. As this was a first event for the Association and to get it off the ground, teams were allowed to borrow up to four pullers from another club to enter the weight class on the day. The teams that competed were Woodton, Bedford, Oxney, Sheen, Totham Bull, Holland, and 1006. Sheen started with a hard fought win over Holland first on, and there was a good pull between Holland and Woodton, with Woodton taking Holland close to the line on the first end, only to run out of steam. The eventual winners were Bedford, with Oxney finishing in silver medal position and Sheen finished as bronze medallists. For a first event, this competition was a success. Photo - Totham Bull TOWC 4+4
The open weights were contested in the ladies 500 kilos and 540 kilos, and men 600 kilos, 640 kilos and 700 kilos. Bedford Ladies won both of the ladies weight classes, with Sheen Ladies finishing as runners up in the 540 kilos weight class, and 1066 finished as runners up in the 500 kilos weight class. Norton won the 700 kilos weight class, with Felton finishing as runners up. Norton also won the 640 kilos weight class, with Felton Eccles finishing as runners up again. Oxney finished as winners of the 600 kilos weight class, with Hanging Bridge finishing as runners up. Photo - Oxney Vines Cross 4+4
The TOWA would like to congratulate all of the teams who took part in the Inter County Championships and Open 4+4 Championships and made it a good day of tug of war. Officials on the day were Ray-Fray Smith, Peter Tuckwell, Ray Wells, Peter Craft, and Julie Petit, with Betty Craft and Wendy Dyer undertaking the timekeeping and recording duties. Photo - 1066 TOWC Ladies team
SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST - CRANLEIGH AGRICULTURAL SHOW
The National League week 6 competitions were held at the Cranleigh Show in Surrey on Sunday 1st August. Cranleigh is the biggest one-day agricultural show in England. The teams competing were Norton, Sandhurst A and B, Felton A and B, Oxney Vines Cross and 1066. The ground was very hard due to the long spell of dry weather, but it became very dusty when the surface started to break up.
The first weight was the 600, which had an entry of 6 teams (Sandhurst A & B, Oxney, Felton A & B and Norton). Norton won the weight with maximum points (15) with Oxney runners up on 12. The first pull between Oxney and Norton was hard fought at 2 minutes 30 seconds, but Norton wrapped up the second end in 55 secs. Sandhurst A were 3rd placed with 6 points.
The second weight was the 640 with 1066, Oxney, Norton, Felton and Sandhurst taking part. Norton won this weight with maximum points (12), with Oxney again runners up on 9. Felton took 3rd place with 6 points. The longest pull of the day was in the 640; it was the first end between Felton and Sandhurst and took 4 minutes 24 secs with Felton the final victors. 1066 from East Sussex were the only team on the day with lady pullers, and they put up a creditable performance. They have high hopes for the 4+4 Open Championship at Bedford next weekend.
The final weight of the day was the 680 with Felton A &B, Norton, Sandhurst and Oxney competing. Norton made it a clean sweep by winning the 680 with maximum points (12). Felton A were runners up with 9, and Oxney 3rd with 6.
The judges were Peter Craft, Ray Wells, Ernie Jones, Julie Pettit and Peter Tuckwell and the Timekeeper was Mrs Betty Craft.
SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST - EAST CHESHIRE HOSPICE CHARITY FUNDRAISER
This years event was held one week later than normal after the date was changed to accommodate the AAA championships. The event still clashed with other club events (both TOWA and non TOWA) which affected the turnout this year. Three teams competed in the mens weight classes (Wood Treatment Bosley, Sheen and Lincoln) and four teams competed in the ladies and youth weight classes (Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, and two teams from Leicester and Northants ACF).
The ground was damp at the start, however the teams that competed did get some good pulling out of it, particularly the ladies and youth, who competed in four weight classes on the day at 500 kilos, 520 kilos, 540 kilos and 560 kilos. Each of the ladies and youth clubs came away with a medal on the day, with Sheen Ladies winning the 520 kilos event, Bedford Ladies winning the 500 kilos event, and Leicester and Northants winning the 540 kilos and 560 kilos events. There were quite a few three end pulls in this weight, which gave these teams plenty of pulling.
The mens weights were contested by Bosley, Lincoln and Sheen. Sheen took the 720 kilos and catchweight events, along with the 640 kilos after beating Bosley by 2 ends to 1, and Sheen also won the 600 kilos event. Lincoln finished as winners of the 680 kilos event, with Bosley finishing as runners up.
Thanks to all the teams and officials that supported this event, and helped to raise a small sum of money for the East Cheshire Hospice. This event will be moved back to its original date next year.
SUNDAY 25TH JULY - AAA CHAMPIONSHIPS - LYMPSTONE
AAA catchweight champions - FELTON ECCLES
AAA 640 kilos champions - NORTON
SUNDAY 18TH JULY - FORGE LANE TOWC RESULTS
Men Catchweight - Winners - Felton Eccles - Runners Up - Lincoln
Men 680 - Winners - Felton Eccles - Runners Up - Lincoln
Men 640 - Winners - Oxney - Runners Up - Forge Lane
Men 600 - Winners - Oxney - Runners Up - Forge Lane
SATURDAY 10TH JULY - CONGLETON CARNIVAL RESULTS
Tug of war returned to Congleton Carnival this year, an event that runs every two years. Only a small number of teams turned out, but they put on a good show for the large amount of spectators in attendance. Three weights were contested at 600 kilos, 640 kilos and 680 kilos. Hanging Bridge won all three weight classes on the day, with Bosley finishing as runners up in the 640 kilos and 680 kilos weight classes. Stretton finished as runners up in the 600 kilos event, and finished in third place in both the 640 kilos and 680 kilos event. The competition was officiated by Roger Beardsmore, and the event organisers expressed their gratitude to all of those who tokk part. They hope to have a few more teams taking part at the event when it is organised in 2012. Photo: Hanging Bridge competing against Stretton
Stretton YFC Tug of War competing at Congleton Carnival. Stretton are the current Cheshire county young farmers tug of war champions.
NATIONAL OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS PHOTOS
Photos taken at the national outdoor championships on Saturday 19th June are now available via our press and media page. You can view these photos by clicking here. These photos are also available via our facebook page.
TUG OF WAR MEMORIES
The Tug of War Association was founded in 1958 and took over the organisation of national tug of war competitions from the Amateur Athletic Association (AAAs). We have heard of many success stories over the past 50 years of the TOWA, but we know little about competitions that took place prior to 1958, and the success stories that teams experienced before then.
Donald Kelly has contacted the Tug of War Association after doing some research about his father, Dan Kelly who remembers taking part in tug of war competitions in the 1940’s at the White City Stadium. Donald tells the story of his father below:
“My father was born in Headford, near Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland on 9th December 1919, the fourth of fourteen children of Con and Nora Kelly. In his youth he was an outstanding gaelic footballer for local clubs Glenflesk and Kilgarven and represented Kerry at Minor level. With his eldest brother, Jerry, he regularly participated in Tug of War locally and with some success. He had just been selected to play a gaelic football trial for Kerry Juniors (in those days a vital step towards Kerry Senior selection), when he emigrated, with Jerry, to England in 1943. There he drove large trucks carrying the materials to keep the runways maintained at various RAF aerodromes in Eastern England and as the War ended he was driving for George Wimpey and was based at Heathrow, as the airport there was being developed. He was playing gaelic football regularly, competing in the London GAA League for the Wolfe Tones (he still has his “B” London League Winners Medal for 1946). One morning, soon after moving to Heathrow, one of the Wimpey surveyors, A B Smith, asked him, and some other new arrivals at Heathrow, to participate in a trial at Wimpey’s Tug of War “training facility”. This comprised some scaffolding especially erected on a piece of land with ropes and pulleys attached to various sizes of barrels filled with concrete. A number of men appropriate to the size of barrel selected were required to pull the relevant rope lifting the barrel into the air and then on shouted orders to move the barrel up or down or just hold it in position, all as ordered. After Dad’s trial Mr Smith noted that he clearly was an experienced TOW man and he was asked to join Wimpey’s TOW teams that regularly competed in TOW competitions around the South of England”.
The 1947 Wimpey Tug of War Team
“My father pulled for Wimpey in 1946 and 1947 before work opportunities caused him to move out to Essex early in 1948. He recalls pulling in both Wimpey catchweight and restricted weight teams and competing in both years at the White City, where the AAA Championships (including tug of war) were held at that time. He is certain that his Wimpey team won at least one “National” (ie AAA) Championship at the White City, although he can no longer find his TOW medals. He believes they beat the RUC team in a final and that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) were the reigning champions at the time. A study of the records reveals that the RUC, having won both in 1939, were the reigning AAA Champions coming into the 1946 AAA Championships at both Catchweight and 100 Stone, where they lost both. Wimpey won the 1946 Catchweight AAA Championship but not the 100 Stone. On the other hand Wimpey won the AAA Championships at both Catchweight and 100 Stone in 1947 (a double Wimpey repeated in 1948 and 1949). The records do not reveal runners-up. Absent other information, it is tempting to believe that Dad was a member of the Wimpey team that won the 1946 Catchweight AAA Championship and merely to ponder whether he also shared in Wimpey’s 1947 successes. But Dad has unearthed a fascinating piece of evidence. The above photograph of the Wimpey TOW team was taken in 1947 (the date is handwritten on the back). Dad is standing on the furthest right hand side of the photo. As the smallest and lightest (5ft 8in and 11.5 Stone) he took up the most forward position on the rope. The photograph shows a very impressive haul of trophies won in 1947 (I think you can make out 19 Cups and 2 Shields). Alan Knott of the TOWA has confirmed that the trophies photographed include the AAA Catchweight rosebowl (third trophy from left on the lowest bench) and the AAA 640 kilos (formerly 100 Stone) Cup (on the far right of the lowest bench), both of which are still competed for today, and both of which were won by Wimpey in 1947”.
“So, did my father and his Wimpey teammates in the photograph win both AAA TOW Championships in 1947 ? Dad doubts it. Studying the team in the photograph, he thinks it more likely that this was the sussessful 100 Stone AAA Champions of 1947, and that Wimpey had arranged for photographs of both their successful teams of 1947 to be taken standing behind all the trophies either Wimpey team had won during 1947. But, of course, he is not sure. As he can not be sure that he was in the Wimpey Catchweight team that took the AAA title from the RUC in 1946. And probably we will never know now. Asked to name his teammates in the photograph Dad says “ We were all Irish. Most were Mayo or Galway men. But the lad furthest to the left was another Kerry- man. I can’t remember any of their names.”. He is just pleased that my research supports the likelihood that he was indeed a TOW AAA Champion in his day, and maybe more than once”.
“In the 1950’s and early 1960’s Dad was well known in the Essex District of Debden, Loughton and Buckhurst Hill as an accomplished darts player, winning many league and cup titles, including the individual championships (he still has many darts cups and medals). My father was 90 last December and is still a fit powerful man for his age. The second photograph (left) was taken at his 90th Birthday lunch and shows him with two of his three adored grandaughters”.
The Tug of War Association would like to take this opportunity to thank Dan Kelly and his son Donald for his story, on what is a very interesting part of tug of war history.
NATIONAL OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS - SATURDAY 19TH JUNE
This years outdoor national tug of war championships were held in Warslow in the Peak District, and were hosted with the assistance of Sheen TOWC and Manifold County Primary School.
The teams competing on the day were: Sheen, Holland, Norton, Wood Treatment Bosley, Hanging Bridge, Leek, Lincoln, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst, Oxney Vines Cross, Forge Lane, BAC, Tavistock, Widecombe, Team Army, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment in the mens weight classes. Bedford, Sheen and Leek took part in the ladies weight classes, and Sandhurst, Gloucester and Somerset ACF and Leicester and Northants ACF took part in the junior weight classes. Photo: Leek Ladies in the 540 kilos event
The day started with the catchweight event, although this year, there was only two teams taking part due to the lack of heavy teams around on the circuit this year. Those two clubs were Sheen and Holland, both from Staffordshire. Sheen performed strongly despite a huge effort from Holland to take the catchweight title by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Widecombe competing in the 640 kilos event
The ladies 540 kilos took place next with Sheen Ladies and Bedford Ladies having a good three end pull first on. Sheen took the first end, but Bedford took the second end to level the pull, before taking the third end to move ahead in the competition. Both Sheen and Bedford Ladies defeated Leek Ladies by 2 ends to 0, to ensure that Bedford finished with the gold medal and Sheen Ladies came away with the silver. Photo - Sandhurst youth competing in the junior 530 kilos event
The second mens weight was the 640 kilos event, which was pulled as a straight points competition. Felton started the defence of their title with a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win over Lincoln, whilst Bosley earned a hard fought 2 ends to 1 win over Sheen. Both teams then went on to lose their next pull, but started to pick up points again elsewhere. Oxney and Hanging Bridge were in contention of medals half way through the competition, but then started to fade away, leaving Felton, Lincoln, and Bosley in contention. Bosley defeated Lincoln by 2 ends to 1 to move within a point of them in second and third place, which meant that Bosley had to take two ends off Felton to take the silver. Felton had already earned enough points to secure gold, but Bosley gave them a real fight, but Felton had just enough to take the two ends to secure the gold medal without losing an end, with Lincoln taking the silver, and Bosley the bronze. Photo: Felton Eccles in the 640 kilos event
The first junior weight class of the day was the junior 530 kilos competition. Sandhurst started off by defeating Leicester and Northants ACF by 2 ends to 0, and Leicester and Northants went on to defeat Gloucester and Somerset ACF by 2 ends to 0. Sandhurst then beat Gloucester and Somerset to secure the gold medal, with Leicester and Northants taking silver. Photo: Norton in the 580 kilos event
The 580 kilos competition saw a large entry of teams and the competition was split into two groups. Norton and Forge Lane progressed from Group 1 ahead of Felton, Bosley, BAC, and Widecombe, with Sandhurst and Oxney progressing ahead of Team Army, Hanging Bridge, Tavistock, Hanging Bridge, Leek, and 17 Port and Maritime Regiment. In the cross over, Norton defeated Oxney by 2 ends to 0, and Sandhurst defeated Forge Lane. That left the two teams from Sussex to battle it out for the bronze medal, with Oxney taking the bronze medal against Forge Lane, who have made massive improvements over the past couple of seasons. The final was between Norton and Sandhurst, and was a repeat line up of the 560 kilos finals we have had for the past few seasons. Norton have had a strong and consistent season so far, and nothing was going to stop them again on this occasion as they defeated a spirited Sandhurst team by 2 ends to 0 to become the first team to take the new national 580 kilos title. Photo - Sandhurst in the 580 kilos event
The next mens weight was the 700 kilos weight class. Four teams entered this weight class – Sheen, Felton, Holland, and Leek. Sheen started off against Holland in their first pull, with Holland throwing everything at Sheen, before Sheen took the pull by 2 ends to 0. Holland and Leek then had a good pull second on which went very close before Holland took that pull by 2 ends to 0. Felton and Sheen meanwhile had another excellent battle, with Felton really having to hand on to Sheen on the first end before eventually pulling them over the line. Felton then took the second end, and went on to defeat Holland by 2 ends to 0 to take the gold medal, with Sheen taking silver and Holland the bronze. Photo: Holland in the 700 kilos event
The ladies 500 kilos weight class was a lively contest. Bedford defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 first on, but the best pull of the competition came second on between Leek and Sheen. Leek took a hard fought first end, before Sheen had to battle really hard to level the pull. The third end was equally as exciting, but Sheen had enough left in the tank to bring Leek over the line. Bedford secured the gold medal with a 2 ends to 0 win over Leek, with Sheen finishing as silver medallists. Photo - Bedford Ladies in the 500 kilos event
The 600 kilos event then saw another large entry of teams, and the competition was split into two groups. Bosley were the winners of group 1 ahead of Oxney, Felton Eccles, Hanging Bridge, Forge Lane, Team Army and Tavistock, with Norton finishing as winners of group 2 head of Sandhurst, Lincoln, Leek, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Widecombe, and BAC. Norton went on to again defeat Oxney in a semi final, whilst Bosley took a hard earned semi final win against Sandhurst to make the final. Oxney pulled strongly in the bronze medal pull to defeat Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, and Norton gave another strong performance in the final, to win their second gold medal of the day by beating Bosley by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Sheen Ladies in the 500 kilos event
The junior 560 kilos event, again saw Sandhurst, Gloucester and Somerset ACF, and Leicester and Northants ACF fighting it out for the medals. Sandhurst won the competition without losing an end to take a well deserved gold medal, with Gloucester and Somerset taking a good silver medal, by beating the 2009 winners Leicester and Northants ACF by 2 ends to 0. Well done to all of the youth teams who took part. Photo - Leek in the 700 kilos event
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos weight class. This weight is always usually wide open as the last weight of the day, with most teams having competed in many other weight classes. The competition was split into two groups. Felton edged through as winners of group 1, despite a very hard battle against Holland in this weight who went through in second place ahead of Hanging Bridge, Tavistock, Sandhurst and Team Army. Sheen progressed as winners of group 2 ahead of Norton who finished as group runners up, Lincoln, Bosley, Widecombe, and Oxney. Sheen defeated Holland in their semi final, and Norton came away with a good 2 ends to 0 win over Felton Eccles. Felton Eccles then went on to secure the bronze medal against Holland, whilst Sheen beat an underweight Norton team in the final by 2 ends to 0 to take their second gold medal of the day. Photo: LNR ACF in the Junior 560 kilos
At the end of the day, the gold silver and bronze medals were presented to the teams by TOWA president Tony Martin. The Tug of War Association would like to thank Sheen TOWC and Manifold County Primary School for providing the venue and hosting the event on our behalf. We would also like to thank all of the teams for coming along to the event as well as thanking all of the local people who turned out in force to support the teams. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF in the Junior 560 kilos
We would also like to thank the officials for attending the event. As with the teams, without them, we would not be able to have a championship. They were: Peter Craft (Controller), Nick Major (Chief Judge), George Ferrett (Referee), Betty Craft (Chief Recorder), Wendy Dyer (recorder), Yvonne Ludkin (recorder), Roger Beardsmore, Matt Cowlard, Ernie Jones, Vic Ludkin, Adrian Willis, Ray Fray-Smith, Mike Callaghan, Mick Grimston, Julie Petit and Pete Dyer (Chief Marshall). We would also like to thank Alan Ludkin for providing the commentary on the days events. Photo - Bosley in the 600 kilos event
BAC competing in the 600 kilos event
Team Army competing in the 600 kilos event
Lincoln competing in the 680 kilos event
Sheen competing in the 680 kilos event
Full Results:
Men Catchweight - gold - Sheen (Staffs) - Silver - Holland - (Staffs)
Men 640 kilos - gold - Felton (Somerset) - Silver - Lincoln - Bronze - Bosley (Cheshire)
Teams competing - Men – Hailsham, Southminister, Oxney Vines Cross, Sandhurst (A and B), BAC, Forge Lane, Felton Eccles (A and B), Sheen, Norton, Bosley, Lincoln, Gloucester and Somerset ACF, Team Army, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment.
Ladies and Youth – Bedford, Gloucester and Somerset ACF, City of London ACF (A and B), Sandhurst.
The annual open competition at Sandhurst was another well supported event, with some very competitive pulling on the day. The forecast rain showers and thunderstorms held off, and despite the ground being very hard at the start of the day, it soon broke up after the first couple of weights, resulting in some very hard pulling.
The catchweight event was run as a straight group, with Sheen performing very strongly to overcome all teams without losing an end. Felton Eccles finished as worth runners up, with some notable performances from Southminster.
The 580 kilos event was split into two groups, with the lighter weight classes seeing large entries in recent weeks, the competition was again very close. Norton put in another fine performance in this weight to finish top of their group ahead of Bosley, Sandhurst, Lincoln, Hailsham, and Felton Eccles A, with Oxney coming through as winners of their group ahead of Felton Eccles B, Forge Lane (after a close 2 ends to 1 pull), Gloucester and Somerset ACF, and Team Army. Norton went into the final to record a good 2 ends to 0 win over Oxney. Photo: Sheen in the 680 kilos
The 680 kilos was again split into two groups. Sheen continued their strong performance in the catchweight event to edge out Lincoln to finish top of their group to go on to meet Felton Eccles in the final. Now that the ground had cut up, Felton had the opportunity to get behind the holes in the ground to try and stop Sheen’s power. Felton managed to do this to take a well deserved win in this weight. Photo: Felton Eccles competing with Sheen in the final of the 680 kilos event
The 600 kilos competition was by far the most keenly fought weight class on the day. The competition was split into two groups, with a good spread of teams across the draw. The first group saw Sandhurst come through as winners, to come through on top after a tough three end win over Oxney, however there was even more excitement in the second group, with close pulls between Sheen, Bosley, Forge Lane and Lincoln. Bosley defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in a very hard pull, but were then defeated by Forge Lane by the same score. Sheen then came through to defeat Forge Lane by 2 ends to 0, but Bosley’s loss against Lincoln meant that Forge Lane and Sheen would have to pull again to see who would go through to the final. This was another great pull, with Forge Lane just edging it by 2 ends to 1. Forge Lane then went on to meet Sandhurst in the final. Both teams had had tough pulling in the group, but those extra ends for Forge Lane took a lot out of them, and it was Sandhurst who came through as worthy winners by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Forge Lane competing in the 600 kilos event.
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos weight class. This was again split into two groups. Norton comfortably won their group, with Lincoln coming through to win their group with a good win over Oxney in their last pull in the group to make the final. Norton then went on to win the final by 2 ends to 0.
30/05/2010 - WESSEX OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
This bank holiday weekend saw the Wessex Open Championships take place at Christian Malford near Chippenham in Wiltshire. The event was reasonably well supported with Felton Eccles (A and B), Sandhurst (A and B), Oxney Vines Cross, Lincoln, BAC, Widecombe, Whimple and Broadclyst, Norton, Wood Treatment Bosley, and the re-formed North Wiltshire tug of war clubs taking part. The weather remained dry, so the conditions were good for tug of war.
The event started with the 700 kilos event, which was pulled as a straight group. Felton Eccles performed strongly in this weight to win the competition without losing an end, followed by Lincoln who finished as runners up after a hard fought 2 ends to 1 win over Oxney first on. North Wiltshire started with a good performance to finish fourth overall in this weight. Photo - Oxney Vines Cross
The 580 kilos event followed, and this was again pulled as a straight group. Oxney and BAC had a good pull first on, and competition between Oxney, Sandhurst and Bosley was close to determine who would finish in first place. Oxney firstly defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, then Bosley followed suit to beat Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0. The final and deciding pull was between Bosley and Oxney, with Bosley coming away with a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win over Oxney. Photo - North Wiltshire TOWC
The 680 kilos event was split into two groups. Oxney were the winners of group 1 ahead of Widecombe, Whimple and Broadclyst, and North Wiltshire, whilst Felton Eccles came through as winners of group 2 ahead of Lincoln, Bosley, Sandhurst A and Felton B. In the final of this weight, Oxney and Felton Eccles fought it out. Oxney gave a good battling performance, but Felton Eccles maintained their composure to work their way to a well deserved 2 ends to 0 win. Photo - Whimple and Broadclyst TOWC
The 600 kilos event was also split into two groups. Norton came through as winners of their group ahead of Felton Eccles A, Sandhurst A, Lincoln, and Sandhurst B. Oxney came through as winnes of group 2 after a hard earned 2 ends to 1 win over Bosley to beat them into first place, with Whimple and Broadclyst, North Wiltshire and BAC also competing in the group. Norton again pulled strongly, maintaining their postitions throught their rope to pressure Oxney out for a 2 ends to 0 win.
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos event. Norton were again the dominant force in this competition, winning the whole competition without losing an end. Bosley finished as runners up after being defeated by Norton in two straight ends.
23/05/2010 - FELTON ECCLES OPEN COMPETITION - NATIONAL LEAGUE WEEK 4 RESULTS
Hot and sunny weather greeted the teams this year at Felton Eccles' annual open tug of war competition. The event was well supported with Felton Eccles (A and B), Kennford, Gloucester & Somerset, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Sandhurst (A and B), Lincoln, Widecombe, Oxney, BAC, Sheen, Tavistock, Norton, Forge Lane, and Wood Treatment Bosley all taking part.
The day started with the 600 kilos event, which was pulled in two groups. Norton were the winners of group A, ahead of Oxney who finished as runners up, and Lincoln won group B with Felton Eccles finishing as group runners up. There was also some very close competition between the other teams in this weight class. Their were many notable performances from Tavistock, Widecombe, Gloucester and Somerset, Kennford, and 17 Port and Maritime Regiment who had to endure many three end pulls. The final was between Norton, and Lincoln, and it was a good performance by Norton who won strongly by 2 ends to 0 to win the 600 kilos event for their fourth successive week. Photo: Widecombe in the 600 kilos event
petiThe 680 kilos was the second weight of the day, and was again split into two large groups. Norton were the winners of group 1, beating Bosley into first place to make the final, with Felton Eccles winning the second group ahead of Forge Lane. The final was a good battle between Norton and Felton Eccles, with the first end running very close, with Norton having to battle very hard to take Felton over the line. Norton asserted a little more control on the second end to contain the early surge from Felton, and went on to take a hard fought two ends to nil win against Felton, which was applauded by all around the field. Photo: Host club Felton Eccles competing in the 600 kilos event.
The 580 kilos event followed, which was split into two groups. Forge Lane pulled very strongly in their group to make the final ahead of Oxney Vines Cross, with both teams having a good tussle to see who would come out of the group to make the final. Bosley were the winners of group two, which was another competitive group, finishing ahead of Tavistock and Felton who were also both in contention to reach the final. In the final, Forge Lane had the upper hand from the drop on both ends to take a well earned win in the 580 kilos weight class. Photo: BAC competing in the 600 kilos event
The 640 kilos event followed, again split into two groups. At this stage of the day, given the very warm weather, and hard pulling already endured, some teams started to fatigue, but it did not stop Norton from progressing to their third final of the day ahead of Oxney, Sheen, Bosley, Kennford, Widecombe, and Sandhurst B, where they met Sandhurst A in the final, who overcame Lincoln in a good three end pull, BAC, Felton A, Tavistock, and Felton B. Norton again dominated the proceedings against Sandhurst in the final, by going on to win by 2 ends to 0, although Sanhurst will be pleased with their efforts having come through some hard pulling in the group with two youth pullers in their team. Photo: Tavistock competing in the 600 kilos event
The final weight of the day was the catchweight event. There was a smaller entry of teams in this weight so it was pulled as a straight group. Sheen and Felton had to battle it out first on, with Sheen going on to win by 2 ends to 0. Sheen went on to win the competition, with Felton finishing as runners up. Photo: Kennford, who have recently reformed, taking the strain in the 600 kilos event.
The event was also attended by Peter Baker, who provided good and informative commentary on the event throughout the day, which was appreciated by the crowds that attended the event. Peter Baker is a long standing and respected member of the Tug of War Association, and has served as a past TOWA chairman and president. Peter has also served on the TWIF executive committee in the past. In recognition of this, current TWIF senior vice president and TOWA President Tony Martin presented Peter with a commemorative award from TWIF which is being presented to long standing past and present members of TWIF to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The Tug of War Association would like to congratulate Peter Baker on receiving his award.
16/05/2010 - MIDLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS - NATIONAL LEAGUE WEEK 3 RESULTS
The 2010 Midland Championships this year were held at Madeley Court Leisure Centre, Telford, the first time for a few years that tug of war has been held here. The last competition to take place here was on the indoor circuit in 2002. The teams competing were Norton, Sheen, Sandhurst, Lincoln, Hanging Bridge, Rushock, Caradoc, Haye-on-Wye, and Felton Eccles, with LNR ACF A and B and Sheen Ladies competing in the ladies and youth weights.
The 2010 Midland Championships started with the mens catchweight event, run as a single group points competition. The event included a few young farmers teams, who acquitted themselves well to the competition, despite being up against more experienced clubs. The competition between most clubs was close, but not as close as the deciding pull between Felton and Sheen which went to three ends. Felton took the first end, but Sheen took the second in with a hard battled win. The third end was equally as close, and just as Felton looked to be getting themselves back into the pull, Sheen managed to moved Felton over the line to win the pull and the catchweight competition.
The second weight of the day was the 580 kilos competition, again run as a straigh points competition. The pulling was again tight, with Bosley and Hanging Bridge having a three end match firs on with Bosley beating Hanging Bridge by 2 ends to 1. There were many other close pulls, but it was Sandhurst who won the competition without losing an end, with Bosley finishing as runners up.
The 680 kilos competition was split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group 1 ahead of Bosley, Sandhurst, Hanging Bridge and Haye-on-Wye, With Felton Eccles finishing ahead of Lincoln, Sheen and Rushock in their group. Norton went into the final with a light team, but pulled a good tight rope throughout to hold off the challenge from Felton to win the competition by 2 ends to 0.
The 600 kilos event followed, and again was pulled as a straight group. Norton were again very strong and won the competition without losing an end. Bosley finished as worthy runners up, but there was some good pulling between all of the other teams - Haye-on-Wye, Hanging Bridge, Sheen, Lincoln, and Caradoc, with many of those pulls going to three ends.
The final mens weight of the day was the 640 kilos which was split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group 1 ahead of Lincoln, Felton Eccles, and Sheen, with Bosley winning group 2 ahead of Hanging Bridge, Haye-on-Wye, Caradoc, and Rushock. Norton and Bosley met again for the third time in a deciding pull in the final, and despite a battling effort, Norton came through as winners once again to take their third win of the day.
The ladies and youth weights were contested by Sheen Ladies and two teams from Leicester and Northants ACF. The Leicester and Northants ACF teams pulled well this week fielding mixed teams of junior boys and girls. Their A team finished as winners of both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos events, with Sheen Ladies finishing as runners up.
09/05/2010 - GREAT ORMOND STREET CHARITY EVENT
This weekend, the annual charity tug of war competition organised by Len Hall took place at Daventry and District Sports Club, with a good number of senior and junior tug of war teams taking part.
The men's competition saw the following teams taking part - Colchester, Market Rasen, Lincoln, Soutminster, Team Army, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Forge Lane, BAC, Hanging Bridge, Sandhurst (A and B), Oxney Vines Cross, Wood Treatment Bosley, Norton, and Felton Eccles.
There was again a well supported ladies and youth competition, with Leicester and Northants ACF (A, B and C), Glouscester and Somerset ACF (A and B), Sandhurst Youth, and Bedford all taking part. This competition also welcomed the Eire OG team from Ireland, who have become regular visitors to Daventry over the years. Photo: Leciester and Northants ACF Youth.
The competition opened with the catchweight event, pulled as a straight group. Felton Eccles ended up as winners without dropping an end, and Lincoln finished as runners up ahead of Sandhurst, Market Rasen, and Southminster.
The mens 600 kilos competition followed the catchweight competition, and was split into two groups. Norton won the competition without losing an end, finishing ahead of Hanging Bridge in their group to go on and defeat Sandhurst A in the final.
The 680 kilos was another good competition, split into two groups. The teams from Southminster, Colchester, and Market Rasen gave some excellent battling performances in this weight, but Norton went through to the final as winners of group 1, with Felton Eccles also coming out of a tough group to reach the final. Norton put on a strong performance in the final for a hard earned win by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Cornwall ACF Youth
The 580 kilos competition was another interesting weight class, with Hanging Bridge coming through as winners of their group ahead of Sandhurst A, Bosley, Lincoln, Oxney and 17 Port and Maritime Regiment. Forge Lane came through as worthy winners of group 2 by defeating Felton Eccles, BAC, Sandhurst B, and Team Army. Forge Lane put up a good fight against Hanging Bridge in the final, but Hanging Bridge just edged out Forge Lane to finish in first place. Photo: Forge Lane
The final mens weight of the day was the 640 kilos weight class, split into two groups. Group 1 was won by Norton, who defeated Sandhurst A, Felton Eccles, Oxney, Team Army, and Forge Lane. Group 2 was won by Hanging Bridge, who came through a competitive group ahead of Bosley, BAC, Lincoln, Sandhurst B, and Colchester. The pulling in this group was particularly good, with Colchester defeating Sandhurst B and BAC, and also taking an end out of Bosley. The final saw Norton face Hanging Bridge, who threw everything at Norton, but Norton held off the challenge to take their third win of the day. Photo: 17 Port and Maritime Regiment
The ladies and youth weights were contested at 560 kilos and 520 kilos. The 560 kilos was the first weight, which provided some good exciting pulls. The ground was a little bit greasy on top at the start, resulting in a couple of endy pulls to start with. Gloucester and Somerset had a good pull with the Eire OG team first on, narrowly being defeated by 2 ends to 1, before Sandhurst youth went on to win by 2 ends to 1 against the Eire OG team. Sandhurst went on to win this weight without losing an end. Leicester and Northants ACF fielded three teams in this weight, fielding teams with a mix of both junior boys and girls pullers. Cornwall ACF also competed well, along with Bedford Ladies who had no other ladies teams to pull on the day. Photo: Hanging Bridge
The 520 kilos competition was later won by Sandhurst Youth, with Eire OG finsishing as worthy runners up ahead of Gloucester and Somerset ACF A. Photo: Colchester YFC
03/05/2010 - NORTH SOMERSET SHOW RESULTS
On Bank Holiday Monday, the annual tug of war competition took place at North Somerset Show. The weather was dry, and the competition took place in front of a large and appreciative crowd. The teams taking part were Tavistock, Felton Eccles, Cupids Hill, North Wilts, Widdecombe, Kennford and Wedmore Young Farmers. The results were:
Men 600 - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Felton Eccles
Men 640 - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Cupids Hill
Men 680 - Winners - Cupids Hill - Runners Up - Tavistock
02/05/2010 - LINCOLN TOWC OPEN COMPETITION RESULTS
Teams competing - Senior Men - Lincoln, Market Rasen, Southminster, Norton, Sheen, Felton Eccles (A and B), Wood Treatment Bosley, Hanging Bridge.
Ladies - Bedford and Sheen
Results
Men Catchweight - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Felton Eccles A
Men 640 Kilos - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Lincoln
Men 600 kilos - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Bosley
Men 680 kilos - Winners - Norton - Runners Up - Sheen
01/05/2010 - SHEEN LADIES OPEN COMPETITION RESULTS
Teams competing - Sheen Ladies, Sheen Men, Ashbourne YFC, Holland TOWC, Lutterworth YFC
Results
Men Catchweight - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Holland
Men 680 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Holland
Men 640 - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Lutterworth
25/04/2010 - THAMES VALLEY OPEN COMPETITION RESULTS
580- Winners - Sandhurst - Runners Up - BAC
600- Winners - Sandhurst - Runners Up - Oxney
640- Winners - Sandhurst - Runners Up - Felton Eccles
680- Winners - Lincoln - Runners Up - Felton Eccles
Catchweight - Winners - Felton Eccles - Runners Up - Lincoln
18/04/2010 - EAST OF ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS - NATIONAL LEAGUE 1
This week was the first competition of the Tug of War Association National League, which took place in Kempston, Bedford. The event was well supported with senior mens teams from Southminster, Triple F, Sheen, Norton, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst (A and B), Lincoln, Oxney Vines Cross, Wood Treatment Bosley, Gloucester and Somerset ACF, BAC, Hanging Bridge taking part. The ladies and youth competition also saw seven teams competing from Bedford, Sheen, Leicester and Northants ACF (A, B and C), Gloucester and Somerset ACF (A and B). The dry weather conditions meant that the ground was hard, and this factor, combined with the warm weather made the competition in all weight classes very competitive. Photo: Sheen Ladies in the Ladies and Youth 560 kilos
PhThe day started with the catchweight event, split into two groups. Norton won group one ahead of Felton Eccles, Bosley and Southminster, with Lincoln finishing as worthy winners of group two, finishing ahead of Sheen, Sandhurst A, Hanging Bridge, and Oxney Vines Cross. Lincoln and Norton met in the final as winners of their respective groups to decide who would finish first and second. Norton pulled strongly to take a 2 ends to 0 win over Lincoln. Photo: Bedford in the ladies and youth 560 kilos
Along with the mens catchweight competition, the ladies and youth 560 kilos competition took place. There was some very close competition in this weight class, but it was Bedford who kept the best shape all day to win the competition without losing an end. Sheen finished as worthy runners up.
The second weight of the day was the 600 kilos event, which was a good competitive weight class split into two groups. Sheen were the surprise package in this weight, winning their group ahead of Triple F, Felton Eccles, Bosley and Sandhurst B. BAC came through as winners of the second group ahead of Sandhurst A, Oxney Vines Cross, and Hanging Bridge, with whom BAC finished level on points. BAC and Hanging Bridge then had to pull again to decide who would go through to the final, and it was BAC who won through to meet Sheen. The extra pulling took its toll on BAC, and it was Sheen who came through to win the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Southminster in the catchweight event.
The 680 kilos was another points competition split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group one ahead of Oxney Vines Cross, Lincoln, Hanging Bridge and Sandhurst A. Felton Eccles won group two ahead of Bosley, Triple F, Sandhurst B and Sheen. Norton and Felton Eccles met in the final, with Felton giving an aggressive performance against Norton. Despite all their efforts, Norton kept their composure on both ends to take the win by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Felton Eccles in the catchweight event.
Alongside the mens 680 kilos competition, the ladies and youth 520 kilos competition took place. Like the Ladies 560 kilos competition earlier, the competition was again very very close, with some close pulling between all the teams. Bedford again were worthy winners, with Gloucester and Somerset ACF A finishing as runners up. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF "A" team in the ladies and youth 560 kilos event.
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos. This was again a points competition, split into two groups. Norton again pulled strongly to win their group ahead of Hanging Bridge, Bosley, Felton Eccles and Gloucester and Somerset ACF. Sandhurst A were the winners of group two ahead of Lincoln, BAC, Sandhurst B and Triple F. Norton were again a strong team in the 640, and went on to win the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Lincoln in the catchweight event
The competition in Weymouth was supported this year with 6 teams taking part. They were Widecombe, Tavistock, Wareham, Lympstone, Kennford and Blandford. The judges were Nick Major and Mick Selwood. The results were:
Catchweight - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Blandford
680 - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Widecombe
660 - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Widecombe
640 - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Widecombe
600 - Winners - Tavistock - Runners Up - Kennford
11/04/2010 - WOOD TREATMENT BOSLEY OPEN COMPETITION
The competition this weekend was hosted by Wood Treatment Bosley Tug of War Club in the village of Bosley, Cheshire. The competition was attended by teams from Wood Treatment Bosley, Sheen, Norton, Hanging Bridge, Lincoln, Felton Eccles, and Sandhurst (A and B). Five weight classes were contested on the day, and there was a good mixture of results.
The competitions held on the day were all run as points competitions so all the teams got plenty of pulling. The ground cut up well, which made for good competitive pulling. The day started with the catchweight event, with Felton Eccles taking first place in this weight class, which they normally dominate at this time of year. Sheen took the runners up spot in their first outing since winning the gold medal at World Indoor Championships in February. Photo: Wood Treatment Bosley in the 600 kilos event
Following the catchweight competition, the 640 kilos competition took place. This again was run as a full group. Norton have again come back at the start of the season with a good level of fitness and won the competition without losing an end. Hanging Bridge were the worthy runners up, just finishing ahead of Bosley who finished third. Photo: Sandhurst TOWC competing in the 620 kilos event
The 640 kilos competition was watched by Joyce Hollinshead and Sturat Hollinshead, the wife and son of former Bosley coach John Hollinshead, who passed away towards the end of last year. Also in attendance was former Bosley puller Mick Eardley. John was coach during the 1970’s and 1980’s winning over 100 championship gold medals with the club, including national, AAA, UK, European and World titles.
After the 640 kilos competition, a memorial shield in memory of John was presented by his family to the winners of the 640 kilos event, and this award was received by Norton from Stuart Hollinshead who presented the award on behalf of the family. All of the pullers and spectators who attended the event then gave three cheers in tribute to John. Photo: Sturat Hollinshead (right), son of former Wood Treatment Bosley Coach John Hollinshead presenting Dave Calcutt (left)of Norton TOWC (640 kilos winners) with the John Hollinshead Memorial Shield
Following this presentation, the 600 kilos, 680 kilos, and 620 kilos competitions took place. Sandhurst A were the worthy winners of the 600 kilos, with Bosley finishing as runners up after a hard fought victory over Hanging Bridge. Norton took their second weight of the day in the 680 kilos competition, with Felton Eccles finishing as runners up. Sandhurst A then took the 620 kilos event by beating Bosley by 2 ends to 1 in close fought final.
05/04/2010 - GUILDFORD EASTER SHOW 2010
The competition at the Guildford Easter Show in Surrey was held on Easter Monday. The recent wet weather had made the ground soft, but Monday remained dry and windy and the ground dried out as the day progressed. The surface was a bit slippery to start with, but as the ground broke up some decent holes soon developed, and the spectators were treated to some good pulling. The number of clubs taking part was down on last year, which is a shame because the Tug of War at this show is always popular with the spectators, and there were quite a few ‘old pullers’ in the crowd. Photo: BAC TOWC
The first weight was the Men’s 600 with BAC, Sandhurst A, Sandhurst B, Sandhurst Youth, Holland, Oxney A, Forge Lane and Bedford Ladies taking part in an eight team points competition. Sandhurst A won the weight, losing only one end to worthy runners up Forge Lane. Sandhurst Youth and Bedford Ladies took part in the Men’s 600 and, in accordance with the new rule, some of the men’s teams dropped pullers when they met these teams. Unfortunately one of the Bedford pullers sustained an injury near the end of this weight, and the team then withdrew from the competition. The injured puller was treated on the field by the St John Ambulance and we wish her a speedy recovery. Photo: Bedford Ladies TOWC
The second weight was the Men’s 640, which was a seven team points competition with BAC, Sandhurst A, Sandhurst B, Holland, Oxney A, Oxney B and Forge Lane taking part. Sandhurst A were winners with Oxney A runners up.
Only two teams weighed in for the Ladies/youth competition, which should have been held at the same time as the Men’s 640, but this was abandoned due to Bedford withdrawing.
The third and final weight was the Men’s 680, which only had four teams (Sandhurst A, Sandhurst B, Oxney A and Oxney B). This was won by Sandhurst A with Sandhurst B runners up.
The judges were Vic Ludkin, Ernie Jones, Ray Wells and Peter Tuckwell, and the timekeeper was Mrs Yvonne Ludkin. Thanks to Terry Spoore for supplying the ropes and gazebo and the Tug of War information display.
04/04/2010 - WILTSHIRE COUNTY OPEN RESULTS
Teams competing were: Sandhurst A & B, Felton A & B, Tavistock, Lympstone and North Wiltshire Tug of War Club who have re-formed this year. The results were:
600 - Winners - Felton A - Runners Up - Sandhurst A
640 - Winners - Sandhurst A - Runners Up - Tavistock
680 - Winners - Sandhurst A - Runners Up - Felton A
Catchweight - Winners - Felton A - Runners Up - Sandhurst A
MIDLAND EARLY PULL RESULTS
Sunday 28th March - Held in Droitwich, Worcestershire
Men Catchweight - Winners - Holland A - Winners - Holland B
Men 660 - Winners - Holland A - Winners - Holland B
Men 640 - Winners - Holland A - Winners - Holland B
Men 620 - Winners - Holland A - Winners - Holland B
Ladies and Youth 520 - Winners - Gloucester & Somerset ACF - Runners Up - LNR ACF A
Ladies and Youth 560 - Winners - Gloucester & Somerset ACF - Runners Up - LNR ACF A
The Dorset training league took place between 28th Feb and 28th March 2010
Four competitions have taken place over recent weeks in the South Western Area as part of the Dorset training league. A total of 13 teams took part in the event. They were Tavistock, Lympstone, Widecombe, Culm Valley, Kenford, 17 Port & Maritime Regiment, Whimple, North Wiltshire, Warbstow, Wareham, Probus, and 11 Signal Regiment. The event organisers would like to thank and congratulate all of those teams who took part. The officials were Mike Callaghan, Matt Cowlard, Nick Major, George Ferrett, and Mick Selwood. Jane Major was the timekeeper/recorder.
Photos from the World Indoor Championships are available on our press & media page.
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28th FEB 2010 - WORLD INDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2010 World Indoor Tug of War Championships took place in Cesenatico, Italy, the second time in succession where the world indoor championships have been hosted by the Italian Tug of War Federation.
World Open Club Championships
The first two days of the event were the open club competitions. There was little involvement by English clubs in this weight, although Raunds entered a team in the 640 kilos, and Kilroe entered a team in the 600 kilos. Neither team reached the semi finals, with both teams concentrating on representing England at the weekend. Abadino from the Basque region of Spain pulled very well to win the Open Competition at both 560 kilos and 600 kilos, with Bremore from Ireland winning the 640 kilos event, and Heidenskip from the Netherlands winning the 680 kilos event. Photo: Abadino in the Men 560
In the ladies open competition, the ladies teams from Chinese Taipei won both the ladies 500 kilos and ladies 540 kilos competitions. It was a different team to what we have seen dominate ladies indoor tug of war for the past 4 or 5 years, but this new team were technically just as good as their predecessors, and they won both finals against Basque team Badiotz. Photo - Chinese Taipei in the open 540 kilos
World Championships – Closed – Day 1
The closed competition started with the opening ceremony on the Friday evening, with pulling starting on Saturday with the mens 560 kilos competition. 10 countries fielded a team in this weight class, which turned out to be a very stern test for all teams taking part. England were represented by Norton in this weight, who progressed through the group finishing in first place, having lost one end to Scotland in the group. England progressed along with the Netherlands, Scotland, and 2008 winners Northern Ireland. With the quality of the teams in the last 4, the semi final draw would have a big impact on the final result. England were drawn against Scotland, with Northern Ireland apparently having the easier draw against the Netherlands. Northern Ireland progressed to the final, with a hard fought 2 ends to 1 win over the Netherlands, but all eyes were on the thrilling battle between England and Scotland. England eventually won by 2 ends to 1, however not before the final end was blown back to the middle twice after both teams received cautions for infringements. It really was a close semi-final which took a lot out of both teams. Photo - England 560 kilos team
There was a break before the final to allow the bronze medal pull off for both the mens 560 and the ladies 540 to take place, with Scotland taking a hard earned bronze medal by defeating the Netherlands by 2 ends to 1. The final came along with England looking to win the 560 kilos title last won in 2006. Northern Ireland made the better start, taking the first end. The second end saw England taking rope of the Northern Ireland team before both teams started picking up cautions. The second end was then blown back to the middle for a re-start, and both teams went to battle again. Again, England took rope, but both teams were picking up the cautions, and the second end was again blown back to the middle. The pull commenced again, and with both teams having to dig deep, England picked up the extra cautions which gave Northern Ireland a second 560 kilos world title. Despite the defeat, it was a great performance by England to compete like they did in the final after a tough semi-final against Scotland. Photo - England 560 team on the podium
The ladies 540 kilos event took place alongside the mens 560 kilos competition. There was only a small entry of teams in the ladies weights this year, with none of the home countries fielding sides. Many other countries did not field sides this year, which may be due to the financial difficulties many of us have experienced in recent months. Chinese Taipei again became World Champions, but were not without a fight this year, having had to defeat China by 2 ends to 1 to take the gold medal. Japan won the bronze against Switzerland.
The afternoon saw the mens 640 kilos competition take place. The defending champions were Scotland, but England went in to the competition with confidence of making a severe challenge to Scotland. England were represented by Sheen, who already defeated Scotland at the UK championships in January, and they were confident of further success.
England started the competition well, defeating Serbia, China and the Netherlands, before they met Scotland in the next round. England took both ends, although Scotland were no showing their hand at this point. England progressed to the semi finals along with Scotland, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Ireland, and were drawn against the Netherlands in the semi-final. England controlled this match well to make it to the final with a 2 ends to 0, where they again met Scotland. Photo: England 640 team celebrate winning gold
The final was very close, with Scotland taking 3 metres of rope from England before both teams hit the floor. Having received cautions, it was important for both teams to keep clean. England managed to come up off the floor quickest, and started to take Scotland back before Scotland received their third caution for sitting. The second end was an equally stern test for England, and went much the same as the first end, with England having to battle really hard to take Scotland over the line and secure the gold medal. England last won the 640 kilos title in 2002, and it was the first World Championship gold medal for a representative Sheen team since 1993. Photo - England 640 team on the podium
World Championships - Closed - Day 2
Day 2 commenced with the 600 kilos competition. Scotland were the defending champions, and England again had high hopes of at least reaching the final. England had a tough start against the strong Northern Ireland team, but came through with a 2 ends to 0 win. England progressed to the semi finals in second place in the group behind Scotland who defeated England in the group stages.
In the semi-finals, England were drawn against the Republic of Ireland, with Scotland being drawn against Northern Ireland. England quickly dispatched of Ireland by 2 ends to 0 in their semi final, with Scotland defeating a strong Northern Ireland team in their semi-final. Northern Ireland went on to secure the bronze medal against the Republic of Ireland. The final was another battle between England and Scotland. Both teams were strong, but Scotland got the upper hand on the first end after a slip from the England team. Scotland then went on to take the first end after England received three cautions. The second end was a much closer contest with both teams taking rope. Both teams then started to pick up the cautions, and with both teams on two cautions, they both hit the floor. The judge then awarded the pull to Scotland after giving England their third caution, which gave Scotland their first gold of the tournament. Photo - England 600 kilos squad
The ladies 500 kilos event was another small competition in comparison to recent indoor championships. Japan secured their second bronze medal of the tournament by defeating Switzerland, but there was a good final between Chinese Taipei and China, with both countries fielding strong teams. There was to be no repeat of the previous days final however as China went on to defeat Chinese Taipei by 2 ends to 0 to take a first ever TWIF World Championship tug of war gold medal for China. Photo - China Ladies Team
The final day of competition concluded with the mens 680 kilos competition, with England being represented by Raunds. Having had a good first half of the season, Raunds lost several pullers from their squad, and utilised pullers from Sheen to strengthen their squad for this weight. England made a good start, going one end each with the defending champions from the Netherlands. England also dropped ends to Scotland and Ireland, but beat all the other nations competing to earn a place in the semi finals, along with Scotland, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Photo - England 680 team
In the semi-finals, England were drawn to face 2008 silver medallists Scotland, with England being defeated by 2 ends to 0, which resulted in England having to face Ireland in the pull off for the bronze medal. The Netherlands defeated Ireland by 2 ends to 0 to reach the final. In the bronze medal match, it wasn’t to be for England. Having lost the first end, England made a substitution, but it was to no avail, as Ireland took their second bronze medal of the championship. The final gave Scotland a comfortable 2 ends to 0 victory to secure their second gold medal of the event.
Well done to all of the England teams who took part in the event. With all teams finishing in the top four, and to come away with one gold and two silver medals, it represents our best results for a few years. We now eagerly look ahead to the outdoor season, and we look forward to seeing everyone again for the March training leagues, and forthcoming open competitions which start in April.
Full Results:
Men 560
Gold - Northern Ireland - Silver - England (represented by Norton) - Bronze - Scotland - 4th - Netherlands
Men 600
Gold - Scotland - Silver - England (represented by Kilroe) - Bronze - Northern Ireland - 4th - Ireland
Men 640
Gold - England (represented by Sheen) - Silver - Scotland - Bronze - Ireland - 4th - Netherlands
Men 680
Gold - Scotland - Silver - Holland - Bronze - Ireland - 4th - England (represented by Raunds)
Ladies 500
Gold - China - Silver - Chinese Taipei - Bronze - Japan - 4th - Switzerland
Ladies 540
Gold - Chinese Taipei - Silver - China - Bronze - Japan - 4th - Switzerland
Tug of War Association and Tug of War Federation Joint Committee
Informal discussions between the Tug of War Association and the Tug of War Federation of Great Britain have been held recently in order to discuss how to work together for the benefit of tug of war. Two meetings have been held, and you can read and download the minutes of thos meetings by clicking the links below.
The tri-services tug of war championships takes place annually between the police, the combined services, and the Civil Service. The Civil Service are looking for more pullers to take part in this years event. To qualify to take part in the Civil Service Team, any pullers working for a government department, body or agency; local/county council; or contract to an agency for an authority that are interested, please contact Frank Moriarty - e-mail frank.moriarty@btinternet.com or phone 01252 874576.
We can now look forward to the world championships in Perth and will be competing in the U23s open championships as ETOWA and will be pulling Taipei in a demonstration event as England. Unfortunately three of our pullers will not be attending due to work commitments but we still have nine members of our squad able to compete.
The first weight was the 600 kilos competition. Scotland A started off by defeated England B, and England A defeated Scotland B. England’s under 23 team competed in the event as England C, and acquitted themselves well against Northern Ireland A first on, but succumbed to a 2 ends to 0 defeat. As the group progressed, England A won all of their pulls by 2 ends to 0, including a 2 ends to 0 win over defending champions Scotland A. England A finished off the competition by defeating Northern Ireland A by 2 ends to 0, who also defeated Scotland A in the group stage. The A teams from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all progressed to the semi finals, with England B and Scotland B left to fight it out for the last place in the semi finals. The final place in the semi-finals went to Scotland B.
In the bronze medal match, Northern Ireland A had to endure another three ends of tug of war against Scotland B, but this time prevailed by 2 ends to 1 to take a well deserved bronze medal. In the final, England A faced up to Scotland A who had won this event for the past 5 years. A big surprise was how England A steadily pushed Scotland A over the line in under 2 minutes on both ends to take the gold medal. 
In the 680 kilos event, Scotland A again went into the competition as defending champions. England A started off with a win against Northern Ireland A, and England B started off with a defeat to Scotland A. England B then got their momentum going in the competition by defeating Scotland B and Northern Ireland A, but lost out to England A who progressed to the semi finals without dropping an end after defeating Scotland A.
In the semi finals, England A defeated Northern Ireland A, and England B gave a good account of themselves against Scotland A, but missed out on a spot in the final after a 2 ends to 0 defeat. In the bronze medal pull, England B performed strongly to take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0 against Northern Ireland A.
In the final, England A and Scotland A faced each other for the second time. England took a tight first end, and looked to be in good form to take the second end, but both teams then started to make mistakes. A costly slip by England saw Scotland take full advantage and level the score in the final. The third end saw both teams retain their composure before England edged their way over the line to take the gold medal by 2 ends to 1.
In the mixed 600 kilos 4+4 event, England A and B were represented by the combined teams from Sheen and Sheen Ladies. Both teams performed strongly, with England A progressing through the group stage with relative ease. England B also gave a good account of themselves to progress as group runners up after a tough 2 ends to 0 win over Scotland A. In the semi finals, England A and B were joined by Scotland A and B. England A defeated Scotland A, and England B defeated Scotland B. In the bronze medal pull, Scotland A took the medal from their B counterparts. In the final, England A maintained their superior form and took the gold medal by 2 ends to 0.
Following the completion of the closed weight classes, the open 640 kilos competition took place. The semi finalists were Kilroe, Ayrshire, Ballyhagen and the ETOWA Under 23s. In the semi finals, Kilroe defeated the Under 23s, and Ayrshire defeated Ballyhagen. Ballyhagen took the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0 ahead of a highly spirited and committed display by our under 23s. Well done to them.
This years national indoor tug of war championships were again held at the Harry Mitchell Centre in Smethwick, West Midlands, with a small number of teams entering this years event. The teams competing were Sheen, Norton, Raunds, Kilroe, Sandhurst and Uppertown. Unfortunately, only Sheen Ladies registered to take part in the ladies weight categories, so we were not able to run a ladies indoor championships this year. This years championships also included a 600 kilos 4+4 event. Photo: Raunds
The 640 kilos competition followed, and was keenly contested. Sheen finished at the top of the group in the round robin stage without losing any points. Kilroe edged out Raunds to finish in second position, with Uppertown joining Sheen, Kilroe and Raunds in the semi finals. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Uppertown by 2 ends to 0, and Kilroe and Raunds had another tight pull, which Kilroe won by 2 ends to 0 to reach the final. The bronze medal match was a good exciting pull between Raunds and Uppertown, with Raunds going into the match having beaten Uppertown in the group stage. Uppertown this time turned it around to win the match by 2 ends to 0 to take a good bronze medal. To watch the first end, please 
The 560 kilos weight class followed, and as always, was an eagerly anticipated weight class. Norton and Kilroe both started out with wins against Sheen, before both teams met again in the final. Norton took a tight first end (
PhotoThe 600 kilos event was the next weight class, and was the most fiercely contested competition of the day. There was some very close competition in this weight class, particularly between Sheen, Norton, and Kilroe. Sheen and Norton were first to pull, and in an evenly contested first end (
The next pull saw Norton meet Kilroe, and again, they had to endure three ends of tough pulling. This time Norton took the first end (
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. The group stages were again dominated by Sheen who progressed to the semi finals without losing an end. They were joined by Kilroe, Raunds and Uppertown who made up the other semi finalists. In the semi finals, Kilroe defeated Uppertown and Sheen defeated Raunds. Uppertown and Raunds were involved in another exciting pull for the bronze medal, with Uppertown again edging out Raunds to take their second bronze medal of the day. To watch the first end, please 
The 640 kilos competition was keenly contested, with no-one considered to be a favourite before the start of the competition. In the group stages Sheen started off with a good 2 ends to 0 win over Kilroe, and went through the remainder of the group stage of the competition without losing an end. Kilroe got over their first round defeat to get through to the semi finals, and they were joined by Raunds and Norton. In the semi finals, Sheen met Raunds and Norton met Kilroe. Sheen defeated Raunds by 2 ends to 0, but it was a good second semi-final between Kilroe and Norton, with Kilroe edging out Norton by 2 ends to 0. Kilroe and Sheen met for the second time in the final, and again Sheen pulled strongly to take a well deserved gold medal by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Norton
The open weights contested were at 580 kilos, 600 kilos, 620 kilos and 680 kilos. Kilroe won the 580 kilos competition ahead of Uppertown who finished as runners up. The 680 kilos competition followed with Sheen A taking the winners position with Kilroe A finishing as runners up. Photo: Kilroe
The 600 kilos was keenly contested with all of the teams getting some good competition. Kilroe and Norton were the two teams who came out ahead of the rest of the teams competing, with Norton winning the competition after they defeated Kilroe by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Raunds
We must firstly mention that ETOWA 2 had a Mammoth task only weighing 560 kilos in this 600k competition but, each and everyone of you must be congratulated on your efforts - you were outstanding and fought all the way. We know that had you been up on weight you would be contending the top places. ETOWA 1 had a superb day and, to everyone’s delight, won our first ever open medal - a brilliant bronze!
A tough corner on endy ground was the order of the day - the same for all teams but spoiling the competition somewhat. We performed well but, due to the ground conditions, drew too many matches and two harsh blowbacks to the middle cost us a place in the last four finally finishing fifth overall. That's tug of war and we will live to fight another day. We congratulate all the medal winning teams well done to all of you you are a credit to myself, Stuart and our Association.
The comments we have received about our squads’ performance from our Association, members and individuals have been extremely positive and very encouraging and our supporters second to none.We have a sound base to build upon for the coming years with all our young pullers and we know we can further improve our placing's at future world championships with the quality of the pullers we now have available to us. We would like to thank all our clubs for allowing our squad to use their facilities and young pullers to form our successful squad.
The first two days of the championships saw the European Open Club Championships take place with 85 tug of war clubs from Europe, as well as teams from South Africa and Chinese Taipei taking part. A full list of teams competing can be found by visiting the European Championships web site at 
In terms of the teams from England who took part, the English clubs competing were: Felton Eccles, Sandhurst (A and B), Glos/Som (A and B), Tavistock, Kennford, Holland, Two Dales, ETOWA (1 and 2), Oxney Vines Cross, Bedford Ladies and Team Army. Sheen Men, Sheen Ladies, and Norton were also at the European Championships, representing England in different weight classes, but did not compete in the open club competition. 
The first two days of the open club competition saw four weight categories for mens teams (560 kilos, 640 kilos, 680 kilos, and 720 kilos), a mixed gender weight class at 600 kilos, two ladies weight classes (at 520 kilos and 560 kilos), a junior weight class at 560 kilos, and an under 23 weight class at 600 kilos take place.
In the open club competition, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst A and B, Tavistock, Kennford, Oxney Vines Cross and Team Army all competed in the mens 560 kilos weight class. The only team to make it to the knock-out of this weight class were Felton Eccles, who were knocked out by the eventual fourth placed team Bancran from Northern Ireland. The eventual winners of this weight class were Gaztedi from the Basque region of Spain, with Ebersecken from Switzerland finishing as runners up, with Mosnang from Switzerland winning bronze in a fiercely competitive weight class. 
In the open 640 kilos event, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst A and B, Tavistock, Kennford, Holland, Oxney Vines Cross, and Team Army were the English teams that took part. Felton Eccles and Oxney Vines Cross both made it to the knock out stages, with Oxney being knocked out by the eventual bronze medallists Boley from Ireland, and Felton Eccles were knocked out by Gaztedi. The eventual winners of this weight class were Engelberg from Switzerland, with Eibergen from Holland finishing as silver medallists. 
In the open 680 kilos weight class, Felton Eccles, Two Dales, Kennford, and Holland all took part. Felton Eccles were the only English team to progress to the knock-out stages of the competition, and progressed all the way to the final, only to be defeated by Engelberg from Switzerland in the final. TTV Vorden from the Netherlands won the bronze medal.
In the open 720 kilos weight class, the English teams competing were from Holland and Kennford. Both teams competed well, but neither reached the knock-out stage of the competition. This competition was won by TTV Heure from the Netherlands, with PTC from South Africa winning the silver medal, and Koapman from the Netherlands winning the bronze medal.
The junior 560 kilos competition took place with Gloucester and Somerset ACF team fielding two teams. The B team failed to make an impact on the final standings in their group, however the A team competed very well, losing only to the eventual winners Drostdy A from South Africa. Glos/Som A finished in third place in their group overall, missing out on the semi final places to Simonswald from Germany. The eventual winners were Drostdy A from South Africa, with Simonswald from Germany winning the silver, and the Chinese Taipei youth team winning the bronze medal.
The under 23 600 kilos open competition saw the England under 23 development squad field two teams, which was a great showing for our Association. The two teams (ETOWA 1 and ETOWA 2) competed very well, with the second team being almost 40 kilos under weight. The first team however competed exceptionally, finishing top of the group at the end of the group phase of the competition, having only dropped two ends to Swiss opposition. In the semi finals, the team met Ebersecken from Switzerland and suffered their first defeat of the competition. ETOWA 1 went into the bronze medal match with Paarl from South Africa, and took a well deserved bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The eventual gold medallists were Ebersecken from Switzerland with Mosnang, also from Switzerland, finishing as silver medallists.
The mixed 600 kilos competition saw English teams Team Army and World Open 4+4 silver medallists from 2010 Holland take part in the competition, but neither team progressed to the knock-out stage of the competition, which was eventually won by Wallby from Sweden. Touwtje from the Netherlands won the silver medal, with Gaztedi taking the bronze – their clubs third medal of the tournament.
The opening ceremony for the European Championships and World Under 23 Championships took place on the Friday evening after the open competitions had been completed with a parade of teams, performances from the Minehead Spotlight Dance Academy, and opening speeches from TOWA president Mr. Tony Martin, and TWIF president Mr. Cathal McKeever. England’s representatives in the opening parade were Mick Grimston, Zak Baker, Diane Mcdonald, Matt Frost and Tom Knott. 
The closed event saw England field teams in all weight classes. The first event was the 680 kilos, with the England team being represented by Two Dales from Derbyshire, who were representing England for the very first time. The team acquitted themselves well to the competition, however defeats to the medal winning teams, and a couple of other dropped ends meant that they missed out both the cross-over and fifth place, with England finishing in 6th place in this competition overall. A good result from the England representatives, who would have learned a lot from their experience.
The world junior 560 kilos event was next up, with England being represented by the Gloucester and Somerset ACF team, who as a club, were also representing England for the first time. This year, we saw one of the most competitive youth competitions take place for many years, with no team progressing to the knock-out stages without losing any ends. The England team competed exceptionally well, and were only defeated by the eventual finalists Sweden and Switzerland, however to many draws with some of the teams, meant that they missed out on a place in the cross over, and finished in joint 5th position with Chinese Taipei, dropping to 6th place overall once the cautions were taken into account. A great performance from the England juniors nonetheless and a good learning experience for them. The gold medal eventually went to Sweden, with Switzerland winning the silver medal, and South Africa the bronze.
The ladies 560 kilos event saw Sheen Ladies representing England. England competed strongly and progressed to the semi finals along with Switzerland, Netherlands and Sweden. In the semi finals, England were defeated by 2 ends to 0 to the Netherlands, and went on to meet Switzerland to pull for the bronze medal. In the bronze medal pull off, England had a good battle with Switzerland, and did well to start taking rope on the first end, but the Swiss hung on and managed to turn England over to take the first end. On the second end, Switzerland again pulled strongly to take the end, and deny England the bronze medal. The gold medal was won by Sweden who defeated the Netherlands in the final by 2 ends to 0.
The mens 560 kilos event saw Norton representing England. Norton went into the event on the back of a good domestic season, and having also won the 2009 European Championships at 600 kilos and reaching the final of the World Championships last year. England started off their challenge against current World 580 kilos champions the Netherlands and competed well to secure a 2 ends to 0 win to get their campaign off to a good start. England defeated all of their other opponents in the group stage, only dropping one end to Switzerland. England progressed to the semi finals along with Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland. In the semi final, England defeated Ireland, whilst Sweden pulled off a good win against Switzerland. England progressed to the final to meet Sweden, with the first end lasting just over 4 minutes before England drove strongly to take Sweden over the line. On the second end, England got Sweden under pressure from the drop, and took just over a minute and a half to take the second end and the gold medal. The bronze medal went to Switzerland with Ireland finishing 4th.
The second day of competition started with the mens 720 kilos event. England were represented by Sheen in this weight class, who were representing England at an outdoor European Championships for the first time since 1993. England started off with a defeat to Sweden, but got back into the competition to progress to the semi finals along with the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. In the semi finals, England were drawn against Sweden, and suffered another defeat, meaning that they would go through to pull off for the bronze medal against Switzerland, who had been defeated by the Netherlands. England performed well in the bronze medal pull off to defeat Switzerland by 2 ends to 0 to take bronze. The gold medal was won by the Netherlands, with Sweden winning the silver medal.
The world under 23 competition was a fiercely contested weight class this year, and England were again represented by a composite team selected from different TOWA clubs. The corner where the teams were competing turned out to be a little endy, which resulted in some 1-1 draws, and England competed well through the group, but had two bruising encounters with South Africa and Sweden, both of which involved no pulls. In the final round of pulls, England were level on points with South Africa, needing to win by 2 ends to 0 against Wales in their last match to have a chance of qualifying. England surprising lost the first end, but won the second end, and with South Africa defeating Chinese Taipei in their last match, they progressed to the semi finals at the expense of England. The gold medal was won by Switzerland, with Germany taking silver and South Africa the bronze.
The Ladies 520 kilos competition again saw England Ladies being represented by Sheen Ladies after Bedford Ladies withdrew from the event having suffered injuries and withdrawals from their team. As with the 560 kilos competition the previous day, England progressed to the semi finals along with Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands. As with the previous day of competition, England were drawn to face the Netherlands and were defeated by 2 ends to 0. England went into the bronze medal match to face Switzerland, and made up for the disappointment of the 560 kilos competition the previous day, taking the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The gold medal was won by Sweden, with the Netherlands taking the silver medal.
The final weight of the competition was the mens 640 kilos competition. England were represented by Felton Eccles in this weight class, who were representing England at 640 kilos for the 17th consecutive season at an outdoor European or World Championships. England faced current European Champions Switzerland early on, and came close to taking the first end, only to be blown out for receiving three cautions. England progressed through the group well, but then hit three hard teams in a row – Sweden, Netherlands and Germany, narrowly losing out to Holland, defeating Sweden, and losing to Germany. In the final pull of the round, England faced Ireland, only needing 1 end to guarantee a place in the semi final. Ireland also needed at least an end to guarantee qualification as they were level with Sweden going into the last match. England took a keenly contested first end, and then took the second equally tough end to make it through to the semi finals. In the semi finals, England met the Netherlands where they were defeated by 2 ends to 0. England went through to the bronze medal pull off against Sweden, and comfortably took the first end. On the second end, Sweden had to drop to 7 pullers after one of their team members had picked up an injury. Sweden had no option but to carry on with 7, as they had already used their substitute. England sportingly dropped to 7 pullers, but still took the second end to secure the bronze medal. The gold medal was won by Switzerland with Netherlands taking silver.
The England U23 development squad would like to thank Sandhurst Tug of War Club for their assistance in our training for the World U23 Championships in Minehead we are eternally grateful for all your help time and advice shown by all involved at Sandhurst when our squad has held training sessions with you. 
The national league finals was this year again held at Daventry and was reasonably well supported. The event started with the 600 kilos competition, which was split into two groups. Norton were well ahead in the points standings going into the event, so would require a disastrous performance to deny them the gold medal. However, Norton continued their consistent form shown throughout the season, and won their group, however did drop an end to the England Under 23 development team who looked very smart in their new strip to be worn in the European Club Competition in Minehead. Norton progressed to the cross over of their group ahead of Sandhurst A. Photo: Glos/Som ACF
The second group contained Caradoc, Two Dales, Glos/Som A and Inkberrow, and Sandhurst B with both Two Dales and Caradoc progressing through to the cross over. There was some good performances in this group from Glos/Som A and Inkberrow with both teams holding their own and winning some good ends. The semi finals saw Norton and Sandhurst A both progress to the final, with Two Dales and Caradoc left to contest third place. This pull went to three ends, with Two Dales competing really well to win by 2 ends to 1 to secure third place. The final saw Norton and Sandhurst A line up against each other, with Norton taking both ends to win the competition on the day and secure national league gold. Photo: Norton - 2011 national league champions at 600, 640, and 680
The 640 kilos was the next weight to be contested, again split into two groups. Norton again won their group without losing an end and despite being pushed hard by Oxney. Caradoc again progressed to the semi finals along with Felton Eccles. In the semi finals, Norton defeated Caradoc and Felton Eccles defeated Oxney to make the final. Oxney won the third place pull by 2 ends to 0, and Norton defeated Felton Eccles to take their second win on the day, and again, secured the national league gold medal. Photo: Inkberrow TOWC
The final weight of the national league was the 680 kilos event. Again, this weight was split into two groups. Norton and Felton Eccles yet again proved to be the strongest in this weight class and both progressed to the final. Norton again stood firm to round off another strong season with a 2 ends to 0 win to win the competition on the day, and secure the overall gold medal in the 680 kilos national league. Photo: LNR ACF TOWC 
At the end of the competition, a training competition was held at 600 kilos for the England Under 23 squad. We did have members of the squad missing due to work etc, but nonetheless all squad members present looked the business in their new shirts. In hindsight we wished we had entered two teams in the 600 kilos league finals as there were a few tired legs by the end of the day as a result of squad members pulling in the other weights. Both our teams pulled very well and many thanks to all the teams who helped us out to enable us to compete - we appreciate your help. Photo: Bedford Ladies
The ladies and youth league finals were contested with 7 teams taking part. Gloucester and Somerset ACF continued their winning streak, with their A team winning both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight classes. Sheen Ladies finished as runners up in the 560 kilos weight class on the day ahead of the Glos/Som B and C teams, Bedford Ladies, and the Leicester and Northants ACF A and B teams. In the 520 kilos event, Bedford Ladies finished as runners up on the day ahead of Sheen Ladies, Leicester and Northants ACF and the Glos/Som B and C teams. In overall youth league, Gloucester and Somerset ACF finished as overall winners of both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos, with Leicester and Northants finishing as runners up. In the ladies league, Sheen Ladies finished as overall winners of the 560 kilos and 520 kilos events, with Bedford Ladies finishing as runners up. Photo: Sheen Ladies
54 teams entered the competition from 10 different countries. The founder members of GENSB entered the following number of teams, Germany (7 teams), England (8 teams), Netherlands (10 teams), Switzerland (11 teams) and Belgium (6 teams) and in addition teams were entered from Sweden (3 teams), South Africa (1 team), Lithuania (4 teams), Ireland (2 teams) and Latvia (1 team). The 54th team was a mixed nationality team under the banner of “Europa”, made up of spare pullers to give everyone attending a chance to compete. Photo: Glossom ACF
The competition commenced at 10 am in very warm conditions. Following the officials the 54 teams progressed into the arena and lined up for the opening ceremony. The penultimate team and last years winners Mosnang (Switzerland) entered the arena carrying the GENSB trophy, which they then handed to a member of the organising committee to mark the end of their reign as champions. The last team to enter the arena were our hosts Nottwil carrying the GENSB flag. There was a short speech by the GENSB chairman Vic Ludkin and the competition was ready to commence. Photo: LNR ACF
The teams from England gained valuable experience from the competition. They learnt much about themselves, their competitors and the standard they must aim to achieve to be successful. Defeat can be hard and in tug of war often brutal, but all sides conducted themselves in a mature manner and maintained the high standards of our sport. Well done to all who took part. Photo: 2011 GENSB Champions Streefkerk
England A started off Strongly with a win against Wales A, before comfortably beating the rest of the field, including the England B team represented by Oxney from Sussex. England B and England C started first on, but there was no upset here as England B defeated the under 23 team by 2 ends to 0. The England C team competed well throughout the day, but failed to take any ends off the opposition, despite running the Welsh teams close.
In the semi finals, England A met Wales A in the semi finals, going on to secure a comfortable 2 ends to 0 win to meet England B who defeated Northern Ireland A in their semi final by 2 ends to 1 in a good match. England A. represented by Norton again proved to be very strong and overcame the England B team by 2 ends to 0 to win the gold medal without dropping any points. The bronze medal was won by Northern Ireland A who had a good 2 ends to 0 win over Wales A in the bronze medal play off. 
Whilst it was a great performance by England A, England B (represented by Oxney) did a great job throughout the competition, with many young new faces in their team representing England for the first time. When they join up with the England Under 23 team, they should help to make a strong England under 23 team for the world under 23 championships which are taking place alongside the European Championships in Minehead in September. 
The ladies weight classes were the next weights to be contested, and in the absence of Scotland, four teams competed in each weight class – England A and B, and Wales A and B. England A and B were represented by Sheen Ladies and Bedford Ladies, With Sheen Ladies representing England A in the 560 kilos and England B in the 520 kilos, and Bedford Ladies representing England A in the 520 kilos and England B in the 560 kilos.
In both of the ladies weight classes Sheen Ladies, took gold for England, and on the hard ground proved to be formidable opponents to all before them, and were rarely troubled by any other the other teams from the UK nations, including the England B team represented by Bedford Ladies. Sheen Ladies took gold as England A in the 560, and gold as England B in the 520 kilos. Bedford Ladies, were worthy winners of the silver medals as England representatives in both weight classes. In the 520 kilos, Wales B defeated Wales A to take the bronze, and Wales A took the bronze in the 560 kilos event. 
England A started off strongly by defeating Wales B, before beating all the other teams in the group, including England B, represented by 2010 UK champions Felton Eccles without losing an end. It wasn’t quite as straight forward for England B as they dropped an end to the strong Wales A side, however they progressed to the semi finals in second place in the group. In the semi finals, England A again defeated Wales B.
Again, England B, represented by Felton Eccles had to endure a tough three end pull with the Wales A side, and managed to overcome Wales by 2 ends to 1. In the final, England A were up against England B. England A took the first end fairly comfortably, however on the second end, England B raised their game to try and level the score. After a gruelling pull that lasted almost four minutes, and with both teams on 2 cautions, England A brought England B over the line to take the UK 680 kilos outdoor title. This was the first time that Sheen have won the 680 kilos weight class at an outdoor UK championships.
The final weight class of the closed event was the mixed 600 kilos 4+4. In this weight class, England A were represented by Bedford, and England B were represented by Oxney. Both England A and England B progressed to the semi finals along with Wales A and Wales B. In the semi finals, England A defeated Wales B, and England B defeated Wales A. Wales A took the bronze medal, and England A took the gold medal ahead of England B who won silver as runners up to cap off a good weekend for the England teams in which gold and silver medals were won in each weight class. 
The Tug of War Association would like to make special thanks to Dave and Marion Kitchener and all associated with Bedford Ladies Tug of War Club for organising this years United Kingdom Tug of War Championships on behalf of the Tug of War Association. It was very well received by all who took part and supported the event over the weekend. A good job well done. 
This years Inter County and National Open 4+4 Championships were held at Cranleigh Agricultural Show in Surrey. The event was supported by Norton (Staffordshire), Felton Eccles (Somerset), Sandhurst (Berkshire), Oxney Vines Cross (Susses), 1066 (Sussex), Totham Bull (Essex), Leek (Staffordshire), and Woodton (Nortfolk). Photo: Staffordshire, represented by Norton
The championships were not quite as well supported as last year with some teams competing abroad or being unable to travel to the event, however the competition was good, and teams had the opportunity of trying out the new ropes that are to be used at the European Outdoor Championships in Minehead in September. Photo: Sussex, Represented by Oxney Vines Cross
All weight categories were pulled under TWIF Rules with the top four teams in each weight class progressing to the semi finals and finals. The two inter county weights at 640 kilos and 680 kilos were won well by Staffordshire who were represented by Norton. The runners up in the 640 kilos weight class were Sussex represented by Oxney Vines Cross. The runners up in the 680 kilos weight class were Somerset, Represented by Felton Eccles. Photo: Bedford - National 4+4 Champions
The national 4+4 competition was supported by five teams. Bedford Ladies finished up as the overall winners to defend their title from 2010. The runners up this year were Leek, with Oxney winning the bronze medal. Well done to all of the teams who took part in this event. Photo: Leek TOWC - National 4+4 silver medallists
This weekend’s East Cheshire Hospice fundraiser brought with it good weather and excellent competition in all weight classes contested on the day in both the mens weights and ladies and youth weights. Sheen Ladies won all of the ladies and youth weights, only dropping the odd end at 500 kilos, 520 kilos, 540 kilos and 560 kilos ahead of Penistone Ladies in the 500 kilos, 520 kilos and 540 kilos, with the Leicester and Northants ACF A team finishing as runners up in the 560 kilos competition. Photo: Penistone Ladies
The mens weight classes were well contested. Sheen and Felton had some great battles in the 720 kilos and catchweight events, with Sheen winning the gruelling ends in both the group stages and the finals of both of those weight categories. Felton were in the mix again in the 680 kilos competition, this time, having to battle it out with Norton for the gold medal. Felton managed to overcome Norton by 2 ends to 0 in the final to take a hard fought win, with Norton succumbing to a rare defeat. Photo: Felton Eccles
Norton however pulled successfully in the 600 kilos, 620 kilos, and 640 kilos events, winning all three of those weight classes, despite being pushed harder this week by the likes of Bosley, Sandhurst and Bakewell. Norton defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0 in the final of the 640 kilos event, Bosley in the final of the 620 kilos event, and Bakewell in the final of the 600 kilos event. Photo: Sheen Ladies
The organisers, on behalf of the East Cheshire Hospice would like to thank all of the teams and supporters for coming along and supporting the event again this year. Unfortunately we had no novice 6 a side teams competing like we have had in previous years, but it was still a good day nonetheless. Photo: Bosley 
The joint event at Ahbourne Highland Gathering was well supported by teams from both the Tug of War Association and The Tug of War Federation. 7 weight categories took place on the day, including two mixed weight classes. The day started off without too much rain, although later on conditions deteriorated with the ground becoming wet, but it made it a good leveller. The event was held under Federation rules, with pulls being decided as a best of 3 ends. Photo: Lincoln
m 10 teams competed in the 600 kilos event, being split into two groups. Lincoln and Totham Bull progressed through group 1 ahead of Church House, Whittlesey and Melbourne, and Norton and Two Dales progressed through group 2 ahead of York, Woodton and Triple F. The semi finals saw Norton defeat Totham Bull, and Lincoln defeat Two Dales. Norton went on to defeat Lincoln by 2 ends to 0 in the final.Photo: Totham Bull
The 680 kilos event was again entered by 11 teams split into two groups. Norton progressed from group 1 along with Bosley ahead of Two Dales, York, and Whittlesey, whilst Sheen and Lincoln progressed from group 2 ahead of Holland, Lutterworth, Totham Bull and Leek. Norton defeated Lincoln in their semi final, and Sheen defeated Bosley. Norton then won their second weight of the day with a 2 ends to 0 win over Sheen. Photo: Sheen
:The 640 kilos competition followed, and at this stage of the day, there was a heavy downpour. 12 teams entered the 640 kilos event, and to speed up the proceedings, the competition was split into four groups of three, with the top team in each group progressing to the final. Lutterworth, Norton, Whittlesey and Bosley all progressed, with Bosley being defeated by Lutterworth and Norton defeating Whittlesey. Norton and Lutterworth went into the final, and Norton took their third win of the day by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Holland
A tug of war demonstration was recently held as part of the Evesham Festival of Sport. Assistance was provided by Richard Lane and Mick Copper of the Tug of War Association Midland Area, with the assistance also from officials of the Tug of War Federation. Pullers from Inkerberrow YFC and Shires Tug of War club formed teams to take part in the demonstration.
Many ends were pulled to help inform spectators on the day about the sport of tug of war and how they can get involved. Well done to those who took part to help us promote tug of war. 
This years national outdoor tug of war championships were held in Lincoln at the Sabroan Barracks. The event was organised with the assistance and support of Captain Rob Holland and the Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force. The venue was good, and despite the dry weather experienced in this area, the ground cut up nicely allowing for some good competitive pulling. The weather remained largely dry for most of the day with only one heavy downpour during the 560 kilos event. Photo: Championships Officials
The championships opened with the mens catchweight and ladies 560 kilos events. Four teams competed in the catchweight competition, which was pulled under TWIF rules, meaning that each team pulled each other, before a semi-final cross over. Sheen started strongly with a 2 ends to 0 win over Sandhurst, whilst Bosley and Holland drew 1-1. Sheen then defeated Bosley, and Holland defeated Sandhurst. Bosley then defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, and Sheen defeated Holland. Photo: Holland Ladies
The semi finals saw the top team pull the fourth placed team, and the second placed team pull the third placed team. Sheen defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, and Bosley earned a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win over Holland to make the final. Sandhurst and Holland were left to fight it out for the bronze medal. Despite being very light in this weight, Sandhurst held their own very well, however Holland proved to be that bit stronger on the day, and won through by 2 ends to 0. Sheen and Bosley met again in the final, but Sheen again proved to very strong in this weight and went on to win the gold medal by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Woodton Ladies
The ladies 560 kilos event was contested by four teams this year – Bedford, Sheen Ladies, Holland Ladies and Woodton Ladies. The competition was very good, and like the catchweight competition, the teams pulled each other in a group points competition before contesting semi-finals and finals. Sheen and Bedford both beat Holland and Woodton by 2 ends to 0 each going into their head to head at the end of the group stage. Holland defeated Woodton by 2 ends to 0 in a good group match, whilst Sheen Ladies edged out Bedford Ladies by 2 ends to 0 to finish top of the group. Photo: Sheen Ladies
In the cross over Sheen defeated Woodton by 2 ends to 0 and Bedford defeated Holland by 2 ends to 0. Holland and Woodton contested the bronze medal match, which was won by Holland Ladies by 2 ends to 0. The final was a keenly contested match between Sheen and Bedford. Sheen took the advantage on the first end by beating Bedford to the drop. Bedford worked hard to get themselves back into the pull, however Sheen maintained their advantage to take the first end. He second end again saw Sheen try and take the early advantage, but Bedford tried hard to fight back and get some lifts in against Sheen. As Bedford looked to be getting themselves into it, Sheen got their momentum going again and went on to take the second end and the gold medal. Photo: Lincoln TOWC
The 640 kilos event followed, which was a competition split into two groups. Home team Lincoln were looking to get to the final again on home soil, having finished second in the event last year, and Felton Eccles were looking for their fifteenth 640 kilos title in 16 years. Felton progressed to the semi-final after finishing top of their group ahead of Sheen who finished second. Alford finished third in this group after some excellent pulling, taking the scalps of Sandhurst and Holland on the way. Group 2 was keenly contested, with Bosley eventually finishing top of the group ahead of Two Dales. Lincoln missed out on a spot in the semi finals after being defeated by Two Dales first on, and drawing 1-1 with Bosley. Tavistock finished fourth in this group ahead of Team Army. Photo: Wood Treatment Bosley
The semi finals saw Felton Eccles defeat Two Dales in a very fierce pull by 2 ends to 0, and Sheen defeated Bosley by 2 ends to 0. The bronze medal pull off was a close pull, and saw some very determined pulling by Two Dales which resulted in them taking the bronze medal ahead of Bosley by 2 ends to 0. The final saw Felton Eccles take on Sheen. Felton had already defeated Sheen in the group, however the incentive of a gold medal always ensures that a final is not so straight forward. Felton however managed to stand firm on the first end to take the advantage. On the second end, Felton started to take advantage, with Sheen then starting to throw in some big lifts in return, however Felton managed to keep taking the rope to secure their 15th 640 kilos gold medal in 16 years. Photo: Two Dales
During the 640 kilos weight class the junior weight classes were held. Defending champions Sandhurst were unable to field a team at the event this year, which meant that their would be new youth champions for 2011. Leicester and Northants ACF sprung the first surprise of the day by taking the gold medal in the junior 530 kilos weight class ahead of Gloucester and Somerset ACF, who had been winning most of the junior weight classes in the run up to the national championships. Photo: Holland TOWC
The junior 560 kilos weight class was another keenly contested youth weight class. Gloucester and Somerset ACF won all of their group matches ahead of Leicester and Northants ACF and Lincoln ACF without losing an end. A final was then contested between Leicester and Northants ACF and Gloucester and Somerset ACF. Gloucester and Somerset ACF took the advantage on the first end and moved Leicester and Northants ACF over the line to take their first step towards their first ever gold medal. Gloucester and Somerset then took the second end off a very determined Leicester and Northants ACF to take the junior 560 kilos title. Photo: Felton Eccles TOWC 
A tug of war demonstration event took place for the junior ladies teams with Gloucester and Somerset ACF and Leicester and Northants ACF taking part. Leicester and Northants have had an established team set up over the past couple of years for junior ladies, having fielded junior ladies teams at past GENSB tournaments. This previous experience showed as they managed to beat Gloucester and Somerset ACF in both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight classes. We are hoping to run weight classes for junior ladies teams in future events, so anyone interested in setting up junior ladies teams are encouraged to do so. Photo: Alford TOWC
The mens 560 kilos event followed, which was again split into two groups. Norton finished as winners of group 1 ahead of Oxney, and Sandhurst finished as winners of group 2 ahead of Forge Lane. In the semi finals, Norton defeated Forge Lane by 2 ends to 0, and Sandhurst won a very keenly contested semi final against Oxney by 2 ends to 0 with Oxney making a couple of costly slips which Sandhurst did well to take full advantage of. The bronze medal match was a good battle between the two Sussex teams of Oxney Vines Cross and Forge Lane. Despite a great effort from Forge Lane, where on many occasions they put in some good lists against Oxney, Oxney stood firm to take a well earned Bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final was yet another showpiece between Norton and Sandhurst. Norton held their angles well to take a long first end off Sandhurst. For the second end, Sandhurst opted to make a substitution to add a fresh pair of legs to their team to try and get back into the final. Again after another long end, and a resilient effort by Sandhurst, Norton took the win and the gold medal. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF
The mens 720 kilos event followed, and like the catchweight competition, four teams entered. This time however, Bosley and Sandhurst did not enter, but Two Dales and Felton Eccles were entered in their place. Sheen put in another strong performance to finish top of the group without losing an end. Felton finished in second place in the group stage, followed by Holland and Two Dales. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Two Dales and Felton Eccles defeated Holland. The bronze medal match was a very tense affair between Holland and Two Dales. Holland won the group match between these two teams in a very close pull, however Two Dales took a very close first end in the bronze medal match. The second end was equally as tight, and with Holland on two cautions and Two Dales on one caution, Holland picked up their third caution and the bronze medal was won by Two Dales. The final was contested between Sheen and Felton Eccles. Both teams have been competing in many finals against each other at catchweight and 680 kilos throughout the season, and despite defeat to Felton in the 640 kilos event, Sheen went on to take the gold medal in this weight class strongly by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF
The Ladies 520 kilos weight class was contested alongside the mens 720 kilos event. Three teams contested this weight class – Holland, Sheen, and Bedford. Both Bedford and Sheen defeated Holland in the group rounds, meaning that both clubs would pull each other again in the final. The final this time was much closer than the final of the 560 kilos event with both teams favouring this weight class as their strongest weight. The final was close between these two very experienced ladies teams, however this time, Sheen Ladies made it two gold medals on the day to take the ladies national championships title off Bedford. Well done to all of the ladies teams who took part on the day, making a good advert for ladies tug of war. Photo: Forge Lane
The mens 600 kilos weight class was the next weight to be contested. Again, split into two groups, the competition started with a bang. Group 1 saw Fleton Eccles and Sandhurst battle it out to a 1-1 draw, and Lincoln defeated Oxney in group 2 by 2 ends to 0 in very hard fought battle. Norton went through as winners of group 1, with Felton Eccles finishing as eventual runner up after receiving less cautions than Sandhurst. In group 2, and despite defeat to Lincoln, Oxney finished as winners, with Bosley coming through as runners up after losing to Oxney in their final pull of the group. Norton defeated Bosley in the first semi final with Felton Eccles defeating Oxney in the other semi final to make the final. The bronze medal pull off saw Oxney and Bosley meet for the second time. This time, Bosley took the first end by catching Oxney off guard from the drop. On the second end, Bosley got Oxney moving again, and then stopped, allowing Oxney back into the pull to take the second end. The same thing happened again on the third end, and Oxney took a hard fought bronze medal. The final saw Norton pull strongly again as they have done all year and they took the gold medal ahead of Felton by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Norton TOWC
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos weight class. This weight can sometimes throw up a few surprises, being the last weight class of the day, with most clubs entering a team for their last chance of winning a medal. Like most of the weight classes on the day, this competition was again split into two groups. Sheen were the winners of group 1, ahead of Two Dales who finished as the eventual runners up. Norton were the winners of group 2 ahead of Felton Eccles who finished as group runners up. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Felton Eccles and Norton defeated Two Dales. The bronze medal match was a good battle between Felton Eccles and Two Dales. Two Dales managed to lift Felton to their toes on more than one occasion, however the experience and determination of the Felton team enabled them to hang on and take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final between Sheen and Norton was a tense affair. Norton opted to try and outlast Sheen on the first end, however Sheen started to work Norton out of shape, and a good battle unfolded with Sheen taking the first end. The second end saw both teams battle hard again, but Sheen proved to be that little bit stronger on the day, and they took their third gold medal of the championship. Photo: Sandhurst TOWC
At the end of the championships, the presentations took place, firstly with the ladies weight classes. The medals were presented in memory of Lynsey Chipperfield, with presentations being made by her parents Stafford and Lynsey. Fittingly, the gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to clubs with whom she had previously been actively involved with – Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, and Holland (with whom her fiancé Gavin is also a member). The presentations for the mens weight classes were made by the TOWA chairman Pete Dyer in the absence of the TOWA president Tony Martin who was unable to attend the championships as his wife Sue has recently undergone an operation. We wish Sue a speedy recovery. A presentation was also made to the chief judge, Mr. Vic Ludkin. The Tug of War Association would like to thank all of the teams and supporters for coming along and making the day a success, and we would also like to thank all of the officials, recorders, and marshals for helping the event run smoothly. We would also like to place on record our thanks to Rob Holland and the Lincolnshire ACF for helping to stage the championships. Photo: Duncan Craft (Sheen Ladies Coach) receiving the winners medals from Stafford and Lesley Chipperfield.
PGood luck to all of the teams for the remainder of the outdoor season with the European Championships to look forward to in Minehead, Somerset. There is both the international event and open club competition taking place at this event. Any club team may take part in the open competition, so we look forward to seeing many English clubs at the event. Accommodation bookings, accreditation and weight entries are currently being taken, and early booking of accommodation is recommended. Please visit 
Photo: Oxney Vines Cross
Photo: Team Army 
Photo: Tavistock TOWC
Photo: Sheen TOWC
The mens competition saw Sheen win the catchweight competition by defeating Lincoln in the final by 2 ends to 0. The 620 kilos followed and was a keenly contested weight class with the top two teams of the group stage progressing to the final. Norton defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in their first pull, with Bosley and Two dales going one end each. Norton progressed to the final without losing an end, and it was close between Sheen and Bosley as to who would go through. In that match, Bosley took the first end, but Sheen almost took Bosley over the line on the second end to take the end they needed to get to the final, however Bosley stopped Sheen within inches of the line to bring the rope back and take the second end. In the final, Bosley put up a good fight against Norton, but it was Norton who took the win by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Norton
The 680 kilos competition was pulled as a group of 6, again there was some very close pulling in this weight as a result of the ground conditions. Norton progressed through to the cross over along with Sheen, Two Dales and Lincoln. Norton defeated Two Dales, however there was a very close semi final between Sheen and Lincoln. Sheen took the first end, but Lincoln made a real fight of it on the second end, however Sheen dug deep to take Lincoln back over the line. In the final, Sheen started well, however Norton kept their composure to take the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: host club Sheen Ladies
The 600 kilos was contested between Sheen, Two Dales and Melbourne. Melbourne put in a spirited performance on the day but did not finish in the top two. After the group stage the top two teams pulled again. Two Dales had defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in the group, however the final was much closer and went to three ends. Sheen took the first end, and Two Dales took the second end. Two Dales won the toss, but Sheen held on to take the win. Photo: Two Dales
The 2011 AAA championships were this year hosted by Felton Eccles TOWC at The Bungalow Inn, Felton near Bristol. This year it was decided to hold the AAA championships prior to the national championships to increase support. This year 11 teams supported the closed AAA weights, a vast improvement on the attendance of the 2010 event. The first weight of the day was the 640 kilos event, pulled as a straight group under TWIF rules with the top four progressing to the semi-finals. Norton, Sandhurst, Bosley and Lincoln all progressed, with Norton defeating Bosley by 2 ends to 0 in their semi final, and Sandhurst edging Lincoln out in the other semi final by 2 ends to 0. In the final, reigning champions Norton conceded little ground and took a well deserved 2 ends to 0 win to take the gold medal with Sandhurst earning a well deserved silver. Photo: Norton competing against Sandhurst
The catchweight event followed. Again, this was pulled as a straight group with the top four progressing to the semi final. Sheen, Felton, Lincoln and Tavistock all progressed ahead of Sandhurst, Widecombe and Kennford. In the semi finals, Sheen defeated Tavistock by 2 ends to 0 and Felton defeated Lincoln by 2 ends to 0 in a hard fought pull. In the final, Sheen went out to look to win their first AAA outdoor title since 1980 with reigning champions Felton Eccles standing in their way. Sheen pulled strongly against Felton and gave the host team little opportunity to get themselves back into the pull. Sheen went on to win the gold by 2 ends to 0 to secure their first AAA outdoor title for over 30 years. Photo: Sheen - AAA Catchweight winning team
The open national league weights followed, the first being the 600 kilos event, being pulled as two groups of 7. Norton progressed as winners of group 1 along with Oxney who progressed as group runners up. Sandhurst progressed as winners of group 2 with Tavistock finishing as group runners up. In the semi final, Norton defeated Tavistock by 2 ends to 0. Sandhurst and Oxney had a very close pull in the second semi-final with the match going to three ends. Sandhurst took the first end and Oxney the second. Sandhurst then took the third end to make the final. Norton then went on to take the win in the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Kennford TOWC
The 680 kilos competition was another competition split into two groups of 7. Llanboidy from Wales progressed as winners of group 1 ahead of Bosley, whilst Sheen progressed as winners of group 2 ahead of Norton. In the semi final, Norton defeated Llanboidy by 2 ends to 0, whilst Sheen defeated Bosley by 2 ends to 0. Sheen and Norton met in the final for their second match in this weight having drawn 1 end each in the group. Norton took a very close first end and then took the second end to take their third gold medal of the day. Photo: Tavistock TOWC
The 580 kilos competition was pulled as a straight group of 5 with no cross over. Teams therefore had to win the group outright to win the competition. Oxney pulled strongly in this weight to win the competition without losing an end. Tavistock and Kennford both put in strong performances to defeat Felton and Sandhurst to put themselves both in contention of the silver medal. Tavistock won the resulting decider by 2 ends to 0 to take the runners up spot. Photo: Widecombe TOWC
There was a great turnout for this weekends Midland Area Championships held at the Shropshire County Show in Shrewsbury, the venue for the 2008 national outdoor championships. Many teams from England and some from over the border in Wales took part. The teams competing were: Norton, Felton, Holland, Sheen, Bosley, Two Dales, Lincoln, Sandhurst (A and B), Caradoc, Haye on Wye, Bolver, Cupids Hill, Rushock. The ladies and youth competitions were also well supported with Sheen Ladies, Bedford Ladies, Gloucester and Somerset ACF (A, B, C), Leicester and Northants ACF (A, B, C) taking part. Photo: Caradoc
In the mens weight classes, Norton were again in top form, winning the bottom four weight classes on the day at 600, 620, 640 and 680 kilos. Norton defeated Sandhurst A in the final of both the 620 kilos and 640 kilos competitions by 2 ends to 0, and also won the 600 kilos and 680 kilos competitions by defeating Sheen in the finals by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bolver
Sheen won the catchweight event, coming out of their group ahead of Felton Eccles, Holland and Bolver. Sheen defeated Two Dales in the semi final with Felton Eccles defeating Lincoln. Sheen then went on to defeat Felton Eccles in the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Sandhurst A
The ladies and youth events were again very well supported. Gloucester and Somerset ACF A were the winners of both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos events. Sheen Ladies were strong in finishing as runners up in the 560 kilos event, with Bedford Ladies finishing as runners up in the 520 kilos event. Photo: Sheen
The first weight was the catchweight, which was pulled as a straight group with a top four cross-over. Felton Eccles met Killyloughey from Ireland whilst Sandhurst A and Lincoln met in the other semi-final. Felton defeated Killyloughy by 2 ends to 0 to be the first team to make the final, however it was a very close pull between Lincoln and Sandhurst to make the final, with Lincoln managing to overcome Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0. Felton defeated Lincoln by 2 ends to 0 to win the catchweight final. Photo: Caradoc TOWC.
At the same time as the catchweight event, the ladies 560 kilos and youth 560 kilos also took place as separate weight classes, with 5 teams competing in each weight class, both of which included teams from the Republic of Ireland. The youth competition was pulled with teams having best out of 5 end matches to give them all more pulling. Both Leicester and Northants ACF and Gloucester and Somerset ACF fielded two teams in the junior 560 kilos competition, with the Eire OG team from Ireland taking part. The deciding pull in this weight came between Gloucester and Somerset ACF A and Eire OG. Eire OG took the first end, with Gloucester coming very close to taking the second end, only to be stopped close to the line and taken all the way back. Eire OG then took the third and final end to confirm first place. Photo: Boyneside Ladies from Ireland
The ladies 560 competition was pulled in a straight group of 5 teams. There were some good performances from the Gloucester and Somerset ACF and Leicester and Northants ACF junior ladies teams, in addition to a good performance from the Irish Boyneside team, however it was the pull between the experience Sheen and Bedford Ladies teams which decided first place. Sheen continued their strong start to the ladies tug of war season by defeating Bedford Ladies by 2 ends to 0 to take first place. Photo: Forge Lane
The second mens weight of the day was the 600 kilos. This competition was split into two groups with the top two teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals. Norton finished as winners of the first group ahead of Oxney, with Sandhurst finishing as winners of group 2 ahead of Forge Lane. Norton defeated Forge Lane in their semi final, with Oxney and Sandhurst having a great pull in their semi-final with Sandhurst defeating Oxney by 2 ends to 0 in two very hard fought ends. Norton continued their dominant streak by winning the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Oxney Vines Cross
The 680 kilos event followed and it was another weight split into two groups. Norton were the winners of the first group ahead of Bosley, and Felton Eccles were the winners of the second group ahead of Sandhurst. Norton defeated Sandhurst in their semi final, but Felton and Bosley had a good battle for the other place in the final. Felton took the first end, but Bosley came very close to taking the second end only to stop a few inches short of the line with Felton managing to bring them back over to make the final. Norton then took their second win of the day by defeating Felton by 2 ends to 0 in the final. Photo: Eire OG Youth from Ireland
Both the ladies and youth 520 kilos events were the next weights to be pulled alongside the 680 kilos competition. The youth 520 kilos competition was again won by the Eire OG team without losing an end. Gloucester and Somerset A came a close second, but were given a challenge by the Leciester and Northants A team who managed to take an end of the Gloucester team, but it wasn’t quite enough to take second place. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF A youth team.
The ladies 520 kilos event was another good competition with all teams giving a good account of themselves. Boyneside got themselves into the competition in this weight, giving Sheen Ladies a good pull, but Sheen held on for the 2 ends to 0 win. The deciding pull was between Sheen and Bedford, with Bedford this time winning the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF Junior Ladies team.
The mens 580 kilos event followed pulled as a straight group with a cross over of the top four teams. Forge Lane, Oxney, Sandhurst and Bosley all made the cross-over with Oxney defeating Bosley and Sandhurst defeating Forge Lane. Both Sandhurst and Oxney gave it their all in the final, with Oxney this time getting the better of Sandhurst to win the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Killyloughey from Ireland
The 640 kilos was the final mens weight of the day, again split into two groups. Felton Eccles were the winners of group 1 ahead of Oxney whilst Norton were the winners of group 2. The battle for the last semi-final place was between Bosley and Sandhurst A. Bosley were travelling back nicely with Sandhurst on the first end only to be blown out for receiving three cautions, and then Sandhurst A went on to take the second end to make it to the semi-finals. In the semi final Norton defeated Oxney whilst Sandhurst A defeated Felton. Norton went on to take their third win of the day by defeating Sandhurst A by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF Junior men and ladies squad 
The first weight of the day was the catchweight event, split into two groups. Sheen and Felton had a tough battle first on in their group, with Felton coming away with a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win. This pull took a bit out of Felton as they went on to drop an end in their next pull to Two Dales, however they still progressed as group winners to the semi finals along with Sheen. In the other group, Holland and Lincoln had a good pull first on, but it was Holland who came away as 2 ends to 0 winners. Lincoln edged Bosley and Market Raisen out into second place in their group to progress to semi finals along with Holland. Sheen defeated Holland and Felton defeated Lincoln to make the final. This time in the final however, Sheen had altered their line up and went on to defeat Felton by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bosley
The second weight of the day was the 600 kilos competition, which was pulled as a straight group of 6 with the top four teams progressing to the semi finals. The surprise package in this event was Alford who were competing in their first TOWA event. Alford made the cross-over along with Norton, Two Dales and Sheen. Alford went on to be defeated by Norton in the semi final despite a good effort and Sheen defeated Two Dales. Norton then went on to defeat Sheen in the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Sheen
The 680 kilos event was the third weight of the day, again split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group one ahead of Bosley, Market Raisen, and Lincoln. The pulling in group 2 was very keenly contested, particularly between Felton, Holland and Two Dales. In the end, it was Two Dales who progressed to the semi finals in second place behind Sheen. Norton proved to be too strong for Two Dales in their semi final, and Sheen and Bosley had a good pull in their semi final, with Sheen edging Bosley out to progress to the final. Norton continued their winning form by defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in the final. Photo: Host club Lincoln
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos event. Again split into two groups, Norton progressed from their group as group winners ahead of Bosley, Lincoln, Market Raisen and Sheen. Two Dales finished winners of group 2, closely followed by Holland, Alford and Felton. Norton defeated Holland in their semi-final by 2 ends to 0, and Two Dales and Bosley had a close fought battle in the second semi final. Bosley took the first end, but Two Dales were very close to taking the second end only for Bosley to draw the rope back to take the second end. Norton again proved to be ahead of the game in the final by defeating Bosley by 2 ends to 0 to win their third end of the day. Photo: Felton Eccles
There were only two ladies/youth teams present at this competition – Sheen Ladies and Bedford Ladies, competing at 520 kilos and 560 kilos. The ladies teams were given more pulling by going around three times in each weight class, with Sheen proving to be worthy winners of both weight classes. Bedford competed well whilst fielding two new ladies pullers in their team. Photo: Holland 
The Tug of War Association has recently developed a "basic skills" manual for use by schools/youth groups in running basic tug of war sessions/competitions as part of a PE lesson or sports day. The manual covers the basics of tug of war and how to set up a pulling area.
This weekend there was a small turnout for ther easter sunday competition at Thames Valley, held at Reading Abbey Rugby Club near Reading. The weather was warm and sunny and the ground very hard. The teams competing were Oxney, Sandhurst, Forge Lane, Felton Eccles and Bosley, with Bedford Ladies and Gloucester and Somerset ACF (A, B, and C) all taking part. Photo: Glos/Som A in the 520 kilos event
The hard ground conditions again meant that there weren't any really long ends, however it made the pulling very competitive and lively. There were some close battles between Sandhurst and Oxney, particularly in the lighter weight classes, with both teams coming away with first and second place position between them in the 580 kilos, 600 kilos and 640 kilos events. Felton Eccles pulled well to win both the 680 kilos and catchweight events. The enxt national league fixture is at Daventry on Sunday 8th May. With many teams expected to attend as in previous years, this will provide a good opportunity for teams to accumulate a good number of national league points. Photo: Sandhurst competing in the 580 kilos event. 
Photo: Bosley competing in the 580 kilos event
John was invited by TWIF to give a presentation to 160 delegates attending the event from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, Poland and other Asian countries, teaching the basics of judging, indoor tug of war and outdoor tug of war at the Beijing Language and Culture University. Photo: John teaching the basics of outdoor tug of war in Beijing
Photo: John teaching the basics of indoor tug of war
“It was a very proud moment for me to represent the English Tug of War Association on the world stage, and assist the International Federation in promoting tug of war worldwide. The sport appear to be growing in popularity around the Asian region, so hopefully by educating more countries in tug of war, we will see more countries participating at international events in the future, which will hopefully help the sport reach its goal of returning to the Olympic Games some day” Photo: John receiving a gift from the Macau delegation in recognition of his attendance at the course. 
Tug of War Association think that it is fantastic that a coach of one of our teams has been recognised by the Tug of War International Federation in this way. John has given a lot to both the sport, and the teams he has coached over the years, and we are very proud of his dedication and achievements in tug of war. Photo: John Webb (fourth from right) with TWIF secretary general Glen Johnson (fourth from left) and the rest of the Chinese delegation.
The first weight of the day was the catchweight event, which was very lively, with many pulls going to three ends. Felton Eccles finished as the eventual winners, with Lincoln overcoming Sheen and Holland in two very close pulls to finish as eventual runners up. Bosley and Altrincham had good pulls in this weight too, with both teams taking ends throughout the competition. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF "B" Team
The 640 kilos was another good contest, with some good close pulling. The fight for first place came between Norton, Sandhurst and Bosley. Norton and Bosley met first out of the three, with Bosley setting out to try and take the pull to Norton. Norton held firm however to take the pull by 2 ends to 0. The same was the case when Sandhurst took on Norton, but again, Norton took the pull by 2 ends to 0. Bosley and Sandhurst fought each other for second place, with Sandhurst keeping their shape better to win the pull by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bedford Ladies
The 720 kilos was a five team competition, again with some exciting pulling. Holland, Two Dales and Lincoln missed out on the battle for second spot, with all three teams giving a good account of themselves, however the key battle for first place was between Norton and Felton Eccles. This was a great pull between the two teams, with Felton being taken very close to the line on the first end, only for Norton to be blown out for receiving three cautions. The second end was another good contest, with Felton managing to draw Norton over the line to take first place. Photo: Leicester and Northants ACF "A" team
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. There were certainly a few tired bodies on the field, however Norton ran out as eventual winners without losing an end, with Sandhurst finishing as worthy runners up. Photo: Norton competing in the 720 kilos competition
The ladies and youth league competition was well supported this week with 7 teams taking part in each weight category. There were many new pullers on the field this week, which was very encouraging. Both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight classes were won by the Gloucester and Somerset ACF “A” team, but they were pushed all the way by the “A” team of Leicester and Northants, and also Bedford Ladies and Sheen Ladies. Photo: Lincoln - Runners Up in the catchweight event 
A cold day ensured the second round of the Early Pulls moved at a pace. The venue was good and the ground even. The six teams who attended enjoyed good pulling in an air of cooperation and friendship. Medals were presented to first and second in each weight based upon the grand score over the two weeks. York Youth received the Best Youth Cup and Melbourne the Most Improved Team Cup. Lea Hall Welfare Club was very happy with the event and wish us to return next year. Rodger Beardsmore, Julie Pettit and Tony Henshaw maintained a very high standard of judging and Jill Thomas kept efficient control of the results and proceedings. The teams that competed over the two weeks were Holland, Barton, York, Melbourne, Triple F, York Youth, Luutterworth and Diesel Power. Well done and thank you to all of the teams for taking part. Photo - Diesel Power on the Rope
Photo - York TOWC
In the 600, some of England’s youngsters had the chance to shine as they were invited to represent the England Under 23 team in the senior 600 kilos event. As part of the 600 kilos competition, each of the home nations were invited to field under 23 teams for the first time. England were the only country that took on the challenge and competed as England C. Although the under 23 team did not finish in a final medal position, the team competed extremely well, winning many plaudits along the way and providing much encouragement for the future. The England C (under 23) team were mainly made up of pullers from Sheen, Kilroe and Uppertown. Well done to them.
When it came to the top four stage of the competition, England B represented by Raunds missed out on a spot in the last four after losing out to Northern Ireland A in a good tussle. England A, represented by Kilroe, progressed to the semi finals behind Scotland A, and ahead of Scotland B and Northern Ireland A. England A won through their semi final to meet Scotland A in the final. Scotland A took a close first end, but the second end went right down to the wire. Scotland picked up two early cautions for locking, however England were also given two cautions before the bull was brought back to the middle for the re-start. On the re-start, England missed the drop completely, and Scotland took full advantage, inching England over the line to take victory. Scotland B took the bronze medal after defeating Northern Ireland. 
The second weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. England only fielded one side in this event, and were represented by Sheen. England progressed to the semi-finals as a top two team, level on points with Scotland A. Scotland B and Northern Ireland A were the other teams to progress. England defeated Scotland B in the semi-finals before going on to meet Scotland A again in the final. Both countries fielded much changed teams from the very close 2010 final, however it was Scotland A who looked stronger this time around, and took the gold medal by 2 ends to 0.
England fielded two teams in the mixed 600 kilos event. These teams were made up from pullers from Sheen Men and Sheen Ladies. This weight class provided a much happier ending for England, with England A winning the competition without losing an end, and defeating Scotland A comfortably in the final to win a well deserved gold medal. England B finished in fourth position behind Scotland B after being narrowly defeated by 2 ends to 1. 
There was no ladies competition in the closed event this year, however a club event was held at 540 kilos, with Sheen Ladies finishing in first place ahead of Ayrshire. The Saturday competition also saw the first of two open 640 kilos competitions take place. The final was between Ayrshire of Scotland and Mountain View of Ireland, with Ayrshire winning a thrilling final by 2 ends to 1. 
The second day of the UK championships saw the open club competition take place. In addition to the home countries a number of teams from the Republic of Ireland, Italy and also the Basque region of Spain took part. It was another good day of competition with Sheen winning the 640 kilos after defeating Mountain View from Ireland in the final with a well deserved 2 ends to 0 win, and Sheen Ladies also won the ladies 540 kilos event. Sheen Men and Ladies also joined forces again to form a mixed team, and again won that 600 kilos 4+4 event in style, defeating Ayrshire from Scotland in the final by 2 ends to 0. 
Kilroe enjoyed success too by winning the mens 560 kilos event, defeating Mountain View from Ireland in the final, but lost the final of the 600 kilos event by 2 ends to 1 to Mountain View in another great final. Raunds and the Under 23 team also competed in the open 600 kilos event, competing very well again on the day, but missing out on a place in the last four.
The day started with an emotional tribute to Lynsey Chipperfield, who sadly passed away on 28th November. The event was attended by her parents, Stafford and Lesley, brother Andrew, and Fiance Gavin. Tributes were paid to Lynsey by TOWA President Tony Martin, and TOWA Chairman Mike Callaghan at the start of the event, prior to a moments silence being held in Lynsey’s memory. Thank you to everyone for the support and respect shown to Lynsey and her family during this difficult time. Photo: Lynsey Chipperfield whilst representing England at the European Outdoor Tug of War Championships in Minehead, 2007.
The tug of war competitions started with the catchweight event. Sheen took the gold medal in this weight ahead of Raunds who finished as close runners up. The 640 kilos event followed the catchweight competition, with world indoor 640 kilos champions Sheen looking to defend their national title. This years strong contenders came in the form of Norton, who had earlier defeated Sheen in the AAA 640 kilos championships in November. These two teams met in their first pull, which was a good close match, with the first end going to almost 6 minutes of pulling before Sheen took the end. The second end was not as long and Sheen took the end required to defeat Norton by 2 ends to 0. Sheen went on to take the gold medal without losing any ends, Norton taking the silver, and Raunds the bronze. Photo: Norton
The 560 kilos competition had a small entry of teams, but it was the pull between Kilroe and Norton that would determine the gold and silver medals. Norton were the defending champions, and after another long first end, Norton this time took the upper hand. The second end was another close pull, put the gold medal never really looked in doubt for Norton. Uppertown finished in the bronze medal position. Photo: Uppertown
The 720 kilos, was again between Sheen and Raunds, with Sheen taking their third gold medal of the day. The 600 kilos event followed, which was another close run competition. Sheen defeated Kilroe first on, and then defeated Uppertown and Raunds to go into their final pull against Norton needing the win to take the gold medal. Norton went into that pull on the back of a 2 ends to 0 defeat to Kilroe, needing a 2 ends to 0 win against Sheen to get back into the running for the gold medal. Despite giving Sheen a good pull, Sheen went on to take the two ends they needed to secure their fourth gold medal of the day. Photo: Raunds
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos competition. No-one was capable of matching Sheen’s dominance in this weight, and they went on to take their fifth gold medal of the day for the third year running. The challenge for silver and bronze was much closer between Norton, Raunds, and Kilroe. Kilroe and Norton both defeated Raunds in close matches, which left Kilroe and Norton to battle it out for the silver. Norton took the first end, but Kilroe turned it around in another long end to level the match. The third end was another close battle, but this time it went to Norton, giving them the silver medal. Photo: Kilroe
The medals were presented to the winning teams on the day by TOWA President Tony Martin, and all the teams and officials were thanked for their efforts on the day. The officials on the day were Peter Craft, Mike Callaghan, Vic Ludkin, Ray Fray-Smith, Mike Selwood, Julie Petit, Betty Craft, Wendy Dyer, Jill Thomas and Pete Dyer. Our thanks also go out to Paul Richards and Tony Henshaw of Area 2 who have taken care of hall hire and making sure that ropes and mats are available at the venue. Photo: Sheen
Five weight categories took place at Catchweight, 680 kilos, 640 kilos, 620 kilos and 600 kilos. The catchweight competition was a lively weight first on, with Sheen fielding two evenly weighted teams against Raunds, Kilroe, and Hedge End. Raunds came out on top, winning the competition without losing an end, with Sheen A finishing as runners up. Photo: Hedge End TOWC
The lightweight competitions provided more lively pulling, particularly in the 600 kilos and 620 kilos weight categories. Sheen A won the 600 kilos weight class, with Sheen B finishing as eventual runners up ahead of Kilroe, Uppertown, BAC and Raunds. The 620 kilos was also another good competition, with Norton finishing as the winners, however Uppertown, Sheen A and Kilroe all finished on level points in second place after all teams took ends off each other. Photo: Raunds TOWC
Sheen completed another dominant display on the day, winning the 640 kilos and 680 kilos weight classes, with Norton finishing as runners up in the 680 kilos weight class, and Kilroe finishing as runners up in the 640 kilos weight class. Photo: Kilroe TOWC
Only a small number of teams attended the first week of the indoor league, but each team that did attend fielded a side in most of the weight classes. Sheen, Raunds, Kilroe and Sheen ladies attended the competition. Sheen ladies competed with 9 pullers against the mens teams which made for some good competition in the lighter weight classes. Photo: Sheen Ladies
Sheen men won 3 of the five weight classes on offer on the day, with Kilroe and Raunds also winning a weight class each. The first week of indoor competition is always low on numbers, and it is hoped that we will see a few more teams in attendance next week. Photo: Sheen Men
The second competition was the 640 Kilos with 11 teams in two groups of 6 and 5 with Leo’s Boys once again coming out on top with Raunds finishing a very credible second. The third competition was the 600 4+4 which was one group of 6 and was a very strongly contested competition. Holland came out winners with second place being decided on the last pull between York and Woodton, with the winners taking second place. York took the honours. Photo: Leo's Boys TOWC from Northern Ireland
The final competition for Saturday was the 680 Kilos which again was one group of 6 with Holland coming out as winners and Raunds as runners up. Photo: Wymondham TOWC
The Sunday saw another day of good competitions starting with the 620 with 9 teams in a group of 5 and 4. Under Federation rules where there are two groups they always have the crossover to give semi-finals. The winners of group 1 were Holland with Triple F second and in group 2 the winners were Leo’s Boys with Leek second. The semi-finals were then Holland v. Leek and Leo’s Boys v. Triple F. Holland and Leo’s Boys made it through to the final with Leo’s Boys coming out on top in an excellent final. Photo: Hadleigh TOWC
The second competition on the Sunday was the 660 Kilos again with 9 teams in a group of 5 and 4 with Raunds winning group 1 and 1066 taking second spot. Group 2 saw Holland in first place with Leo’s Boys coming second. The semi-finals were Raunds v. Leos Boys and Holland v. 1066. The final was a repeat of the 620 but this time Holland took first place with Leo’s Boys runners up. Photo: Woodton TOWC
Next up was the 660 4+4 in one group of 6. Once again there was some very good battles between the teams with Holland taking the spoils and it was great to 1066 taking the runners up spot. Photo: St Ouens TOWC from Jersey
The final competition was the 720 Kilos with 6 teams in 1 group. Holland once again came out winners with Raunds being a very credible second. Photo: Working together - Officials from both the Tug of War Association and the Tug of War Federation
The first day of the 2010 World Outdoor Championships saw teams competing in the 580 kilos and 700 kilos weight classes for senior men, 540 kilos for senior women, and 560 kilos for junior men. A non TWIF junior ladies 480 kilos club competition also took place on the day for South African teams. Photo: Holland TOWC competing in the open 700 kilos competition.
The day started with the mens 700 kilos competition. English interest in this competition came in the form of Felton Eccles from Somerset, and Holland from Staffordshire. Both teams got off to a good start, with Holland defeating Vechtlust from the Netherlands. Felton Eccles also got off to a good start with a very good 2 ends to 0 win over Latvian team Velkonis. Both Holland and Felton competed in the same group, with the competition split into two groups. The two English sides met half way through the group stage of the competition, having a good pull, with both teams taking a share of the spoils, winning one end each. Despite both teams getting some good wins over tough opposition, defeats and dropped ends to Lakehill from Ireland, Shongau from Switzerland, and Valsbaii from South Africa meant that neither side progressed to the semi finals. Photo: Felton Eccles competing in the open 700 kilos competition
The semi finals was between Veenseboys from the Netherlands who won group 1, and Shongau from Switzerland as runners up of group 2. Lakehill from Ireland faced Eibergen from the Netherlands in the second semi final. Veenseboys comfortably dispatched of Shongau by 2 ends to 0 to maker the final, with Eibergen getting a hard earned win over Lakehill to set up an all Dutch final. The bronze match between Lakehill and Shongau saw Lakehill dictate the pull from start to finish and they took the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final saw Veenseboys from the Netherlands put on an impressive display of power pulling by defeating current European Club 640 champions Eibergen by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Seigelau - winners of the junior 560 kilos club competition
The Junior 560 kilos event was contested at the same time as the mens 700 kilos event, and was pulled as a straight group. There were many good South African teams in the event, joined by teams from Germany, Chinese Taipei and the Basque country. The group stage was dominated by Drosty from South Africa, and Dream Team Seigelau from Germany. Both teams progressed to the semi final stage with relative ease, followed by two other South African teams from Drackenstien and Oakdale A. The team from Chinese Taipei finished in 5th place to miss out on the semi finals after a good display for their first world championships. Like with the indoor, they pull a good style, and are certainly ones to watch on the outdoor in the future. Photo: Lakehill - 700 kilos bronze medallists
The semi finals were again dominated by Seigalau and Drosty who won their respective matches in impressive style to leave Oakdale and Drackenstien to fight it out for the bronze. Both teams fought very hard for the bronze medal, but in the end, it was Drackenstien who took the bronze medal. The final was yet again another clash between a German and a South African youth team. The final saw Drosty dominate the early exchanges, but the German team hung on to take a hard fought first end. The second end saw the Germans assert a little more control, and they took the second end to take the gold. Photo: Team Army competing in the open 580 kilos competition
The mens 580 kilos in the afternoon was pulled as two groups. With many good teams competing. English involvement in this event came in the form of Team Army. Despite all their efforts, they faled to make the semi finals in a group containing world class opposition, including Engelberg from Switzerland, and Boley from Ireland. It was those two teams who progressed from their group, with Engelberg going through in first place, Boley in second. The second group was won by Veenseboys from the Netherlands who were chasing their second gold medal of the day, however the pulling was very close to decide second place, with Gortletteragh from Ireland, Derryogue from Northern Ireland, Mosnang and Ebersecken from Switzerland, and Goiherri from the Basque country all with a good chance of finishing second. It was the Basque team that ended up pipping Mosnang to second place overall, and they progressed through to the semi finals. Chinese Taipei - ladies 540 kilos open club silver medallists
The semi finals saw Veenseboys defeat a determined Boley by 2 ends to 0, with Engelberg having a tough task in overcoming Goiherri by 2 ends to 0 to reach the final. The bronze medal match saw Goiherrie pull very well to hold there positions against Boley to take a hard earned bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. The final between Veenseboys and Engelberg was a case of seeing how long Engelberg could hold onto the strong Dutch team to try and find any weaknesses. The first end saw Veenseboys win in impressive style. On the second end, Engelberg threw everything at the Dutch side, drawing back any rope they lost, however they were picking up cautions on the way, before the Dutchmen drew the rope back to haul Engelberg over the line to claim their second gold medal of the day. Photo: Veenseboys - 580 kilos open club champions
The ladies 540 kilos weight class was pulled as a straight group, with some good teams from the Netherlands, South Africa, Lithuania, USA, the Basque Country, Japan, and Chinese Taipei. The surprise team was certainly the Chinese Taipei ladies team, having not competed at many World Outdoor Championships. They made it through the the semi finals, along with Koapman and Vechtlust from the Netherlands, and the South African team. The Chinese Taipei team pulled off a great 2 ends to 0 win over the South Africans to make it to the final, where they met Vechtlust, leaving Koapman and the South African team to fight it out for the bronze. The South Africans pulled very strongly in the bronze pull off to win by 2 ends to 0. The final between Chinese Taipei and Vechtlust was a good contest, with Chinese Taipei pulling a good level rope, just like what they are renowned for on the indoor. They got a good drive early on, but the Dutch held firm to take the first end. On the second end Chinese Taipei managed to unsettle the Dutch, but were a couple of lifts short of bringing them over, with Vechtlust taking the gold medal. It was a good performance from the Taipei team to take their first ever outdoor world medal. They certainly look like they can be as good on the outdoor as they are currently at indoor tug of war. Photo: Vechtlust - ladies 540 kilos open club competition
The second day of the open club competition started with the mixed 4+4 600 kilos event. This competition was pulled as a straight group of 11, with English interest coming in the form of Holland TOWC. Holland made a strong start, winning their first two pulls two straight, before going on to pull well in the remainder of their group matches, only losing to Gaztedi of the Basque country. Holland progressed to the semi finals along with Gaztedi, Jaersrust from the Netherlands, and Koapman, also from the Netherlands. In the semi-finals, Holland comfortably defeated Kopaman by 2 ends to 0 to reach their first ever final at a TWIF world championships. They would alter meet Gaztedi who overcame Jargersrust in a tough semi final pull. The bronze medal match went to three ends with Jagersrust taking the bronze by 2 ends to 1. The final between Holland and Gaztedi was a good pull, with Holland taking an early advantage, before Gaztedi got themselves back into the pull to take the first end. The second end saw Holland again take some early rope, but Gaztedi seized the advantage to take the gold medal by 2 ends to 0, giving Holland the silver. Photo: Goldschuere - winners of the open under 23 championship
The under 23 600 kilos competition also took place alongside the 600 4+4 competition and was pulled as a straight group. Along with strong teams from South Africa, clubs from Switzerland, Germany, Chinese Taipei, USA, and Belgium also took part. There was some close pulling at the start of the event with all teams dropping ends. The team from Chinese Taipei again gave another strong showing taking ends from Mosnang and Goldscheure early on. Goudini were also strong in defeating Mosnang and taking points from Goldscheure. Most of the other teams also acquitted themselves well, including DJs from the USA, who were competing in the under 23 category for the first time. Goudini, Goldscheure, Mosnang, and Chinese Taipei all progressed to the semi finals. Mosnang defeated Chinese Taipei, with Goldscheure defeating Goudini. The bronze medal match was a real tough encounter between two very strong teams, but it was Goudini who managed to break down Chinese Taipei to bring home the bronze medal. The final was between the German team of Goldscheure, and the Swiss team of Mosnang. Golscheure kept better body angles on the hard ground to defeat Mosnang by 2 ends to 0 to take a well deserved gold medal. Photo: Holland TOWC pulling in the 4+4 event
The afternoon saw the 640 kilos and ladies 540 kilos competitions take place. England teams in the 640 kilos competition were from Felton Eccles, Team Army, and Holland. The competition was split into four groups. Felton Eccles battled through their group to finish in first place ahead of Goudini from South Africa who progressed in second place. Holland and Team Army were both placed in the same group, but despite some good performances, neither side progressed through to the knock out stages. Their group was won by Boley from Ireland, with Goiherri from the Basque country progressing through in second place. Photo: Holland TOWC 4+4 team after winning the silver 
The quarter finals saw Boley defeat Lakehill, Eibergen defeat Goudini, Felton Eccles defeat Veenseboys B, and Veenseboys A defeat Fam. Janssens from Belgium. The semi finals saw Eibergen win well against Boley to earn a place in the final, with Veenseboys A defeating Felton Eccles. Felton Eccles went into the bronze medal match where they faced Boley from Ireland. Felton pulled strongly in this match and managed to contain Boley’s counter attacks really well to take Boley over the line to take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0 to win a well deserved bronze medal. The final was the second of the weekend between Veenseboys and Eibergen, both of the Netherlands. Eibergen, current European Champions had a point to prove after defeat in the 700 kilos on the previous day and they pulled strongly early on, putting Veenseboys under some real pressure for the first time in the whole of the open club competition. Veenseboys however had a good long counter lift, which Eibergen on a couple of occasions did well to contain, but no-one was going to deny the Veenseboys their third gold medal of the competition and they took the 640 gold by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Team Army Squad
Bedford competed in the ladies 500 kilos competition, pulled as a straight group of 11. The teams from the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland all kept a low profile in this weight, but there were still strong teams from Germany, Chinese Taipei, USA, and Belgium all taking part. Bedford met Chinese Taipei. Fam. Janssens and Dietenbach from Germany in their first three pulls coming away with two points from the first three matches, however, the team settled down, and they went on to win all the remaining pulls in their group to reach the semi final. Chinese Taipei finished as overall group winners, with Bedford, Fam. Janssens and Dietenbach all finishing on level points. Dietenbach finished in second place after cautions and weight were taken into consideration. Leaving the draw to be decided on the toss of a coin. Bedford were drawn against Chinese Taipei, with the Chinese Taipei team winning by 2 ends to 0 to reach there second final of the weekend. Dietenbach won the second semi final by 2 ends to 0 to reach the final. Bedford went into the bronze medal match with high hopes, but came undone at the last hurdle, with Fam. Janssens getting Bedford moving early on. Beedford looked as though they were going to stop them, but it was too close to the line before they could get the rope back, and it was the team from Belgium that ended up taking the bronze medal. The final turned out to be a great performance from the Chinese Taipei team, and they were too strong for Dietenbach, taking their first ever outdoor gold medal by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Bedford Ladies 500 kilos - 4th place in the open competition.
The evening saw the opening ceremony for the closed world championships take place, with traditional African dancing, as well as a speech from TWIF president Cathal McKeever to mark the 50th anniversary of the Tug of War International Federation. England’s representatives in the opening ceremony were Diane McDonald of Bedford Ladies, and Emmett Power and Ryan Tommins of Sandhurst Youth. Photo: Felton Eccles - world 640 kilos bronze medallists
The closed competition started with the mens 700 kilos competition, later followed by the junior mens competition at 560 kilos. England did not enter a team in the mens 700 kilos competition, so it was a chance to watch some of the other countries in action. 9 teams competed in the competition, with the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland making the semi finals. The Netherlands defeated Sweden to reach the final, whilst Switzerland defeated Ireland. The bronze medal match went to three ends with Sweden taking the first end against Ireland, before Ireland took the next two ends to take the bronze. The final was another three end match, with the Swiss taking the first end. On the second end, Switzerland were unable to contain the big Dutch lifts and they took the second end to level the match. The Dutch won the toss to choose the winning end and they went on to secure the gold medal. Photo: England Youth Team
England entered a team in the junior 560 kilos competition, this year being represented by Sandhurst Youth, with most of their team representing England for the first time. It was a tough competition with no easy teams to pull against at youth international level. England started against Chinese Taipei, who sent very strong sides to the World Championships this time in the ladies and youth weights. On top of the ground they were not an easy team to pull, and despite both teams trying to get momentum, Chinese Taipei got England moving and they took the first pull by 2 ends to 0. It was to be a tough day all round for the England youth with defeats to Switzerland, South Africa, Sweden and Germany, which meant that they missed out on a place in the semi finals. Despite not winning any ends it was a good performance, and a good learning experience for our youth. There will be an opportunity for a youth team to represent on home soil again next year at the European Championships in Minehead. Photo: Switzerland Youth Team on the podium
Switzerland, Sweden and South Africa all made it to the semi finals, but Germany and Chinese Taipei finished on level points. Germany picked up less cautions in the competition, and they progressed to the semi finals. Switzerland defeated Germany in their semi final, and Sweden managed to overcome South Africa by 2 ends to 1 to reach the final. The bronze pull off was an exciting battle between the home nation and Germany. Germany took the first end, but South Africa levelled the pull to take the match to three ends. Germany managed to hang on to take a hard earned bronze medal. The final was between Switzerland and Sweden. Switzerland had much more left in the tank than Sweden and they earned a good 2 ends to 0 win to win the youth gold medal. Photo: England 580 kilos team
The mens 580 kilos competition followed in the afternoon and England were represented by current European Champions Norton. England went into the event with high hopes of getting a medal, but the early stage of the competition proved to be a stern test. The 580 kilos competition this year was fiercely competitive, with 5 or 6 teams out of the 11 looking like they were capable of reaching the final. England started off with a tough pull against Germany first on, securing a 2 ends to 0 win. England then met the other early favourites – Netherlands and Sweden – losing to both teams by 2 ends to 0 to put England under some early pressure. England then had Northern Ireland, taking the first end, but losing their balance on the second end to drop points to Northern Ireland. England then pulled off a good 2 ends to 0 win over Ireland to get themselves back into the competition, rounding off the competition without dropping any more points, including a good 2 ends to 0 win over Switzerland. Photo: Netherlands 580 kilos winning team
England qualified for the semi finals along with Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and were drawn against Sweden who had earlier defeated them in the group. The ground had cut up more now which gave both teams a sound footing. Sweden took the first end after England were harshly blown out for receiving three cautions. England then assumed control for the next two ends to take a good win into the final. England met the Netherlands who defeated Switzerland in the other semi final. The Netherlands were the hot favourites going into the final, having only lost one end in the group. England gave a good account of themselves on the first end, but could not quite tie down the big lift and row style of the Dutch team. The second end went the same way and the Netherlands secured their second gold medal of the championship. It was a great result for England after a terrible start, and the pullers came off the field happy that they won a silver medal when earlier in the competition it looked as though they could have finished out of the medals. Switzerland secured the bronze medal by defeating Sweden by 2 ends to 0. Photo: England 580 kilos team on the podium with their silver medals
The ladies 540 kilos competition took place at the same time as the mens 580 kilos competition. England did not have a team entered in this weight class, but the event was won by Sweden, with the Netherlands winning silver, South Africa the bronze and Chinese Taipei finished in fourth place. Photo: Sweden ladies winning the ladies 540 kilos title
Day four started with the 600 4+4 competition. England were not entered in this weight class, but 7 countries entered the event. Switzerland, Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden made the cross over with the Netherlands and Sweden both progressing to the final. South Africa and Switzerland both fought it out for the bronze medal, with Switzerland taking a hard fought pull by 2 ends to 0 to take the bronze medal. The final was between Sweden and the Netherlands. Sweden dropped in with good angles to start with and started to inch the Dutch team over. The Dutch tried to get some big lifts through but Sweden managed to contain them to take the first end. The second end went much the same way and Sweden took the first TWIF international 4+4 title. Photo: Sweden 4+4 Team
The under 23 600 kilos competition was fought out by 9 countries. There was some competitive pulling in this weight with Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Sweden all progressing through to the semi finals. Germany defeated South Africa and Switzerland defeated Sweden, both in two straight ends. The bronze medal pull off saw Sweden defeated a spirited South Africa team by 2 ends to 0. The final saw Switzerland dominate Germany by 2 ends to 0 to secure the Under 23 title for the second year running. Photo: Switzerland Under 23 Team
The afternoon saw the men 640 kilos and ladies 500 kilos competitions take place. England were represented in the ladies 500 kilos competition by Bedford Ladies. England started off with a good 2 ends to 0 win over former world champions USA, in a tough field. England failed to make the cross-over in what was a very competitive weight class, with all teams pulling at a high standard. The teams that made the cross over were Germany, Chinese Taipei, Sweden and the Netherlands. Sweden defeated the Netherlands, and Chinese Taipei defeated Germany. Netherlands and Germany fought it out for the bronze medal, and it was Germany who took the two ends to earn the bronze medal. The final between Sweden and Chinese Taipei was between a team who was not been defeated for a few years in ladies tug of war, and another team who are an emerging force. It was Chinese Taipei who caused the biggest upset of the whole tournament by defeating Sweden by 2 ends to 0 to win their first ever outdoor world title. Photo: England Ladies 500 team
The 640 kilos competition saw England being represented by Felton Eccles. This was another great competition. England made a good start by defeating Germany by 2 ends to 0, and progressed through the competition, only dropping ends to Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands, as well as getting a good 2 ends to 0 win over Ireland early on in the group stages. England progressed to the semi finals in second place in the overall group ahead of Ireland and Switzerland, with the Netherlands finishing in first place in the group. In the semi finals, England were drawn against defending world champions Switzerland. England dropped in well on both ends, not allowing Switzerland to get into the pull, driving Switzerland out in two straight ends. The Netherlands won their semi final against Ireland to reach their third final of the mens weight categories, leaving Ireland and Switzerland to fight it out for the bronze. Despite losing to Switzerland in the group stages Ireland put in a good performance take the bronze medal by 2 ends to 0. England went into the final looking to inflict defeat on the Dutch mens team for the first time in the championships. Despite dropping in well against the Dutch on both ends, the long lifts and rows of the Netherlands proved to be effective yet again, and they went on to take the gold medal by 2 ends to 0 to finish off a fine weekend of pulling for them. Photo: England 640 kilos team
Well done to all the England teams and clubs who travelled to the event to take part. It took a lot of commitment by everyone to travel and compete at the event, and to come away with two medals in the open competition, and two medals in the closed competition is a great achievement considering we did not have the large contingent of pullers travelling to the event like we have done in previous years. England TWIF judges were Ray-Fray Smith and Mike Callaghan. Wendy Dyer was chief recorder, and Pete Dyer was assistant chief marshall. Alan Ludkin was commentator and liaison officer. Photo: Netherlands 640 kilos team
Next year, we host the European Outdoor Championships and World Junior and Under 23 Championships in Minehead, England. We look forward to competing in that event, and we look forward to welcoming everyone from Europe and the world. Photo: England 640 kilos team with their silver medals
Mick Grimston of Area 5 has recently passed his judges course. Mick had to take his course later than other candidates and completed the practical course at competitions held during April. Mick was presented with his certificate for passing the course at the weekend. Mick is a former puller and was a member of Lincoln, St Pats and Congleton Tug of War Clubs. Photo: Mick Grimston (left) is pictured recieving his judges certificate from TOWA president Tony Martin (right) 
Three mens weights took place, all run as points competitions at 600 kilos, 640 kilo and 680 kilos. The first weight was the 600 kilos. Norton had a healthy lead of 21 points going into the event, and were almost certain of taking the final gold medal on the day unless they had a disastrous competition. Norton pulled strongly throughout the weight without dropping an end to confirm the gold medal. The competition was much closer for the silver and bronze medals however, as Sandhurst, Felton Eccles, and Oxney were most likely to take the two remaining medals. Oxney competed well throughout the competition to only lose to Norton to secure the silver medal, and Felton Eccles overtook Sandhurst to take the bronze. Photo: Norton
The 640 kilos was again won by Norton, but was not quite as straight forward, having dropped an end to Oxney during the competition. Norton had an unassailable 33 point lead in this weight going into the event so losing ends did not matter. They again finished top of the pile, with Felton Eccles finishing as silver medallists on this occasion, having been two points behind Sandhurst at the start of the competition. Sandhurst took a well deserved bronze medal. Photo: Felton Eccles
The 680 kilos was the final mens weight of the day. Norton had achieved a small lead going into the final event, and it was most possible in this weight that teams behind them could catch up, provided that a few teams could take points off them. Felton Eccles pulled strongly, and were the only team to achieve this feat, beating Norton in a hard pull by 2 ends to 0 on the day. Both teams won all of their other pulls, which meant that Norton took their third gold, with Felton Eccles taking the silver. The fight for the bronze ended up between Bosley, Sandhurst and Oxney. Bosley were ahead of the other teams by 11 points, so needed to win a few points to secure the medal. Despite a few defeats, Bosley got enough points on the board to take the bronze medal. Photo: Bedford Ladies 
The ladies and youth league competition was well supported, with some good pulling in both the 520 kilos and 560 kilos weight class. Sandhurst Youth had a tough day with many pullers competing in both the senior and junior weights. They had a tough battle first on in the 520 kilos event with Gloucester and Somerset giving them a hard time, with Sandhurst eventually winning the pull by 2 ends to 1, and later went on to win the competition, finishing two points ahead of Gloucester and Somerset in the overall youth league for this weight class. Leicester and Northants finished as bronze medallists. Bedford Ladies took the gold medal in the ladies 520 kilos weight class, with Sheen Ladies finishing as runners up. Photo: Sandhurst Youth
The 560 kilos weight class was dominated by Sandhurst, and they won the competition on the day to secure the overall league title, again followed by Gloucester and Somerset, with Leicester and Northants winning the bronze. Bedford Ladies again won the ladies league, having a good battle with Sheen Ladies to win by 2 ends to 1 on the day. Sheen Ladies finished as overall runners up. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF Squad
City and North East London ACF TOW club competing at GENSB 2010
Leicester and Northants ACF TOW Club competing at GENSB 2010
Gloucester and Somerset ACF TOW Club competing at GENSB 2010
The 2010 UK outdoor championships were this year hosted by the Northern Ireland Tug of War Association, with the event taking place in Enniskillen. Sheen Men, Felton Eccles, Wood Treatment Bosley, Oxney Vines Cross and Sheen Ladies all represented England in the closed event, with Lincoln TOWC also competing in the open event. The closed competition took place on the Friday afternoon, and started with a short opening ceremony, before the competition got underway with the mens 600 kilos competition. Photo - England B 600 kilos team - represented by Oxney Vines Cross
In the mens 600 kilos competition England A were represented by Bosley, and England B were represented by Oxney. England B started off with the toughest test first, going 1 end each with a very strong and lively Scotland A team. England A started off by defeating Northern Ireland B by 2 ends to 0, but then went on to be beaten by 2 ends to 0 to Northern Ireland A. Both teams had tough battles throughout the remainder of the group stage with England A defeating Scotland A, but dropped ends to Wales A. England A then made a substitution to bring on a fresh pair of legs for their remaining pulls. England B also dropped ends to Wales A. Both England A and England B met in the last pull of the group, with both teams in need of points to ensure that they progressed to the last four. England A needed one point, and England B needed three points and also relied upon Northern Ireland B dropping an end in their final match. Photo - England A 600 kilos squad - represented by Wood Treatment Bosley - 600 kilos gold medallists
England B took a hard first end against England A, but the second end saw England B take England A to within 3 feet of the line. With England A on two cautions it looked as though England A might go out, but England B stopped and England A managed to work the rope all the way back without picking up any more cautions to get the end they needed to secure a place in the semi final. Northern Ireland B won their final group pull by 2 ends to 0 to secure their place in the semi-finals, which meant that England B missed out. In the semi-final, England A came out strongly to defeat Northern Ireland A by 2 ends to 0 in a tough match. Northern Ireland B defeated Wales A to qualify for the final. Northern Ireland A secured the bronze medal with a good win over Wales A. Photo - England B 680 kilos team - represented by Felton Eccles - 680 kilos gold medallists
The final was between England A and Northern Ireland B, two teams who really had to battle hard to make it through to the semi-finals. The first end was very close, with Northern Ireland B starting off strong trying to work England A over the line. Northern Ireland B had England A on two cautions early on, but England A held on to break Northern Ireland B down, and they soon started to pick up cautions, eventually receiving their third which gave the end to England A. Both teams battled hard on the second end, but England A got the momentum this time, taking Northern Ireland B all the way over the line to take a hard earned gold medal. This was a landmark moment for representative club Wood Treatment Bosley, who won their first championship title below 640 kilos. Photo - England A 680 kilos team - represented by Sheen - 680 kilos silver medallists
In the ladies 540 kilos competition, England were represented by Sheen Ladies. Due to travel problems at the airport, England had one of their main pulling members missing for this competition as they could not travel to the event until later in the day, meaning that England had to change the team. England started off with a defeat to Wales A first on, but defeated Scotland B and went one end each with Scotland A which meant that they qualified for the semi-finals. England were defeated by Wales A in the semi-final, and had to settle for a pull against Scotland B for the bronze medal. England were too strong for the Scottish B team, and ran out as 2 ends to 0 winners to take the bronze medal for England. Photo - England Ladies 540 kilos team - represented by Sheen Ladies - 540 kilos bronze medallists
The closed event finished with the mens 680 kilos competition. England A were represented by Sheen in this weight, with England B being represented by Felton Eccles. England B started off with another tough test against Scotland A going to a 1 ends each draw, but recovered well to progress to semi finals, only dropping ends to Wales A and England A. England A, also endured relatively straight forward qualification for the semi finals, only dropping ends to the very strong Wales A side represented by Llanboidy. Photo - Lincoln TOWC competing in the open 600 kilos event
In the semi finals, England A were drawn to pull against Scotland A, with England B having a tough test against Wales A. England A pulled strongly in the semi final to defeat Scotland A, but England B really had to dig deep against Wales A to grind out a 2 ends to 0 win to make it to the final. The bronze medal pull off was between Scotland A and Wales A, which was a very good contest which went to three ends. Both teams have very strong lifts, and it was Scotland A who took the first end. Wales A however dug deep and took the next two ends to secure the bronze medal. Photo - Sheen Ladies team - ladies 540 kilos UK open champions
The Inter County Championships this year, were much better supported than the previous few Inter County Championships, and this was further boosted by the first mixed pulling event hosted by the Tug of War Association. It was pleasing to see a good turnout of teams, and a good turn out of both Association and Federation teams, all pulling in the same arena. Photo - Norton representing Staffordshire - winners of the 640 kilos Inter County Championship
Teams competing - Norton, Sheen, Felton Eccles, Lincoln, Sandhurst, Wood Treatment Bosley, Holland, Hanging Bridge, Totham Bull, 1066, Woodton, Forge Lane, Oxney Vines Cross, Bedford Ladies, 1066 Ladies, Sheen Ladies. Photo - Sheen Men
The Inter County Championships kicked off with the 640 kilos competition and the battle for the coveted 640 kilos shield. The defending champions were Staffordshire (represented by Norton). This event was keenly contested, and was split into two groups. Staffordshire started off their defence with a hard fought win over Somerset (Felton Eccles) before defeating Berkshire (Sandhurst), Lincolnshire (Lincoln), and Essex (Totham Bull). Group 2 (which had loads of pulls which went to three ends) was won by Sussex A (Oxney), with Derbyshire (Hanging Bridge) finishing as runners up, ahead of Cheshire (Bosley), Staffordshire B (Holland) and Sussex B (Forge Lane). The semi finals saw Staffordshire A defeat Derbyshire, and Sussex go through a tough 3 end pull with Somerset to reach the final. Despite a strong performance by Sussex, Staffordshire held their shape well to take the 640 kilos inter county shield by 2 ends to 0. Photo - Holland TOWC 4+4
The second Inter Counties weight was the 680 kilos weight class. Staffordshire A (Norton) were again the defending champions. Staffordshire A started off with a difficult two ends to nil win over Lincolnshire (Staffordshire A were 60 kilos light), before going on to defeat Staffordshire B (Sheen) by 2 ends to 1. Derbyshire (Hanging Bridge) then took another end out of Staffordshire A, but it was Somerset (Felton Eccles) who pulled strongly throughout the competition to win the 680 kilos shield without losing an end. Staffordshire A (Norton) finished as runners up. Photo - Woodton TOWC 4+4
The national open 4+4 championship at 600 kilos was then contested. This was a first for the Tug of War Association, with 7 teams taking part. As this was a first event for the Association and to get it off the ground, teams were allowed to borrow up to four pullers from another club to enter the weight class on the day. The teams that competed were Woodton, Bedford, Oxney, Sheen, Totham Bull, Holland, and 1006. Sheen started with a hard fought win over Holland first on, and there was a good pull between Holland and Woodton, with Woodton taking Holland close to the line on the first end, only to run out of steam. The eventual winners were Bedford, with Oxney finishing in silver medal position and Sheen finished as bronze medallists. For a first event, this competition was a success. Photo - Totham Bull TOWC 4+4
The open weights were contested in the ladies 500 kilos and 540 kilos, and men 600 kilos, 640 kilos and 700 kilos. Bedford Ladies won both of the ladies weight classes, with Sheen Ladies finishing as runners up in the 540 kilos weight class, and 1066 finished as runners up in the 500 kilos weight class. Norton won the 700 kilos weight class, with Felton finishing as runners up. Norton also won the 640 kilos weight class, with Felton Eccles finishing as runners up again. Oxney finished as winners of the 600 kilos weight class, with Hanging Bridge finishing as runners up. Photo - Oxney Vines Cross 4+4
The TOWA would like to congratulate all of the teams who took part in the Inter County Championships and Open 4+4 Championships and made it a good day of tug of war. Officials on the day were Ray-Fray Smith, Peter Tuckwell, Ray Wells, Peter Craft, and Julie Petit, with Betty Craft and Wendy Dyer undertaking the timekeeping and recording duties. Photo - 1066 TOWC Ladies team 
Tug of war returned to Congleton Carnival this year, an event that runs every two years. Only a small number of teams turned out, but they put on a good show for the large amount of spectators in attendance. Three weights were contested at 600 kilos, 640 kilos and 680 kilos. Hanging Bridge won all three weight classes on the day, with Bosley finishing as runners up in the 640 kilos and 680 kilos weight classes. Stretton finished as runners up in the 600 kilos event, and finished in third place in both the 640 kilos and 680 kilos event. The competition was officiated by Roger Beardsmore, and the event organisers expressed their gratitude to all of those who tokk part. They hope to have a few more teams taking part at the event when it is organised in 2012. Photo: Hanging Bridge competing against Stretton
Stretton YFC Tug of War competing at Congleton Carnival. Stretton are the current Cheshire county young farmers tug of war champions.
The 1947 Wimpey Tug of War Team
“In the 1950’s and early 1960’s Dad was well known in the Essex District of Debden, Loughton and Buckhurst Hill as an accomplished darts player, winning many league and cup titles, including the individual championships (he still has many darts cups and medals). My father was 90 last December and is still a fit powerful man for his age. The second photograph (left) was taken at his 90th Birthday lunch and shows him with two of his three adored grandaughters”.
The teams competing on the day were: Sheen, Holland, Norton, Wood Treatment Bosley, Hanging Bridge, Leek, Lincoln, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst, Oxney Vines Cross, Forge Lane, BAC, Tavistock, Widecombe, Team Army, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment in the mens weight classes. Bedford, Sheen and Leek took part in the ladies weight classes, and Sandhurst, Gloucester and Somerset ACF and Leicester and Northants ACF took part in the junior weight classes. Photo: Leek Ladies in the 540 kilos event
The day started with the catchweight event, although this year, there was only two teams taking part due to the lack of heavy teams around on the circuit this year. Those two clubs were Sheen and Holland, both from Staffordshire. Sheen performed strongly despite a huge effort from Holland to take the catchweight title by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Widecombe competing in the 640 kilos event
The ladies 540 kilos took place next with Sheen Ladies and Bedford Ladies having a good three end pull first on. Sheen took the first end, but Bedford took the second end to level the pull, before taking the third end to move ahead in the competition. Both Sheen and Bedford Ladies defeated Leek Ladies by 2 ends to 0, to ensure that Bedford finished with the gold medal and Sheen Ladies came away with the silver. Photo - Sandhurst youth competing in the junior 530 kilos event
The second mens weight was the 640 kilos event, which was pulled as a straight points competition. Felton started the defence of their title with a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win over Lincoln, whilst Bosley earned a hard fought 2 ends to 1 win over Sheen. Both teams then went on to lose their next pull, but started to pick up points again elsewhere. Oxney and Hanging Bridge were in contention of medals half way through the competition, but then started to fade away, leaving Felton, Lincoln, and Bosley in contention. Bosley defeated Lincoln by 2 ends to 1 to move within a point of them in second and third place, which meant that Bosley had to take two ends off Felton to take the silver. Felton had already earned enough points to secure gold, but Bosley gave them a real fight, but Felton had just enough to take the two ends to secure the gold medal without losing an end, with Lincoln taking the silver, and Bosley the bronze. Photo: Felton Eccles in the 640 kilos event
The first junior weight class of the day was the junior 530 kilos competition. Sandhurst started off by defeating Leicester and Northants ACF by 2 ends to 0, and Leicester and Northants went on to defeat Gloucester and Somerset ACF by 2 ends to 0. Sandhurst then beat Gloucester and Somerset to secure the gold medal, with Leicester and Northants taking silver. Photo: Norton in the 580 kilos event
The 580 kilos competition saw a large entry of teams and the competition was split into two groups. Norton and Forge Lane progressed from Group 1 ahead of Felton, Bosley, BAC, and Widecombe, with Sandhurst and Oxney progressing ahead of Team Army, Hanging Bridge, Tavistock, Hanging Bridge, Leek, and 17 Port and Maritime Regiment. In the cross over, Norton defeated Oxney by 2 ends to 0, and Sandhurst defeated Forge Lane. That left the two teams from Sussex to battle it out for the bronze medal, with Oxney taking the bronze medal against Forge Lane, who have made massive improvements over the past couple of seasons. The final was between Norton and Sandhurst, and was a repeat line up of the 560 kilos finals we have had for the past few seasons. Norton have had a strong and consistent season so far, and nothing was going to stop them again on this occasion as they defeated a spirited Sandhurst team by 2 ends to 0 to become the first team to take the new national 580 kilos title. Photo - Sandhurst in the 580 kilos event
The next mens weight was the 700 kilos weight class. Four teams entered this weight class – Sheen, Felton, Holland, and Leek. Sheen started off against Holland in their first pull, with Holland throwing everything at Sheen, before Sheen took the pull by 2 ends to 0. Holland and Leek then had a good pull second on which went very close before Holland took that pull by 2 ends to 0. Felton and Sheen meanwhile had another excellent battle, with Felton really having to hand on to Sheen on the first end before eventually pulling them over the line. Felton then took the second end, and went on to defeat Holland by 2 ends to 0 to take the gold medal, with Sheen taking silver and Holland the bronze. Photo: Holland in the 700 kilos event
The ladies 500 kilos weight class was a lively contest. Bedford defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 first on, but the best pull of the competition came second on between Leek and Sheen. Leek took a hard fought first end, before Sheen had to battle really hard to level the pull. The third end was equally as exciting, but Sheen had enough left in the tank to bring Leek over the line. Bedford secured the gold medal with a 2 ends to 0 win over Leek, with Sheen finishing as silver medallists. Photo - Bedford Ladies in the 500 kilos event
The 600 kilos event then saw another large entry of teams, and the competition was split into two groups. Bosley were the winners of group 1 ahead of Oxney, Felton Eccles, Hanging Bridge, Forge Lane, Team Army and Tavistock, with Norton finishing as winners of group 2 head of Sandhurst, Lincoln, Leek, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Widecombe, and BAC. Norton went on to again defeat Oxney in a semi final, whilst Bosley took a hard earned semi final win against Sandhurst to make the final. Oxney pulled strongly in the bronze medal pull to defeat Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, and Norton gave another strong performance in the final, to win their second gold medal of the day by beating Bosley by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Sheen Ladies in the 500 kilos event
The junior 560 kilos event, again saw Sandhurst, Gloucester and Somerset ACF, and Leicester and Northants ACF fighting it out for the medals. Sandhurst won the competition without losing an end to take a well deserved gold medal, with Gloucester and Somerset taking a good silver medal, by beating the 2009 winners Leicester and Northants ACF by 2 ends to 0. Well done to all of the youth teams who took part. Photo - Leek in the 700 kilos event
The final weight of the day was the 680 kilos weight class. This weight is always usually wide open as the last weight of the day, with most teams having competed in many other weight classes. The competition was split into two groups. Felton edged through as winners of group 1, despite a very hard battle against Holland in this weight who went through in second place ahead of Hanging Bridge, Tavistock, Sandhurst and Team Army. Sheen progressed as winners of group 2 ahead of Norton who finished as group runners up, Lincoln, Bosley, Widecombe, and Oxney. Sheen defeated Holland in their semi final, and Norton came away with a good 2 ends to 0 win over Felton Eccles. Felton Eccles then went on to secure the bronze medal against Holland, whilst Sheen beat an underweight Norton team in the final by 2 ends to 0 to take their second gold medal of the day. Photo: LNR ACF in the Junior 560 kilos
At the end of the day, the gold silver and bronze medals were presented to the teams by TOWA president Tony Martin. The Tug of War Association would like to thank Sheen TOWC and Manifold County Primary School for providing the venue and hosting the event on our behalf. We would also like to thank all of the teams for coming along to the event as well as thanking all of the local people who turned out in force to support the teams. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF in the Junior 560 kilos
We would also like to thank the officials for attending the event. As with the teams, without them, we would not be able to have a championship. They were: Peter Craft (Controller), Nick Major (Chief Judge), George Ferrett (Referee), Betty Craft (Chief Recorder), Wendy Dyer (recorder), Yvonne Ludkin (recorder), Roger Beardsmore, Matt Cowlard, Ernie Jones, Vic Ludkin, Adrian Willis, Ray Fray-Smith, Mike Callaghan, Mick Grimston, Julie Petit and Pete Dyer (Chief Marshall). We would also like to thank Alan Ludkin for providing the commentary on the days events. Photo - Bosley in the 600 kilos event
BAC competing in the 600 kilos event
Team Army competing in the 600 kilos event
Lincoln competing in the 680 kilos event
Sheen competing in the 680 kilos event
The 580 kilos event was split into two groups, with the lighter weight classes seeing large entries in recent weeks, the competition was again very close. Norton put in another fine performance in this weight to finish top of their group ahead of Bosley, Sandhurst, Lincoln, Hailsham, and Felton Eccles A, with Oxney coming through as winners of their group ahead of Felton Eccles B, Forge Lane (after a close 2 ends to 1 pull), Gloucester and Somerset ACF, and Team Army. Norton went into the final to record a good 2 ends to 0 win over Oxney. Photo: Sheen in the 680 kilos
The 680 kilos was again split into two groups. Sheen continued their strong performance in the catchweight event to edge out Lincoln to finish top of their group to go on to meet Felton Eccles in the final. Now that the ground had cut up, Felton had the opportunity to get behind the holes in the ground to try and stop Sheen’s power. Felton managed to do this to take a well deserved win in this weight. Photo: Felton Eccles competing with Sheen in the final of the 680 kilos event
The 600 kilos competition was by far the most keenly fought weight class on the day. The competition was split into two groups, with a good spread of teams across the draw. The first group saw Sandhurst come through as winners, to come through on top after a tough three end win over Oxney, however there was even more excitement in the second group, with close pulls between Sheen, Bosley, Forge Lane and Lincoln. Bosley defeated Sheen by 2 ends to 0 in a very hard pull, but were then defeated by Forge Lane by the same score. Sheen then came through to defeat Forge Lane by 2 ends to 0, but Bosley’s loss against Lincoln meant that Forge Lane and Sheen would have to pull again to see who would go through to the final. This was another great pull, with Forge Lane just edging it by 2 ends to 1. Forge Lane then went on to meet Sandhurst in the final. Both teams had had tough pulling in the group, but those extra ends for Forge Lane took a lot out of them, and it was Sandhurst who came through as worthy winners by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Forge Lane competing in the 600 kilos event. 
The event started with the 700 kilos event, which was pulled as a straight group. Felton Eccles performed strongly in this weight to win the competition without losing an end, followed by Lincoln who finished as runners up after a hard fought 2 ends to 1 win over Oxney first on. North Wiltshire started with a good performance to finish fourth overall in this weight. Photo - Oxney Vines Cross
The 580 kilos event followed, and this was again pulled as a straight group. Oxney and BAC had a good pull first on, and competition between Oxney, Sandhurst and Bosley was close to determine who would finish in first place. Oxney firstly defeated Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0, then Bosley followed suit to beat Sandhurst by 2 ends to 0. The final and deciding pull was between Bosley and Oxney, with Bosley coming away with a hard fought 2 ends to 0 win over Oxney. Photo - North Wiltshire TOWC 
The 680 kilos event was split into two groups. Oxney were the winners of group 1 ahead of Widecombe, Whimple and Broadclyst, and North Wiltshire, whilst Felton Eccles came through as winners of group 2 ahead of Lincoln, Bosley, Sandhurst A and Felton B. In the final of this weight, Oxney and Felton Eccles fought it out. Oxney gave a good battling performance, but Felton Eccles maintained their composure to work their way to a well deserved 2 ends to 0 win. Photo - Whimple and Broadclyst TOWC
The day started with the 600 kilos event, which was pulled in two groups. Norton were the winners of group A, ahead of Oxney who finished as runners up, and Lincoln won group B with Felton Eccles finishing as group runners up. There was also some very close competition between the other teams in this weight class. Their were many notable performances from Tavistock, Widecombe, Gloucester and Somerset, Kennford, and 17 Port and Maritime Regiment who had to endure many three end pulls. The final was between Norton, and Lincoln, and it was a good performance by Norton who won strongly by 2 ends to 0 to win the 600 kilos event for their fourth successive week. Photo: Widecombe in the 600 kilos event
petiThe 680 kilos was the second weight of the day, and was again split into two large groups. Norton were the winners of group 1, beating Bosley into first place to make the final, with Felton Eccles winning the second group ahead of Forge Lane. The final was a good battle between Norton and Felton Eccles, with the first end running very close, with Norton having to battle very hard to take Felton over the line. Norton asserted a little more control on the second end to contain the early surge from Felton, and went on to take a hard fought two ends to nil win against Felton, which was applauded by all around the field. Photo: Host club Felton Eccles competing in the 600 kilos event. 
The 580 kilos event followed, which was split into two groups. Forge Lane pulled very strongly in their group to make the final ahead of Oxney Vines Cross, with both teams having a good tussle to see who would come out of the group to make the final. Bosley were the winners of group two, which was another competitive group, finishing ahead of Tavistock and Felton who were also both in contention to reach the final. In the final, Forge Lane had the upper hand from the drop on both ends to take a well earned win in the 580 kilos weight class. Photo: BAC competing in the 600 kilos event
The 640 kilos event followed, again split into two groups. At this stage of the day, given the very warm weather, and hard pulling already endured, some teams started to fatigue, but it did not stop Norton from progressing to their third final of the day ahead of Oxney, Sheen, Bosley, Kennford, Widecombe, and Sandhurst B, where they met Sandhurst A in the final, who overcame Lincoln in a good three end pull, BAC, Felton A, Tavistock, and Felton B. Norton again dominated the proceedings against Sandhurst in the final, by going on to win by 2 ends to 0, although Sanhurst will be pleased with their efforts having come through some hard pulling in the group with two youth pullers in their team. Photo: Tavistock competing in the 600 kilos event
The final weight of the day was the catchweight event. There was a smaller entry of teams in this weight so it was pulled as a straight group. Sheen and Felton had to battle it out first on, with Sheen going on to win by 2 ends to 0. Sheen went on to win the competition, with Felton finishing as runners up. Photo: Kennford, who have recently reformed, taking the strain in the 600 kilos event. 
The 2010 Midland Championships started with the mens catchweight event, run as a single group points competition. The event included a few young farmers teams, who acquitted themselves well to the competition, despite being up against more experienced clubs. The competition between most clubs was close, but not as close as the deciding pull between Felton and Sheen which went to three ends. Felton took the first end, but Sheen took the second in with a hard battled win. The third end was equally as close, and just as Felton looked to be getting themselves back into the pull, Sheen managed to moved Felton over the line to win the pull and the catchweight competition.
The second weight of the day was the 580 kilos competition, again run as a straigh points competition. The pulling was again tight, with Bosley and Hanging Bridge having a three end match firs on with Bosley beating Hanging Bridge by 2 ends to 1. There were many other close pulls, but it was Sandhurst who won the competition without losing an end, with Bosley finishing as runners up.
The 680 kilos competition was split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group 1 ahead of Bosley, Sandhurst, Hanging Bridge and Haye-on-Wye, With Felton Eccles finishing ahead of Lincoln, Sheen and Rushock in their group. Norton went into the final with a light team, but pulled a good tight rope throughout to hold off the challenge from Felton to win the competition by 2 ends to 0.
The 600 kilos event followed, and again was pulled as a straight group. Norton were again very strong and won the competition without losing an end. Bosley finished as worthy runners up, but there was some good pulling between all of the other teams - Haye-on-Wye, Hanging Bridge, Sheen, Lincoln, and Caradoc, with many of those pulls going to three ends. 
The final mens weight of the day was the 640 kilos which was split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group 1 ahead of Lincoln, Felton Eccles, and Sheen, with Bosley winning group 2 ahead of Hanging Bridge, Haye-on-Wye, Caradoc, and Rushock. Norton and Bosley met again for the third time in a deciding pull in the final, and despite a battling effort, Norton came through as winners once again to take their third win of the day.
There was again a well supported ladies and youth competition, with Leicester and Northants ACF (A, B and C), Glouscester and Somerset ACF (A and B), Sandhurst Youth, and Bedford all taking part. This competition also welcomed the Eire OG team from Ireland, who have become regular visitors to Daventry over the years. Photo: Leciester and Northants ACF Youth.
The 680 kilos was another good competition, split into two groups. The teams from Southminster, Colchester, and Market Rasen gave some excellent battling performances in this weight, but Norton went through to the final as winners of group 1, with Felton Eccles also coming out of a tough group to reach the final. Norton put on a strong performance in the final for a hard earned win by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Cornwall ACF Youth
The 580 kilos competition was another interesting weight class, with Hanging Bridge coming through as winners of their group ahead of Sandhurst A, Bosley, Lincoln, Oxney and 17 Port and Maritime Regiment. Forge Lane came through as worthy winners of group 2 by defeating Felton Eccles, BAC, Sandhurst B, and Team Army. Forge Lane put up a good fight against Hanging Bridge in the final, but Hanging Bridge just edged out Forge Lane to finish in first place. Photo: Forge Lane 
The final mens weight of the day was the 640 kilos weight class, split into two groups. Group 1 was won by Norton, who defeated Sandhurst A, Felton Eccles, Oxney, Team Army, and Forge Lane. Group 2 was won by Hanging Bridge, who came through a competitive group ahead of Bosley, BAC, Lincoln, Sandhurst B, and Colchester. The pulling in this group was particularly good, with Colchester defeating Sandhurst B and BAC, and also taking an end out of Bosley. The final saw Norton face Hanging Bridge, who threw everything at Norton, but Norton held off the challenge to take their third win of the day. Photo: 17 Port and Maritime Regiment
The ladies and youth weights were contested at 560 kilos and 520 kilos. The 560 kilos was the first weight, which provided some good exciting pulls. The ground was a little bit greasy on top at the start, resulting in a couple of endy pulls to start with. Gloucester and Somerset had a good pull with the Eire OG team first on, narrowly being defeated by 2 ends to 1, before Sandhurst youth went on to win by 2 ends to 1 against the Eire OG team. Sandhurst went on to win this weight without losing an end. Leicester and Northants ACF fielded three teams in this weight, fielding teams with a mix of both junior boys and girls pullers. Cornwall ACF also competed well, along with Bedford Ladies who had no other ladies teams to pull on the day. Photo: Hanging Bridge
The 520 kilos competition was later won by Sandhurst Youth, with Eire OG finsishing as worthy runners up ahead of Gloucester and Somerset ACF A. Photo: Colchester YFC
This week was the first competition of the Tug of War Association National League, which took place in Kempston, Bedford. The event was well supported with senior mens teams from Southminster, Triple F, Sheen, Norton, Felton Eccles, Sandhurst (A and B), Lincoln, Oxney Vines Cross, Wood Treatment Bosley, Gloucester and Somerset ACF, BAC, Hanging Bridge taking part. The ladies and youth competition also saw seven teams competing from Bedford, Sheen, Leicester and Northants ACF (A, B and C), Gloucester and Somerset ACF (A and B). The dry weather conditions meant that the ground was hard, and this factor, combined with the warm weather made the competition in all weight classes very competitive. Photo: Sheen Ladies in the Ladies and Youth 560 kilos
PhThe day started with the catchweight event, split into two groups. Norton won group one ahead of Felton Eccles, Bosley and Southminster, with Lincoln finishing as worthy winners of group two, finishing ahead of Sheen, Sandhurst A, Hanging Bridge, and Oxney Vines Cross. Lincoln and Norton met in the final as winners of their respective groups to decide who would finish first and second. Norton pulled strongly to take a 2 ends to 0 win over Lincoln. Photo: Bedford in the ladies and youth 560 kilos
The second weight of the day was the 600 kilos event, which was a good competitive weight class split into two groups. Sheen were the surprise package in this weight, winning their group ahead of Triple F, Felton Eccles, Bosley and Sandhurst B. BAC came through as winners of the second group ahead of Sandhurst A, Oxney Vines Cross, and Hanging Bridge, with whom BAC finished level on points. BAC and Hanging Bridge then had to pull again to decide who would go through to the final, and it was BAC who won through to meet Sheen. The extra pulling took its toll on BAC, and it was Sheen who came through to win the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Southminster in the catchweight event.
The 680 kilos was another points competition split into two groups. Norton were the winners of group one ahead of Oxney Vines Cross, Lincoln, Hanging Bridge and Sandhurst A. Felton Eccles won group two ahead of Bosley, Triple F, Sandhurst B and Sheen. Norton and Felton Eccles met in the final, with Felton giving an aggressive performance against Norton. Despite all their efforts, Norton kept their composure on both ends to take the win by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Felton Eccles in the catchweight event.
Alongside the mens 680 kilos competition, the ladies and youth 520 kilos competition took place. Like the Ladies 560 kilos competition earlier, the competition was again very very close, with some close pulling between all the teams. Bedford again were worthy winners, with Gloucester and Somerset ACF A finishing as runners up. Photo: Gloucester and Somerset ACF "A" team in the ladies and youth 560 kilos event.
The final weight of the day was the 640 kilos. This was again a points competition, split into two groups. Norton again pulled strongly to win their group ahead of Hanging Bridge, Bosley, Felton Eccles and Gloucester and Somerset ACF. Sandhurst A were the winners of group two ahead of Lincoln, BAC, Sandhurst B and Triple F. Norton were again a strong team in the 640, and went on to win the final by 2 ends to 0. Photo: Lincoln in the catchweight event
The competitions held on the day were all run as points competitions so all the teams got plenty of pulling. The ground cut up well, which made for good competitive pulling. The day started with the catchweight event, with Felton Eccles taking first place in this weight class, which they normally dominate at this time of year. Sheen took the runners up spot in their first outing since winning the gold medal at World Indoor Championships in February. Photo: Wood Treatment Bosley in the 600 kilos event
Following the catchweight competition, the 640 kilos competition took place. This again was run as a full group. Norton have again come back at the start of the season with a good level of fitness and won the competition without losing an end. Hanging Bridge were the worthy runners up, just finishing ahead of Bosley who finished third. Photo: Sandhurst TOWC competing in the 620 kilos event
After the 640 kilos competition, a memorial shield in memory of John was presented by his family to the winners of the 640 kilos event, and this award was received by Norton from Stuart Hollinshead who presented the award on behalf of the family. All of the pullers and spectators who attended the event then gave three cheers in tribute to John. Photo: Sturat Hollinshead (right), son of former Wood Treatment Bosley Coach John Hollinshead presenting Dave Calcutt (left)of Norton TOWC (640 kilos winners) with the John Hollinshead Memorial Shield 
The competition at the Guildford Easter Show in Surrey was held on Easter Monday. The recent wet weather had made the ground soft, but Monday remained dry and windy and the ground dried out as the day progressed. The surface was a bit slippery to start with, but as the ground broke up some decent holes soon developed, and the spectators were treated to some good pulling. The number of clubs taking part was down on last year, which is a shame because the Tug of War at this show is always popular with the spectators, and there were quite a few ‘old pullers’ in the crowd. Photo: BAC TOWC
The first weight was the Men’s 600 with BAC, Sandhurst A, Sandhurst B, Sandhurst Youth, Holland, Oxney A, Forge Lane and Bedford Ladies taking part in an eight team points competition. Sandhurst A won the weight, losing only one end to worthy runners up Forge Lane. Sandhurst Youth and Bedford Ladies took part in the Men’s 600 and, in accordance with the new rule, some of the men’s teams dropped pullers when they met these teams. Unfortunately one of the Bedford pullers sustained an injury near the end of this weight, and the team then withdrew from the competition. The injured puller was treated on the field by the St John Ambulance and we wish her a speedy recovery. Photo: Bedford Ladies TOWC
The first two days of the event were the open club competitions. There was little involvement by English clubs in this weight, although Raunds entered a team in the 640 kilos, and Kilroe entered a team in the 600 kilos. Neither team reached the semi finals, with both teams concentrating on representing England at the weekend. Abadino from the Basque region of Spain pulled very well to win the Open Competition at both 560 kilos and 600 kilos, with Bremore from Ireland winning the 640 kilos event, and Heidenskip from the Netherlands winning the 680 kilos event. Photo: Abadino in the Men 560
In the ladies open competition, the ladies teams from Chinese Taipei won both the ladies 500 kilos and ladies 540 kilos competitions. It was a different team to what we have seen dominate ladies indoor tug of war for the past 4 or 5 years, but this new team were technically just as good as their predecessors, and they won both finals against Basque team Badiotz. Photo - Chinese Taipei in the open 540 kilos
The closed competition started with the opening ceremony on the Friday evening, with pulling starting on Saturday with the mens 560 kilos competition. 10 countries fielded a team in this weight class, which turned out to be a very stern test for all teams taking part. England were represented by Norton in this weight, who progressed through the group finishing in first place, having lost one end to Scotland in the group. England progressed along with the Netherlands, Scotland, and 2008 winners Northern Ireland. With the quality of the teams in the last 4, the semi final draw would have a big impact on the final result. England were drawn against Scotland, with Northern Ireland apparently having the easier draw against the Netherlands. Northern Ireland progressed to the final, with a hard fought 2 ends to 1 win over the Netherlands, but all eyes were on the thrilling battle between England and Scotland. England eventually won by 2 ends to 1, however not before the final end was blown back to the middle twice after both teams received cautions for infringements. It really was a close semi-final which took a lot out of both teams. Photo - England 560 kilos team
There was a break before the final to allow the bronze medal pull off for both the mens 560 and the ladies 540 to take place, with Scotland taking a hard earned bronze medal by defeating the Netherlands by 2 ends to 1. The final came along with England looking to win the 560 kilos title last won in 2006. Northern Ireland made the better start, taking the first end. The second end saw England taking rope of the Northern Ireland team before both teams started picking up cautions. The second end was then blown back to the middle for a re-start, and both teams went to battle again. Again, England took rope, but both teams were picking up the cautions, and the second end was again blown back to the middle. The pull commenced again, and with both teams having to dig deep, England picked up the extra cautions which gave Northern Ireland a second 560 kilos world title. Despite the defeat, it was a great performance by England to compete like they did in the final after a tough semi-final against Scotland. Photo - England 560 team on the podium
England started the competition well, defeating Serbia, China and the Netherlands, before they met Scotland in the next round. England took both ends, although Scotland were no showing their hand at this point. England progressed to the semi finals along with Scotland, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Ireland, and were drawn against the Netherlands in the semi-final. England controlled this match well to make it to the final with a 2 ends to 0, where they again met Scotland. Photo: England 640 team celebrate winning gold
The final was very close, with Scotland taking 3 metres of rope from England before both teams hit the floor. Having received cautions, it was important for both teams to keep clean. England managed to come up off the floor quickest, and started to take Scotland back before Scotland received their third caution for sitting. The second end was an equally stern test for England, and went much the same as the first end, with England having to battle really hard to take Scotland over the line and secure the gold medal. England last won the 640 kilos title in 2002, and it was the first World Championship gold medal for a representative Sheen team since 1993. Photo - England 640 team on the podium
In the semi-finals, England were drawn against the Republic of Ireland, with Scotland being drawn against Northern Ireland. England quickly dispatched of Ireland by 2 ends to 0 in their semi final, with Scotland defeating a strong Northern Ireland team in their semi-final. Northern Ireland went on to secure the bronze medal against the Republic of Ireland. The final was another battle between England and Scotland. Both teams were strong, but Scotland got the upper hand on the first end after a slip from the England team. Scotland then went on to take the first end after England received three cautions. The second end was a much closer contest with both teams taking rope. Both teams then started to pick up the cautions, and with both teams on two cautions, they both hit the floor. The judge then awarded the pull to Scotland after giving England their third caution, which gave Scotland their first gold of the tournament. Photo - England 600 kilos squad
The ladies 500 kilos event was another small competition in comparison to recent indoor championships. Japan secured their second bronze medal of the tournament by defeating Switzerland, but there was a good final between Chinese Taipei and China, with both countries fielding strong teams. There was to be no repeat of the previous days final however as China went on to defeat Chinese Taipei by 2 ends to 0 to take a first ever TWIF World Championship tug of war gold medal for China. Photo - China Ladies Team
The final day of competition concluded with the mens 680 kilos competition, with England being represented by Raunds. Having had a good first half of the season, Raunds lost several pullers from their squad, and utilised pullers from Sheen to strengthen their squad for this weight. England made a good start, going one end each with the defending champions from the Netherlands. England also dropped ends to Scotland and Ireland, but beat all the other nations competing to earn a place in the semi finals, along with Scotland, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Photo - England 680 team