Fixtures 2025
Mick Copper to apply for a TOWA permit on 01933 622639. The cost of a permit is £20. The fixture list for each calendar year is finalised during the November of the previous year. If you wish for your event to be published in the TOWA fixture list, then please contact the TOWA secretary at the earliest opportunity who will look into accommodating your request. Ideally, if you are looking to hold a future event, it is best to provide a range of dates as to when your venue is available in order to allow us as far as possible to avoid any clashes with any other nearby fixtures..
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On 4-7 September 2025, England will be hosting the TWIF World Outdoor Tug of War Championships, which also includes the world junior and under 23 championships.
The event will be taking place at Nottingham University and we will be publishing more details about this event in the coming weeks and months.
The event will include an open club competition and all clubs from home and abroad are invited to take part in the open competition. Further details about how to participate will be published in due course, so make sure you put the event in your diaries and come along and take part. Spectators are encouraged to come along too.
In the meantime, you can follow the event on social media by searching for @tugofwar2025 on Facebook and Instagram - please give these pages a follow if you use social media. All other info about the event is available at www.tugofwar2025.com
There are no fixtures scheduled in January
British and Irish Indoor Championships
Sat 8 and Sun 9 February 2025
Geraint Thomas National Velodrome Of Wales, Newport International Sports Village, Velodrome Way, Newport, Wales NP19 4RB
Saturday 8 - Closed Competition
Sunday 9 - Open Club Competition
FWA Training League
For details on the FWA training league, contact Nick Major for further details on 01364 652984 or 07931 756321. The weigh in for each competition commences at 10.30am, and the first pull will commence at 11.00am
Sunday 2nd March - Monkton Wyld Lane, Monkton Wyld, Bridport, DT6 6DE - Weights - 600, 640, 680, ladies 580 and 600, mixed 620kg
Sunday 16th March - Keepers Cottage, Kentisbeare, Cullopton, Devon, TA22 9AZ - Weights - 600, 640, 680, ladies 580 and 600, mixed 620kg
Sunday 23rd March - Anstey YFC, Anchor Inn, Exebridge, Dulverton, Devon, TA22 9AZ - Weights - 600, 640, 680, ladies 580 and 600, mixed 620kg
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Sunday 23rd March - East Anglia TOWC Open Competition - New House Farm, Leading Roding, Essex, CM6 1RE - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 620, 640, 680, Catchweight - Ladies - 520, 540, 560 - Mixed - 600. For further details and to register your interest, email eastangliatow@gmail.com
bigknotty720@gmail.com to confirm your attendance and make sure you visit http://www.tugofwar.co.uk/under-23-tug-of-war to complete and return an application form too.Saturday 29 March - England Under 23 Women Training Day – 11am at Melton Mowbray Ladies training ground, Grange Farm, Main Street, Freeby, near Melton Mowbray, Leciestershire, LE14 2RY - Contact Dave Kitchener on 01234 378825 or Email:
Kitchenerdavid56@gmail.com to confirm your attendance and make sure you visit http://www.tugofwar.co.uk/under-23-tug-of-war to complete and return an application form too. Sunday 6th - Bosley TOWC Open Competition - Cauldon Lowe Village Hall, Ashbourne Road, Cauldon Lowe, Staffordshire, ST10 3EX - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 600, 640, 680, Catchweight, Mixed 580 4+4 - Ladies and Youth - 520kg, 540kg, and 560kg - Junior - GENSB Rules Competition - YFC Competition - men 8 a side catchweight and ladies 6 a side catchweight - Contact Alan Knott for further details on 07976 591222
Sunday 6th - FWA Training League - Offwell Village Hall, Devon, EX14 9SB - Weigh In - 10.30am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - 600, 640, 680, ladies 580 and 600, mixed 620kg - contact Nick Major for further details on 01364 652984 or 07931 756321.
Sunday 13th - East of England Championships - Kempston Hammer Sports Club, Kempston, Bedford MK42 7BN - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 600, 640, 680, Catchweight, Ladies and Youth - 520kg, 540kg and 560kg - Mixed - 580 - Contact Dave Kitchener for further information on 01234 378825 - NATIONAL LEAGUE 1.
Sunday 20th - Lincoln TOWC - Harby Village Hall, School Lane, Harby, Nr. Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 4BZ - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 600, 640, 680, Catchweight, Ladies and Youth - 520, 540 and 560 - Mixed - 580kg - Contact Tim Lee for further details on 07774 734674
Sunday 27th - Melton Mowbray Ladies TOWC - Rotherby Lodge, Gaddesby Lane, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2LL - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 600, 640, 680, Catchweight - Ladies and Youth - 520, 540, 560 - mixed - 600 - Contact Olivia Parry for further information - email meltonmowbrayladiestow@gmail.com - NATIONAL LEAGUE 2 (please note that no dogs are allowed at this venue)
Pete Dyer for further details on 01934 823462.Free entry tickets to the show must be obtained from Pete Dyer at least 2 weeks prior to the date of the show.
Nick Major for further details on 01364 652984 or 07931 756321. Nick Major for further details and entry tickets on 01364 652984 or 07931 756321. Please make contact for entry tickets as early as possible.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sat 21st - NATIONAL OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Capel Village Hall, Falmouth Place, Five Oak Green, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6RD
Registration Cards Required
Weigh In - Friday 20th June - 3.30pm - 7.30pm at Capel Group, Bassetts Farm, Hastings Rd, Matfield, TN12 7HE
Stamping - Saturday 21st June - from 7.30am
First Pull - 09.30am
Weights (in pulling order) - please note that the pulling order for the mens competition and the mixed was changed at the 2023 AGM. All weights to be pulled under TWIF rules, with the option for the 720kg and catchweight to be run on a knock-out basis if time is running short to towards the end of the day.
| * | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Senior Men | 560kg* | 640kg* | 600kg* | 680kg* | 720kg | Catchweight | |
| Senior Ladies | 500kg* | 540kg* | 520kg* | 560kg* | |||
| Senior Mixed | 580kg* | ||||||
| Junior Men | 560kg* | ||||||
| Junior Ladies | 520kg* | 480kg* | |||||
| Junior Mixed | 560kg* |
ALL Registered Clubs are eligible to compete at the National Championships, as long as all pullers are registered with your club by 21 May 2025. There are no pre-qualification events. It is only teams who wish to be eligible to represent England that are required to attend a specified number of events prior to the championships.
* denotes weight categories that are representative weights at the World Outdoor Championships and World Junior Championships and British and Irish Outdoor Championships. To be eligible to be invited to represent England, teams must have competed in a least 6 outdoor permitted tug of war competitions from the fixtures listed above. Junior teams must have also competed in junior weight classes at 4 competitions to be eligible to be invited to represent England.
If in doubt check with your Area Rep or other member of the General Committee.
Please note that for your attendance at a permitted competition to count towards the England qualifying/selection criteria, competing at an event means weighing in, having your team stamped by a judge, fully completing the entry sheet, and paying the entry fee prior to the start of the competition in at least one weight class borrowing a maximum of 2 pullers from other clubs. The other participating members of your team must be registered pullers for your club. For clarification, you may enter a weight class with 7 pullers in a TOWA open competition (as allowed by the rules) and borrow two pullers, so the minimum number of registered pullers from your club that attend in order to qualify is 5. If competing in a weight class with 8 members, then the minimum number of registered pullers required to qualify is 6.
Please note otherwise, that competing at the TOWA national championships is open to any club registered to the Tug of War Association, and there is no set number of events that teams have to attend to qualify to compete. The qualifying criteria referred to above only applies to those teams wishing to qualify to represent England.
Otherwise, please refer to rule 2.3 of the TOWA rules contained within the TOWA Handbook regarding eligibility to compete at the TOWA National Championships and eligibility to represent England.
Contact the Championships Secretary Mick Grimston for further details on 01205 369753.
For further details about how to enter the championships, please visit the National Championships 2025 page of this web site.
Sun 6th - Bedford Ladies Open Competition - Kempston Hammer Sports Club, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7BN - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 600, 640, 680, catchweight - Ladies and Youth - 500, 520, 540 and 560 - Mixed - 580kg - Contact Emma Stone for further details on 07904 899622 - NATIONAL LEAGUE 5 - MANDATED EVENT FOR TEAMS REPRESENTING ENGLAND.
Sun 13th - Area 7 Championships - Memorial Ground, Yorktown Road, Sandhurst, Berkshire, GU47 9BJ - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 600, 640, 680, catchweight - Ladies and Youth - 500, 520, 540 and 560 - Mixed - 580kg - Contact Emma Stone for further details on 07904 899622 - NATIONAL LEAGUE 6 - MANDATED EVENT FOR TEAMS REPRESENTING ENGLAND.
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Sun 20th - Inter County Championships and South West Area Open Competition
Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am
INTER COUNTY COMPETITION:
Men 640kg and Men 680kg
OPEN COMPETITION
(no registration cards required - open weights open to ALL teams):
Mens - 600, 640, 680
Ladies / Youth - 520, 540, 560
Mixed 4x4 - 580kg
Inter County Rules
- Every member of the team has been a member of the Club from the start of the current season on the day of the Competition, or has a birth or residential qualification for the county concerned.
- A team may borrow a maximum of two pullers (including any substitute) which must be declared at the scales. the borrowed pullers must be registered with their own club.
- No member of the team has competed in the County Championships, or represented another County, in the nine months immediately prior to the day of the competition.
- Each county may enter up to 2 teams in each weight class
- Teams entering the Men’s weight classes be able to weigh in and participate with up to two female pullers (as long as those pullers are registered with the relevant club in the usual way or eligible to participate for the relevant county by birth or residential qualification
Contact Cath Gibbs for further details on 07789 202771
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TBC - BRITISH AND IRISH OUTDOOR TUG OF WAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Northern Ireland
TBC - Evening weigh in (further details to be confirmed)
TBC - International Competition- Men - 600 and 680 - Ladies - 520 and 560 - Mixed 4+4 580 – Junior Men - 560 kilos – Junior Ladies 520kg - Junior Mixed 540
TBC - Open Club Competition - open to any club - weights to be confirmed
Sat 2nd - NFYFC National Tug of War Finals - Tenbury Agricultural Show, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, WR15 8AR - Weigh In - 9am - First Pull - 11.30 - Weights - Junior GENSB, Men 680, Ladies 560 - Closed competition for YFC qualifying teams only who have won their previous county and area finals as per NFYFC Competition Rules.
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SUNDAY 3 AUGUST - TUG OF WAR ASSOCIATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT DAY
The Tug of War Association will be holding a tug of war training and development day on Sunday 3 August - Venue TBC
The event is open to ALL teams, pullers and coaches from all levels and abilities in England, members and non-members, military/services/regimental teams, cadet teams, and young farmers teams, etc. (men, ladies, under 23s and juniors/GENSB) as well as new teams and anyone looking to get into coaching. The event is also an ideal opportunity for those YFC teams preparing for the national finals at Tenbury Show in August, any teams just starting out ready for 2024 and for military teams preparing for the Braemar Games in September, etc.
Attendance at the training and development day is free of charge.
You don’t have to have a full team available to attend so all teams are encouraged to send available personnel along. Everyone will get plenty of training, so come along, even if you are just a small group or an individual.
Those taking part in the training day will be required to come along with tug of war kit, however please note that for those teams that wish to use the training rig, rubber sole leather boots will be required as the hard sole plastic boots will not be permitted for use on the training slats.
The objectives for the day are as follows –
1. To enable all coaches and pullers to understand a little more about Anti-Doping and how it does, and can affect them. More information on the Forthcoming World Championships
2. To enable representing teams to strengthen and/or try different combinations for the British and Irish and World Championships.
3. To enable all teams to gain knowledge and advice from experienced coaches and pullers
Teams preferred the more structured approach we had last year, having it based around a competition format, so we will repeat that this year. We will have 3 men’s weight classes of 600, 640 and 680, three ladies weight classes of 520, 540 and 560, Mixed 580, and Junior men 560, Junior Ladies 480 and Junior mixed 520.
Teams will weigh in, however, to enable the representing teams to try different line-ups there will be no limit on the number of substitutions as long as the nominal team weight is maintained to be fair to all teams and enable them to understand ‘where they are’ in terms of performance.
The day will be what you make it and we therefore ask that all pullers and coaches treat this event as an opportunity to improve our sport and cooperate and help wherever possible.
For representing teams it is an opportunity to try different pullers and different line ups and we hope that all pullers and coaches will cooperate with this initiative to make it a worthwhile event and get what you need from it
We will plan to finish between 4.30 and 5pm
Changing rooms and showers will be available.
AGENDA
The agenda below is the agenda followed in 2024 and is provided below as a guide and may be subject to change/adaptation.
9:30 Teams/pullers arrive
9.30 – 10.30 – Weigh-in
10.40 - Introductions and briefing by the Chairman in the clubhouse.
10.45 – Anti-Doping briefing for all in the clubhouse.
11.10 – World Championship update
11.20 – Teams make their way to the training ground, locations as given in the briefing.
Men’s and Ladies competitions will run independently.
Draws will be done to give structure and will be manged locally, no results will be recorded.
Pulling order will be;
Start 11.30
Men’s
600
640
680
Ladies
520
540
560.
Mx 580 on completion of the above Men’s & Ladies weights.
Juniors
JM 560 & JL480 training and competition
JMx 520
Finish estimated 16.30
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In order to give us an idea of numbers attending so that we can finalise the arrangements and equipment needed for the day, please contact Martin Collins on 07974 918675 or email martinleecollins@hotmail.co.uk with an indication of numbers that are likely to be attending.
Junior pullers – please contact Martin Collins on 07974 918675, or email: martinleecollins@hotmail.co.uk
Under 23 ladies pullers – please contact Dave Kitchener on 01234 378825 or email: Kitchenerdavid56@gmail.com
Under 23 male pullers – please contact Dave Knott on 07779852610 or email: bigknotty720@gmail.com
We hope to see lots of people attending this event!
Mandated Event for teams Representing England
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9 - 11 August - 2025 World Games
Chengdu, China
Good Luck to Great Britain in the mens 640kg and womens 500kg competition at this event. Great Britain Men will be represented by Lincoln, and Great Britain Women will be represented by Melton Mowbray Ladies.
The World Games 2025 Chengdu - 12th edition of The World Games - Official Website
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Sun 17 - FWA Championships - Devon - Further details TBC - NATIONAL LEAGUE 7
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Sun 24th - NATIONAL LEAGUE FINALS - Great Cressingham Village Hall, 2 Watton Road, Great Cressingham, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6NQ - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am - Weights - Men - 600, 640, 680 - Ladies/Youth - 560 and 600 - Mixed 600 - Mixed - 580 - Contact the Championships Secretary Mick Grimston for further details on 01205 369753.
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Saturday 30th August - GENSB Youth International Tournament
Heino, Netherlands
560 kilos GENSB Rules Competition for junior tug of war teams - open to junior boys and girls aged between 12 and 18 inclusive. All teams eligible to take part and there are no pre-qualification events.
Visit www.gensb.eu for details on competition rules and to book accommodation and complete your entry forms.
Registrations to take part in this event should be completed by the date stipulated on the GENSB web site
Thursday 4th September - Sunday 7th September 2025
2025 WORLD OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
University of Nottingham, England
Weigh In - Wednesday 3rd September (individual weigh in). Timings to be confirmed
Thursday 4th - TWIF Open Club Competition
Morning - Men 600kg, Junior Women 480kg, Junior Men 560kg -
Afternoon - Men 680kg, Women 500kg, U23 Mixed 560kg
Friday 5th - TWIF Open Club Competition
Morning - Men 560kg, Senior Mixed 580kg, Junior Mixed 520kg -
Afternoon - Men 640kg, Women 540kg, U23 Men 600kg, U23 Women 500kg
Saturday 6th - World Championships
Morning - Men 600kg, Junior Women 480kg, Junior Men 560kg -
Afternoon - Men 680kg, Women 500kg, U23 Mixed 560kg
Sunday 7th - World Championships
Morning - Men 560kg, Senior Mixed 580kg, Junior Mixed 520kg -
Afternoon - Men 640kg, Women 540kg, U23 Men 600kg, U23 Women 500kg
Follow @tugofwar2025 on Facebook and Instagram!
To book accommodation and register for the event and for all other details and information, visit www.tugofwar2025.com
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Tuesday 9th September - Widecombe Fair, Widecombe-on-the-Moor, Devon - Weigh In - 6.30pm - First Pull - 7pm - Weights - Men - Catchweight - Ladies - Catchweight - Mixed - Contact Nick Major for further details on 01364 652984 or 07931 756321
Event open to all teams and any individual pullers who want to go along and pull with other clubs for the weekend. Kessingland Beach, Nr Lowestoft, Suffolk
Weigh In on each day 10.00, First Pull on each day 11.00
weights
Saturday - 600, 640, 680, 600 4+4
Sunday - 620, 660, 720, 580 4+4
Accommodation
Park Resorts -
http://www.park-resorts.com/holiday-parks/east-anglia/kessingland-beachContact Dave Kitchener for further information on 01234 378825
INDOOR TUG OF WAR
The indoor season is run as a league. Annual team trophies (donated by Len Hall) are awarded for each weight class at the final indoor competition before the national championships for the teams that have accumulated the most points over the course of the season in each weight class.
PLEASE NOTE - All teams are required to notify the Hon General Secretary Mick Copper of their intention to attend each competition in advance so that the sports hall can be booked for the appropriate length of time.
Sun 26th October - Bakewell Showground, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ - Weights - Men 600, 620, 640, 680, catchweight, Ladies and youth 520 and 560 - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am
Sun 2nd November - Bakewell Showground, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ - Weights - Men 600, 620, 640, 680, catchweight, 6 a side weight class, Ladies and youth 520 and 560 - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am
Sun 9th November - AAA's Indoor Championships
Bakewell Showground, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ
Weights
Closed - Men - 640 and Catchweight - Ladies and Youth - 520
Open - Men 600, 620 680, Ladies and youth 520 and 560
Registration cards required for closed weights. No registration cards required for open weights
Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am
Sun 16th November - Bakewell Showground, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ - Weights - Men 580, 600, 640, 680, Catchweight, 6 a side weight class, Ladies and youth - 520 and 560 - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am
Sun 23rd November - Bakewell Showground, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ - Weights - Men 580, 600, 640, 680, Catchweight, 6 a side weight class, Ladies and youth - 520 and 560 - Weigh In - 10am - First Pull - 11am
Sat 6th - National Indoor Championships
Bakewell Showground, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AQ
Weigh In – Friday 5th December – further details to be confirmed
Registration cards required
Saturday morning – stamping of teams – further details to be confirmed
First Pull 10am
Weights (in pulling order)
Men – Catchweight, 640*, 560*, 720, 600* and 680* (please note that the pulling order for the indoor championships reverted back to the original pulling order by rule change at the January 2016 AGM)
Ladies 520* and 560*
Mixed 580 4+4*
Youth and Under 23
* denotes weight categories that are representative weights at the British and Irish indoor Championships. Winners of those weights may be invited to represent England. To be eligible to be invited to represent England, senior teams must have competed in at least 5 indoor tug of war competitions (excluding the national championships) from the fixtures listed above. Please note that for your attendance at a permitted competition to count towards the England qualifying/selection criteria, competing at an event means weighing in, having your team stamped by a judge, fully completing the entry sheet, and paying the entry fee prior to the start of the competition in at least one weight class borrowing a maximum of 2 pullers from other clubs. The other participating members of your team must be registered pullers for your club. For clarification, you may enter a weight class with 7 pullers in a TOWA open competition (as allowed by the rules) and borrow two pullers, so the minimum number of registered pullers from your club that attend in order to qualify is 5. If competing in a weight class with 8 members, then the minimum number of registered pullers required to qualify is 6.
As per the ruling voted in at the 2018 AGM, there will be a 6 a side weight class held at each indoor event (open competitions only). The nominated weight classes will be 510kg and 480kg. Teams may weigh into these weight classes with 6 pullers or 5 pullers. This weight class will not count towards the criteria for qualifying to represent England. If teams attend an indoor event with 5 pullers to compete in the 6 a side weight class, and wish for the event to count towards the qualification criteria for representing England, then they may borrow two pullers to compete in an 8 a side weight class with 7 pullers as a maximum of two pullers may be borrowed to be eligible to meet the criteria, as set out in the paragraph above.
Please note otherwise, that competing at the TOWA national championships is open to any club registered to the Tug of War Association, and there is no set number of events that teams have to attend to qualify to compete. The qualifying criteria referred to above only applies to those teams wishing to qualify to represent England.
Otherwise, please refer to rule 2.3 of the TOWA rules contained within the TOWA Handbook regarding eligibility to compete at the TOWA National Championships and eligibility to represent England.
Contact the Championships Secretary Mick Grimston for entry forms and further details on 01205 369753.
