National News
Click on the tabs below for news and results from competitions taking place throughout the season, as well as other news items from the TOWA!
2023 National Championships - Saturday 17 June - Live Streaming
The 2023 National Outdoor Tug of War Championships will be streamed live on YouTube on Saturday 17 June with competitions starting at 09.30am and running through the day.
Programme of Events:
- Men 560kg and Ladies 500kg
- Men 640kg and Ladies 540kg
- Men 600kg and Ladies 520kg
- Men 680kg and Ladies 560kg
- Mixed 580kg
- Men 720kg
- Men Catchweight (no weight limit)
There will also be a junior mixed 520kg and a junior GENSB rules competition. Timings will be confirmed closer to the time (and we will update the above schedule accordingly). The YouTube stream is available below or can be viewed directly on YouTube at 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT7n9m_o0dw
Click here for the results of the 2023 National Indoor Tug of War Championships held in Bakewell on Saturday 2 December.
Click here for the results of the 2023 AAA Indoor Tug of War Championships
Click here for the results of the first three indoor tug of war competitions of the 2023 indoor tug of war season, which have all been held in Bakewell.
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of former Felton Eccles Coach and Sandhurst puller, Kirk Scott.
The funeral will take place at Easthampstead Park Crematorium South Road, Bracknell, Wokingham RG40 3DW on Thursday 23rd November 2023 at 2:30pm.
You can read a short tribute to Kirk by clicking here.
The Tug of War Association is in the process of putting together the fixture list for the 2024 Season.
If your club / area / show / event / young farmers club, etc. wishes to hold an event during 2024, then please contact the TOWA Secretary with details of your venue, proposed dates, etc.
Please click here for details about minimum standards expected for events as well as an application form to submit your event.
Please ensure that you apply for a date before 18 November 2023
Click here for the results of the 2023 GENSB international junior tug of war tournament held in Germany from an England perspective.
England will be hosting this event at Keele University in Staffordshire on 24 August 2024 - watch this space for further info!
Click here for the results of the British and Irish Championships held in Scotland
Click here for the results of the 2023 National League
Click here for the results of the South West Open Tug of War Competition held in Wrington, Bristol on Sunday 16 July.
Click here for the results of the 2023 Inter County Tug of War Championships held in Sandhurst, Berkshire on Sunday 9 July.
Click here for the results of the 2023 mixed national tug of war championships held in Bridlington on Saturday 17 June.
Click here for the results of the 2023 mens national tug of war championships held in Bridlington on Saturday 17 June.
Click here for the results of the 2023 ladies national tug of war championships held in Bridlington on Saturday 17 June.
Click here for the results of the national junior tug of war championships held in Bridlington on Saturday 17 June
Click here for the results of the Midland Open Championships
Click here for the results of Felton Eccles' annual open competition.
Click here for the results from Melton Mowbray Ladies Annual Open Competition
Click here for our tribute to Mr Peter Craft, who has sadly passed away.
Click here for the results of Lincoln TOWCs annual open competition.
The TOWA Secretary has recently sent puller registration forms to all club secretaries for the 2023 outdoor tug of war season. Puller registrations must be completed in advance of TOWA Championships, and must be submitted along with the puller registration fees, which are £10 per puller. There is no registration fee for junior pullers (aged 18 and under).
The deadline to register your pullers are as follows:
- AAA Championships - puller registration deadline - Friday 28th April
- National Outdoor Championships - puller registration deadline - Wednesday 17 May
Account Number: 37013963
Bank Sort Code: 54-30-27
Please note the information below regarding some changes to upcoming fixtures:
There has been a change of venue for the Melton Mowbray Ladies Open competition on Sunday 23rd April. The venue will now be as follows:
Fernleys Ice Cream
Brickfield Farm
Whissendine Road
Leesthorpe
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire,
LE14 2XJ
Other competition details remain as advertised.
Upper Eden TOWC have decided to cancel their Kendal Saturday night competition on the 29th of April due to clashing with the YFC AGM.
Oxney Vines Cross have amended the weight classes for their open competition on Sunday 30th April. The weight classes will be as follows
Mens 600K, 640K and 680. There will be no catchweight competition as previously advertised.
Ladies & Youth 520K, 540K and 560K (no weight entry money will be charged for 540K and 560K)
Mixed 4 x 4 600K
£8 per team per weight class.
Venue details and weigh in and start times remain as previously advertised.
The organisers ask that those teams intended to attend this event to please confirm attendance in advance of the event.
Click here for the results of the East of England Open Championships
Click here for the result of Bosley Tug of War Clubs annual open competition.
Click here for the results of the 2023 Far Western Area Training League
Click here for a report from the England Junior Teams recent tour of South Africa in Memory of Tom Allan
Click here for the results from the first competition of the 2023 FWA Training League event held in Offwell, Devon.
Results and photos in the report courtesy of Nick Major
Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of Sandhurst Tug of War Club member Reg Keeling.
Reg started training with Sandhurst Tug of War Club as a 16 year old with his brothers Tony and Barry in 1979.
Within the next few years he progressed to being a regular in the main team, winning his first international medal at The European open 560kg competition in Folkestone.
For 40 years Reg was an integral part of Sandhurst Tug of War club, going on to represent England on numerous occasions.
Reg was a club man through and through and he and his whole family supported the club for many years.
The family have shared details of Reg’s funeral and would love for anyone who knew him to join the family in saying a final farewell.
The funeral is at 1.30 pm on Tuesday 14th March at:
Easthampstead Park.
Braccan Chapel
South Road
Bracknell
RG40 3DW
http://www.tugofwar.co.uk/under-23-tug-of-war. 
www.tugofwar.co.uk/fixtures to see the indoor and outdoor tug of war fixtures that are planned to take place throughout the season. Most events are "open" competitions and all teams are welcome and encouraged to go along and support these events. Supporters are very much encouraged to go along and support the teams at these events as well.
At the Tug of War Association AGM held recently, Awards of Merit were announced and presented to the recipients. Those people receiving awards were Steve Bowler, Mick Copper and Clem Sorrell. The Award of Merit is the highest honour of the Tug of War Association and is only awarded for long and distinguished service to tug of war. In addition, the TOWA has introduced a new award – an “outstanding achievement” award to be presented to people who had made an outstanding contribution to the sport over the previous 12 months. The first recipient of this award is Joe Birch.
Click here to read more about these nominations and awards.
Gavin Corden) by email to gavin.corden@btinternet.com by 28 February then we can look at arranging some dates for online timekeeper/recorders courses.A documentary about tug of war was recently shown in Northern Ireland, and follows the Garvagh club through the summer of 2022 in their build up to the Northern Ireland Championships. This documentary is 30 minutes long and is currently available to view by anyone elsewhere in the UK on the BBC iplayer. A link to the programme is provided below:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0dmmhn7/true-north-series-14-pull
The Tug of War Association is sad to learn of the passing of the following former pullers:
Ray Creamer
Ray passed away on 11 December and was a puller with the very successful Beech Hill Blues tug of war team from Luton during the 1970's and 1980's.
The funeral is taking place at St. Patrick’s Church, Mohill, Ireland on Tuesday morning, 3rd January 2023 for Funeral Mass at 12 noon followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Ray's Funeral Mass will be live streamed on www.churchtv.ie/mohill
Michael (Mick) Cafferkey
Mick was the driving force and heartbeat of Croydon tug of war club for many, many years and oversaw the most successful period the club ever had, in the late eighties and early nineties, which culminated with a national outdoor 680kg title and a silver medal at the World Championships. He was an immensely proud Mayo man, from Ballycroy, Ireland, and as gentle a man off the rope as he was powerful on it. He is remembered fondly by all that knew him at Croydon Tug of War for his humour and decency.
Dave Dawson
Dave pulled for Lincoln TOWC in the mid to late eighties. Dave was in the squad that travelled to South Africa and he pulled in numerous events in Europe. Dave started his tug of war career at Algarkirk and went on to pull for Lincoln.
The funeral will take place at Surfleet Crematorium, Gosberton Road, Surfleet, nr Spalding, Lincolnshire on the 30th December at 1 pm. There will be a wake afterwards at the Black Bull, London Road, Kirton, Lincolnshire, PE20 1JE
Our thoughts are with all of the families, friends and team mates of these men at this sad time.
The Tug of War Association will be running a Judges Course on the weekend of 18-19 February 2023 at Staffordshire County Showground in conjunction with the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.
Further details on applying for the course for TOWA members will be provided in due course, however if you are a past and present puller/coach with a Young Farmers Club and are interested in becoming a judge to help officiate at the many YFC Tug of War Competitions that take place around the country, then please apply for your place via the NFYC web site using this link - https://www.nfyfc.org.uk/NFYFCnews/national_news?articleid=13088. The closing date for YFC members to apply for the judges course is Thursday 14 January 2023. Please note that the NFYC web site should only be used to apply for the course for YFC members.
If you are a TOWA Member or a former puller with a TOWA club and wish to take part in a judges course, then please notify the TOWA officials and records secretary Gavin Corden with an email expressing your interest - gavin.corden@btinternet.com.
Likewise, the TOWA will also be looking to arrange a timekeeper/recorders course and a coaches course. Again, if you are interested in a recorders course or coaches course, then please email Gavin Corden to express your interest - gavin.corden@btinternet.com
Please pass the details on to anyone you know who you think may be a suitable candidate and would be interested in judges, coaches or recorders courses.
Click here for the results of the 2022 National Indoor Tug of War Championships held in Bakewell on Saturday 3 December.
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of Ellenor (“Nell”) Miller recently at the age of 96.
Nell became the first ever female judge within the Tug of War Association during the 1970’s, judging at many events in her own area in the North East as well as at national tug of war competitions, including the TOWA National Championships, travelling around the country and judging with her husband John.
Our thoughts are with the Miller family and their friends at this sad time.
You can download and read the latest TWIF Magazine, which includes some pictures, articles and results from the 2022 World Outdoor Tug of War Championships via the link below.
Open Competition Results Summary
http://www.tugofwar.co.uk/join-the-towaCatchweight - Winners - Sheen - Runners Up - Uppertown
620kg - Winners - Bosley - Runners Up - Uppertown
600kg - Winners - Bosley - Runners Up - Sheen A
The first indoor competition of 2022 took place in Bakewell on Sunday 30 October, with Uppertown, Sheen (A and B) Kilroe and Bosley taking part. Even though the number of teams taking part on the indoor circuit is lower than on the outdoor, it was great to see lots of new faces taking part on the indoor circuit for the first time. There was some good hard fought ends with the final results as follows:
Catchweight - winners - Sheen - runners up - Kilroe
620 - winners - Uppertown - runners up - Bosley
680 - winners - Sheen A - runners up - Sheen B
600 - winners - Uppertown - runners up - Sheen
640 - winners - Kilroe - runners up - Bosley
Officials on the day were Gavin Corden, Pete Dyer, Mick Scull, Wendy Dyer and Rachel Lewis.
See you all at Bakewell for the second indoor competition of the season on Sunday 6 November!
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the devastating news about one of our junior pullers, Tom Allan, who tragically died recently. Tom played a successful part of the England Junior Team at the recent World Championships, winning a bronze medal in the junior mixed competition. Our thoughts are with Tom's family, friends and team mates at this very sad time. Rest in peace Tom.
As a mark of respect and to honour Tom's memory in Tug of War, Tom's parents would love any pullers attending the funeral to come wearing England TOW pulling shirts, black trousers/skirt and smart shoes.
A tribute to Tom by the England Junior Team Manager, Joe Birch can be read below:
The results from the 2022 World Outdoor Tug of War Championships can be found on our international news page
Click here for the results of the 2022 National League!
Congratulations to Tony and Sue Martin who have recently received the freedom of the City of London. Please click here to read more.
Click the link below to download the TWIF Monthly Focus which covers the recent World Games held in Alabama, USA where Great Britain won gold and silver medals.
We wish all of our teams the very best of luck and to those representing England for the first time, we hope you enjoy the experience and learn a lot from this event!
Click here for the results of the 2022 Inter County Tug of War Championships held at the Cheshire Game and Angling Fair.
The Team GB tug of war team made history at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA by winning the mixed weight class which was staged at the World Games for the very first time!
Click here for a full report from the event covering the mens 640kg, ladies 540kg and mixed 580kg!
Image credit Dawson Martin / Dustin Massey Studios for the World Games 2022
This week, The World Games is taking place in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. This event is held every year for IOC recognised sports that are not yet on the Olympic Programme, and tug of war is one such sport.
Tug of war has been on every World Games programme and features the top 6 countries in each weight category. Great Britain will be represented in all three weight classes (Men 640kg, ladies 540g and mixed 580kg) and will be represented by Lincoln and Bedford. We wish our teams the very best of luck.
The competitions take place on Thursday 14, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 July – the schedule events and links for the live streaming are available by clicking here. Please share the info with all of your friends and supporters!
Click here for a report from the 2022 National Outdoor Tug of War Championships hjeld in Bedford over the weekend.
It was a really exciting competition, and all of the teams treated us to a great day of sport.
Links to the recorded live streaming are also available within this article. The streaming is behind a 99p paywall, but is worth a watch if you want to look back at how your teams did or if you were unable to get to the championships on the day!
We will this year be streaming the National Tug of War Championships via Facebook!
This will be pay per view charged at 99p per viewer.
There will be two streams on the day given that there is a time limit for live streaming of 8 hours.
Part 1 of the National Tug of War Championships will include the first group of weight classes, with competitions scheduled to start at 9.30am GMT.
The part 1 stream will include the following weight classes:
- Men 640kg, 560kg, 720kg
- Ladies 500kg, 540kg and 520kg
The link to the part 1 stream is accessible by clicking here
The part 2 stream will follow (from approx. 1pm, although this could start a little later) and will include the following weight classes:
- Men 600kg and 680kg
- Ladies 560kg
- Mixed 580kg
The link to the part 2 stream is accessible by clicking here
Each stream will be subject to a separate 99p charge but once you have paid to access the stream you will be able to dip in and dip out or re-join if you lose connection. Payment of the streaming fee can be made using a credit or debit card. Payments can be made in advance of the event so you can access the stream straight away when it is available.
Once the streaming is completed, it will remain online and available on Facebook to anyone who has paid for the stream to watch it back again.
Please share this information around to your friends and supporters who can't attend the event in person so that they can log on and support you online on the day!
Click here for the results from the open competitions held at Otley Show in Yorkshire and Cressage in Shropshire over the weekend
Click here for the results from the open competition held in Daventry over the weekend.
Click here for the results of the 2022 AAA Outdoor Championships and the Midland Area Open Championships held in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Click here to read about a very successful open international tug of war tournament hosted by Felton Eccles TOWC to celebrate their 75th anniversary.
Well done to all of the clubs and officials from home and abroad who took part in the event, and a big well done to the organisers for staging a great event!
Click here for the results of three outdoor tug of war events which took place on 23 and 24 April hosted by Upper Eden, Melton Mowbray Ladies and Oxney Vines Cross
Click here for the results of Lincoln TOWC annual open competition held on Easter Sunday.
Click here for the results and photos from the East of England Championships held in Kempston, Bedford over the weekend.
Click here for the results from Bosley's annual open tug of war competition held in Cheshire over the weekend.
The latest TWIF newsletter can be downloaded and read by clicking the link below.
Click here for the results from the third round of the Dorset Training League.
Results and photos courtesy of Nick Major.
The TOWA has now published an updated anti-doping policy
The Anti-doping policy is available to view by clicking here.
This weekend, the second outdoor tug of war competition of the 2022 season took place at the Dorset Training League.
Click here for the results from the event (results and photos courtesy of Nick Major)
This weekend, the first outdoor tug of war competition of the 2022 season took place at the Dorset Training League.
Click here for the results from the event (results and photos courtesy of Nick Major)
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the sudden passing of TOWA judge and former Telford, St Pats, Raunds, Congleton and Bosley puller Tony Henshaw.
The Tug of War Association is sad to announce the passing of Tony Mitchell on Friday 14th January 2022. Tony pulled anchor for the successful West Pinchbeck side in the 1970’s.
As a birthday treat Tony and family travelled to Finchingfield, Essex for the National League Finals in August 2021.
His granddaughter Toni has written her personal thanks to all those at the event.
“We thank you, and the others that we met in August, for making him feel so special and allowing him to share his memories of the sport he loves to dearly. He has said ever since that it was the best birthday he has ever had and always spoke of it fondly since that day”.
Our thoughts are with Tony’s family and friends at this sad time.
Please see below the communication from TWIF confirming the cancellation of the 2022 World Indoor Tug of War Championships due to be held in the Netherlands.
The 2022 Prohibited List published by WADA is now in force.
Please make sure you check any medication or supplements for banned substances before taking them.
https://www.ukad.org.uk/athletes/whats-banned-sport-prohibited-listhttps://www.ukad.org.uk/athletes/100-mehttps://www.ukad.org.uk/checking-medicationshttps://www.ukad.org.uk/supplements-hub
Click here for the results, photos and videos from the 2021 National Indoor Tug of War Championships!
Click here for the results of the fifth and final indoor open competition of the 2021 Indoor Tug of War season ahead of the 2021 National Indoor Tug of War Championships, which take place on Saturday 4 December in Bakewell.
Click here for the results of the fourth competition of the 2021 Indoor Tug of War season.
Click here for the results of the AAA indoor tug of war championships
Click here for the results of the second week of indoor competition held at Bakewell showground.
Click here for the results of the first weekend of indoor tug of war competition of the 2021 indoor tug of war season at Bakewell Showground.
TOWA Area 5 once again hosted their annual autumn tug of war weekend in Kessingland.
The Area were pleased to see that four clubs entered (Essex, Hadleigh, Sandhurst and Raunds), with one club (Sandhurst) managing to field 3 teams in a number of weight classes.
Again, we were lucky with the weather and everyone enjoyed the pulling. For some pullers this was their first competition and it was pleasing to see a good number of ladies pulling.
We were also pleased to welcome a puller from Switzerland, who has informed us that he will return next year as he enjoyed it so much.
Results:
600kg - Winners - Sandhurst A - Runners Up - Essex
640kg - Winners - Raunds - Runners Up - Sandhurst A
680kg - Winners - Essex - Runners Up - Sandhurst A
600kg mixed - winners - Sandurst A - Runners Up - Essex
620kg - Winners - Sandhurst A - Runners Up - Essex
660kg - Winners - Sandhurst A - Runners Up - Essex
720kg - Winners - Essex - Runners Up - Sandhurst
660kg mixed - Winners - Sandhurst A - Runners Up - Essex
We held a catchweight competition in memory of our Former Area President David Ling and the Trophy was kindly donated by his family. This was won by Essex and runners up were Raunds..
Visit the international news page of this web site for the results from the 2021 World Championships held in Getxo on 16 - 19 September
England tug of war teams will be competing in Getxo in the Basque Country this week.
Click here to see who our representatives are, programme of events and live streaming info!
Below is an announcement on TWIF regarding the recent rule changes on the wearing of belts / protective clothing. A pdf copy of the ruling is also available to download below.
Click here for a feature about Essex TOWC on ITV Anglia talking about their preparations for the forthcoming World Championships in Getxo. The feature includes a video of the news bulletin. The footage was taken at the TOWA national league finals.
On 21-22 August 2021, the British and Irish Tug of War Championships took place in Northern Ireland with both an international competition and an open club competition. It was a great weekend for English teams with a number of gold, silver and bronze medals being won.
Click here for the results, some photos, videos and some social media reaction from the clubs taking part.
The 2021 National League Finals were this year hosted by Essex TOWC. A shorter league season took place this year due to a later start to the season.
Our thanks to go Essex TOWC for hosting the league finals, and to all of the teams who took part throughout the season.
The final standings in the National League can be found on the National League page.
The Tug of War Association are looking for venues / shows / public events to host the Tug of War Association National Tug of War Championships in 2022 and beyond.
If you have a venue and you are interested in staging the event, then please click here for further details about what is required.
Please can anyone wishing to put forward a championships venue for 2022 ensure that they are submitted to the TOWA Championships Secretary as early as possible so that the relevant venue can be visited and assessed for its suitability.
Over the weekend of 01 August, Bosley TOWC hosted the Inter County Tug of War Championships in Cheshire
Click here for the competition report, photos, and videos!
The 2021 Tug of War Association National Outdoor Tug of War Championships took place at the Grove RUFC on Saturday, with teams taking part in the mens, ladies and mixed weight classes.
Following a return to competition earlier this year, following a hiatus of over 12 months, it was great to be able to organise a national championship, and it was fantastic to see a good number of teams supporting the event, despite all of the uncertainty around. It was particularly pleasing to see an increase in the number of ladies teams and pullers. Of course, there were some teams who took part in 2019 that were not competing this season, but we hope to see them all get back together and be back out on the circuit in the future.
If the Olympic Games had taken place in 2020, it would have been 100 years after Tug of War was on the program for the last time.
The TWIF Monthly Focus newsletter can be downloaded below.
Over the weekend of 27 June, the TOWA Area 7 Championships took place
This was the final event before the national championships take place on 10 July.
Click here for the competition report, photos, and club reaction on social media!
Over the weekend of 20 June, Felton Eccles TOWC hosted the AAA Outdoor Tug of War Championships alongside their annual open tug of war competition.
It was great to see a much better supported AAA Championships this year compared to previous years.
Click here for the competition report, photos, and club reaction on social media!
Over the weekend of 13 June, Bedford Ladies TOWC hosted their annual open tug of war competition.
It was great to see lots of teams out competing once again, and in glorious sunshine too.
Click here for the competition report, photos, and club reaction on social media!
Click the link below to visit the Silk FM web site to download / listen to their podcast about tug of war, featuring their local club, Bosley
https://www.silk1069.com/on-air/podcasts/silk-sports-club-of-the-week/episode/bosley-tug-of-war/
Over the weekend of 6 June, Sandhurst TOWC hosted their annual open tug of war competition.
It was great to see lots of teams out competing once again, and in glorious sunshine too.
Click here for the competition report, photos, and club reaction on social media!
Please see below for the latest update from TWIF on the preparations for the World Championships in September. At the moment, the intention is still for the event to go ahead and further updates will be provided in due course as the situation evolves.
Over the weekend, the TOWA returned to Cressage for the annual Shropshire Open Tug of War Championships organised by the TOWA Midland Area No.2.
It was great to see teams out competing once again, and in glorious sunshine too.
Click here for the competition report, photos, videos, and club reaction on social media!
Over the week of 24-28 May, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) organised their annual "Clean Sport Week" campaign. A number of useful resources were published, including:
UK Anti-Doping’s 100% me Clean Sport App, which allows athletes to stay up to date with essential anti doping information, as well as being able to keep track of any medication. These can be downloaded from the following sources:
iOS - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/clean sport/id842611826
Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ukad.cleansporttoolkit&hl=en&gl=US
In addition, you can Complete the free Coach Clean or Clean Sport Advisor course on UKADs Clean Sport Hub to brush up on your anti doping knowledge.
https://bit.ly/3tIILWv
The latest TWIF monthly focus newsletter for May has now been published and can be downloaded as a pdf document via the link below.
UK Anti-Doping's Clean Sport Week webinar: “Sport and its post pandemic landscape” with Nick Pontefract from Sport England next week on Wednesday 26 May at 1pm You can register for the webinar here:
https://bit.ly/3tIILWv
The second competition of the 2021 outdoor season took place over the weekend, hosted by Essex TOWC. Click here for the results.
Tug of war is back! It was great to finally get tug of war competitions going with the first event of the 2021 season taking place in Shropshire over the weekend. It was great to see some new clubs taking part at the event too! Click here for the results and photos!
www.tugofwararchive.com
The TWIF magazine is to be featured as a "guest publication" on this week's BBC Have I Got News for You on Friday (30 April) at 9pm.
It may not make the final edit for the 30 minute programme on Friday (it is a two hour shoot edited down to 30 minutes), and in the event that it is not, it will hopefully be featured on the extended version of the programme (Have I Got a Bit More News for You) on BBC 2 next Tuesday.
The Tug of War Association are very proud to announce that we have been successful in our bid to host the 2025 TWIF European Tug of War Championships, along with the World Junior and Under 23 Championships!
The venue for this event will be Nottingham University. We will be sharing more details in due course, but this is wonderful news!
The online Congress has finished. The whole meeting went very smoothly, so we are getting used to online meetings, but...
Posted by TWIF on Saturday, April 17, 2021
As TWIF and the Tug of War Association follow WADA Anti-doping rules, there are some useful seminars for pullers and coaches to attend.
Click the link below for further info.
https://www.theworldgames.org/news/The-World-Games-17/WADA-live-webinar-schedule-2119?
This months TWIF Focus newsletter, is now out, with a focus on youth, and includes interviews with young pullers from different countries, including Jacob Hudson of York TOWC.
The newsletter can be downloaded via the link below. Please share with your pullers / youngsters and use it to inspire more people to get involved in tug of war!
Watch the video below for a few memories from over the years.
The Tug of War Association would like to thank all clubs and individual members for your continued support and for renewing your memberships for 2021.
We are optimistic that competitions will be able to resume in some form in the spring, so if you have yet to renew your membership, please make sure you do so so that we have up to date contact details for you and we can keep you up to date with any new updates when more details about any "unlock" are announced by the Government in due course.
If you would like to join the TOWA as a club, associate or individual member, then please contact the treasurer or the secretary for a membership form.
Further details about joining the TOWA can be found by clicking here.
We hope to be able to see you all on the circuit soon.
The latest edition of the TWIF Magazine can be downloaded via the link below:
Click here to read about everything that happened at the 2011 European Championships and to see lots of photos and videos of all of the finals and some of the bronze medal matches from the event!
http://www.moette.co.uk/oc1/England-Tug-of-War-Facemaskhttp://www.moette.co.uk/oc1/Tug-of-War-Association-Facemask-Texthttp://www.moette.co.uk/oc1/Tug-of-War-Association-Facemask
Badges are £8.50 plus delivery.
In normal times, September would have seen TWIF celebrating its 60th Anniversary at the 2020 World Outdoor Tug of War Championships which were this year due to be held in the Basque Country. The World Championships have been postponed until next year. The Tug of War Association are otherwise proud to have been founder members of TWIF.
In the meantime, TWIF have published a 60th Anniversary Magazine, which can be downloaded below.
17-19 August 2020 marks 100 years since tug of war was last contested at the Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920 with Great Britain winning the gold medal.
The Tug of War Association would like to see our sport return in the future.
Of course, getting the sport back into the Olympics is a huge task, and we therefore remain humble and realistic and accept that we have some very hard work ahead to reach our ultimate dream of getting our sport back onto one of the worlds biggest sporting platforms.
Click here to read our press release about why we think tug of war should return to the Olympic Games.
If you want to get involved in tug of war by joining an existing club or starting your own team, then please contact us!
Click here to read about the 2010 TWIF 50th Anniverdary World Outdoor Tug of War Championships held in Pretoria, South Africa. The article also includes a highlight video.
Click here to read back on what happened at the 2010 outdoor national tug of war championships held in Warslow, Peak District.
The TOWA is sad to announce the passing of Ernie Cook.
Ernie was a stalwart member of Curzon & Rainham tug of war clubs, where he was the anchorman for many years. He was a great clubman missing very few competitions and will be remembered for his great sense of humour as well as his competitive spirit.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and team mates at this sad time.
Click here to read back about the 2010 World Indoor Tug of War Championships held in Cesanatico, Italy where England won 1 gold and 2 silver medals.
Last week, UK Anti-Doping’s ‘Clean in Quarantine’ campaign was launched as part of Clean Sport Week 2020.
The campaign, now in its fourth year, is being supported by a range of National Governing Bodies (NGBs), sports organisations and UK sports stars, who are taking part in several online activities focusing on anti-doping education throughout the week, 18-24 May 2020.
Based on research conducted by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), Clean Sport Week is encouraging those in sport to celebrate clean sport and continue expanding their anti-doping knowledge. Furthermore, UKAD is calling for athletes to adopt practices into their day-to-day lives that will reduce the risk of violating anti-doping rules.
Through a number of online events, the ‘Clean in Quarantine’ campaign for Clean Sport Week, will promote UKAD’s online education programmes including Coach Clean, which is now available free online.
Clean Sport Week is a partnership campaign between UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and the wider British sporting family, which provides a platform to celebrate clean sport.
From promoting UKAD’s Coach Clean course and other free online education programmes, to sharing videos featuring elite athletes and coaches, and hosting an anti-doping webinar, the ‘Clean in Quarantine’ campaign is focusing on online events and activities amidst the Covid-19 lockdown.
Click here to register for the free anti-doping education programmes and for more details on the campaign. Join in the conversation on social media using #CleanInQuarantine.
UK Anti-Doping
UK Anti-Doping is responsible for ensuring sports bodies in the UK are compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code through implementation and management of the UK’s National Anti-Doping Policy.
UK Anti-Doping’s functions include an education and information programme, athlete testing across more than 40 Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports, intelligence management and exclusive results management authority for the determination of anti-doping rule violations.
For more information on what UKAD do, please click here.
We’re delighted to inform you that through UK Coaching, you can access the online course ‘Mental Health Awareness for Sport & Physical Activity’ – usually £18 – for free!
As part of last week's Mental Health Awareness Week, UK Coaching, their awarding body 1st4sport and course partners – Mind and Sport England – have released it to the wider coaching community.
All you need to do is head to www.ukcoaching.org where you will be able to purchase the course for free.
The mental health of the population is being challenged during this isolating time.
Equipping you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to better understand and support people living with mental health problems, as well as with ways to support your own mental health, is crucial both now and going forward.
We would encourage anyone acting in a coaching / support / welfare capacity role within tug of war to take part in this online course. The course is available free of charge until 31 August.
Please can all of our members / clubs share this information.
Click here for a report, photos and videos from the 2007 European Outdoor Tug of War Championships which were hosted by the Tug of War Association.
The event was hugely successful in terms of teams competing, medals won by the England teams, and of course the royal visit by HRH Princess Anne!
Click here for a report and photos from the 2007 National Outdoor Tug of War Championships held at the Three Counties Show, Malvern Worcester
Please see the post below from TWIF confirming the postponement of the 2020 World Outdoor Championships until 2021. The 2021 European Championships will now be held in 2022 and the 2022 World Championships in Switzerland will be held in 2023. Click the post to expand the notice further.
Click here for the report / results from the 2006 National Outdoor Tug of War Championships held at the Three Counties, Show, Malvern, Worcester in addition, two presentations of the TOWA Award of Merit were made at this event.
Click here to read the report / results from the 2005 European Outdoor Tug of War Championships held in Cento, Italy
Click here to read the report / results from the 2004 World Indoor Tug of War Championships held at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
Click here to read about everything that happened at the 2003 European Championships held in Assen, Netherlands!
Click the link below to download the Spring 2020 edition of the TWIF Magazine
Whilst the ongoing social distancing measures are in place to tackle Covid-19, it is very important whilst all competitions and training are suspended that all clubs, pullers (past and present) and all individuals / tug of war supporters do what they can to promote tug of war. We therefore ask all clubs and pullers, past and present to do the following in the coming weeks:
- publish regular posts on you club social media pages / channels from previous events
- encourage all of your members to share the above posts
- consider publishing videos of some of the individual training you are doing ready for such time that competitions can resume
- if you are a retired puller, get your photos/videos out from the archives and share them on social media
The above will help us to promote tug of war during this time and keep our sport at the forefront of peoples minds as well as help people to stay connected.
Every day at 5pm, we are posting photos and videos on our Facebook Page for everyone to view and share.
For those who don't use Facebook, some of the videos we have posted are available to view on our press and media page.
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of former Bosley puller Clem Ekin. Click here to read more.
Prior to the suspension of events, Essex TOWC held an open competition. Click here to see the results and photos of the event courtesy of Gavin Corden.
Prior to the suspension of events, the second event of the Dorset Training League took place. Click here to see the results and photos from the event courtesy of Nick Major
The 2020 National Tug of War Championships takes place on Saturday 20 June at the Grove and Wantage Extravaganza in Oxfordshire.
All teams are encouraged to register and take part. Clubs and pullers need to be registered with the TOWA by Wednesday 20 May 2020 at the very latest, ideally sooner (please note that the deadline to register for the AAA Championships is 19th April 2020). Remember - there are no pre-qualification events. It is only teams that wish to be eligible to represent England that are required to attend a set number of events throughout the season.
For further details about how to register your teams and pullers to take part, please visit the National Championships 2020 page of this web site. Puller registration forms are available to download on the National Championships page in excel and pdf format.
Applications are open to all male and female pullers under the age of 23 to put themselves forward to the England Under 23 Development Squads for 2020.
Further information about what is involved / expected is available on the Under 23 Tug of War page of our web site.
Please can all club secretaries / coaches please ensure that any under 23 pullers that you have who are interested in taking part complete and return an application form to the relevant team manager as early as possible. Forms are available on the under 23 page.
Please note that we can only consider/include pullers if they make themselves known to us and complete a form. There have been several instances previously where pullers have approached the team managers on the day of a championship asking to take part, which is of course too late. So please ensure that all eligible pullers complete and return an application form.
Over the weekend of 22-23 February, England took a small squad of pullers to the World Indoor Championships with Uppertown representing England in the 680kg, and England also competing in the 640kg competition with a composite teamed formed of pullers from Raunds, Uppertown, Bosley and Kilroe.
Click here to read about what happened.
This weekend, the England tug of war squad will be competing at the TWIF World Indoor Tug of War Championships which are taking place in Letterkenny, Ireland. Click here to read more.
Click the video below to watch a slide show of some of our favourite memories from over the years.
Remember - if you use social medial, please share our video and otherwise post your own photos / tug of war memories online and encourage people to get involved in tug of war!
On Saturday and Sunday 14 / 15 March the TOWA will be running a Coaches, Judges and Recorders Course in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
The coaches and judges course will be a two day course.
The recorders course will be a half day course taking place on Saturday 14 March.
Please click here for further information and to download an application form.
Click here to read about everything that happened at the British and Irish Indoor Tug of War Championships over the weekend and to see some photos and videos from the event!
Click here to read about proposed rule changes that were voted in at the 2020 AGM for the coming year.
Click here to find contact details for personnel who make up the TOWA General Committee for 2020
The TOWA has now published and updated Safeguarding Statement
The policy and procedures set out in the TOWA safeguarding statement are mandatory for everyone involved in the Tug of War Association. Failure by anyone to comply with the policy and procedures set out in the document will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the TOWA.
The latest document was resolved to be adopted by the General Committee in November 2019. The safeguarding statement can be downloaded via the link below. A copy of the statement is also available to download on our rules page.
The Tug of War Association is saddened to have learned of the passing of Harold Sercombe recently.
Harold was a former member and coach of Kennford Tug of War Club in Devon, who haven't been out on the circuit in recent years, but have been trying to re-establish a team.
Harold's funeral will take place on Friday 20th December at 12.30pm at Exeter and Devon Crematorium, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 6EU.
Our thoughts are with Harold's family, friends and team mates at this difficult time.
Click here for the results of the 2019 National Indoor Tug of War Championships!
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of Dave Ling.
Dave was the chairman of TOWA Area 5 and was involved in tug of war firstly as a puller, then a coach and organiser for many years. In more recent years, Dave was heavily involved in organising and encouraging teams along to the Kessingland Autumn Tug of War weekend, including this year’s event in October.
As a puller, Dave was a member of the Reedham Vikings team for many years until the club disbanded, and after that, Dave carried on as a puller with Totham Bull and a puller/coach with Woodton.
Dave was a very friendly and helpful person on the tug of war circuit and he will be missed by many.
Our thoughts and sympathies are with Dave’s wife Pat, his family, friends and team mates.
The funeral will take place on January 10th 2020 at 1pm at Magdalen Crematorium, Oriel Avenue, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, NR31 7JJ.
Family flowers only please.
Any donations to the Royal British legion, either at Jarys on Northgate street, Great Yarmouth or a collection box at the service.
Click here for the results of the final indoor open competition of the season before this weekend's National Indoor Tug of War Championships!
Click here for the results of the fourth weekend of the 2019 Indoor Tug of War Season
Click here for the results, photos and videos from the 2019 AAA indoor tug of war championships.
Click here for the results of the second week of indoor competition held at the Harry Mitchell Centre on Sunday 10 November.
The Tug of War Association is sad to learn of the passing of Patsy Murphy, former puller of Garry Owen, Albright and Wilson, St Pats and Felton Eccles. Click here for a tribute from his former coach at St Pats, Steve Goss and funeral details.
English clubs and the England national teams came away with a number of medals from the recent European Championships held in Castlebar, Republic of Ireland!
Click here to read more!
From Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 September 2019, the TWIF European Outdoor Tug of War Championships will be taking place in Castlebar, Republic of Ireland and teams from England will be taking part in the event!
It is certain to be a tough but exciting competition and we would like to wish all of the teams from England that are taking part the very best of luck!
You can read more about the teams representing England this week by clicking here!
2019 saw England host the annual GENSB junior international tournament in Folkestone, Kent over the August Bank Holiday Weekend. It was a very hot day and the teams taking part enjoyed an excellent day of tug of war!
Click here for a report, photos and videos from the event!
The TOWA National League concluded at the weekend with some very competitive pulling and some close results. Click here for a full report!
Steve Phillips
Steve Phillips of St.Clarets and Thames Valley TOWC's sadly passed away on Friday 9th August. Steve had been fighting Cancer for some while and was recently at the Area 7 Open Championships at Sandhurst in July. Steve had seemed in good spirits and was looking forward to keeping in touch with his Tug of War friends, but this was sadly not to be.
Steve's Funeral will be on Wednesday 28th August at 1am ATGrange Park Baptists Church, 217 Lansbury Drive, Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 8RS. The service will be followed by the burial at 12.30pm at Northwood Cemetery, HA6 1HU. The wake will be held at Hayes & Harrington Community Centre, Albert Road Hayes, UB3 4HR
Nick Skelton
Nick Skelton of Cotswold Farmers and recently Coach of Ansty YFC TOW Club has also recently passed away following his fight against Cancer.
Nick was a well known competitor in the South West and competed at both Outdoor and Indoor Tug of War with Cotswold Farmers.
Nick has been Coaching Ansty YFC in recent years and as well as competing in the TOWA National Championships, Ansty YFC won the YFC Championships in 2017, and most recently this year even though Nick was too ill to attend.
Our thoughts are with Steve and Nick's family, friends and team mates at this difficult time.
Well done to all of the teams who travelled to the British and Irish Tug of War Championships in Northern Ireland over the weekend. It was a fantastic event which saw England come away with a number of medals! Click here for a report from the event!
The Tug of War Association is sad to learn that ex TOWA judge Martin Thorpe passed away on 31 July.
The Funeral will take place 28 August at 1pm at North Herts Memorial Park and Crematorium.
Followed by tea at Mount Pleasant Golf Course, Lower Stondon.
If anyone would like to attend, write a tribute and/or make a tribute then you are asked to please contact Kirsty Thorpe by email. If you would like to make contact, then please drop us a message and we can provide you with the email address by return.
The family are asking for all gents to wear bright coloured or character ties and brighly coloured ties. Family flowers only and donations if you wish will be splite between Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation.
This weekend the 2019 British and Irish Tug of War Championships take place in Northern Ireland, with the closed international competition taking place on Friday 9 August and the open club competition taking place on Saturday 10 August.
The Tug of War Association would like to wish all of those teams travelling to the event the very best of luck.
You can find out more about the teams that are representing England by clicking here.
Click here for the results of the 2019 Cheshire Open Tug of War Championships held at the Cheshire Game and Angling Fair at Peover Hall near Knutsford over the weekend!
Well done and thank you to everyone who attended the TOWA training and development day on Sunday 28 July at Holland Sports Club.
The day went well despite the weather and we hope that everyone who attended learned something new and got plenty from the day.
As ever, if you have any constructive feedback from the day, positive or negative, then please contact us with your comments and suggestions as to how we can improve future training and development days.
The Tug of War Association is sad to learn of the passing of Nigel Slade.
Nigel Slade started his career with Byfords/Southend ToWC before joining Rainham/St. George in 1992. With the Club he was a regular member in the teams that achieved a Silver and 5 Bronzes at the outdoor national championships. When he joined Tonbridge in 2004 he was in the 640kg National bronze medalist side.
He achieved greater success on the Indoor circuit with BAC being part of numerous Gold medal winning teams and also represented England.
A good bloke all round and great competitor.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and team mates.
The Funeral of Nigel Slade will take place on Tuesday 13th August 2019 at St. Andrews Church, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1NW at 12.00pm.
The burial will be at The Lawn Cemetary, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1PA at 1pm.
Every will be welcome to come back to the house after for tea/coffee and food.
Click here for the results of the Inter County Championships hosted by the TOWA South West Area Number 3.
On Sunay 28 July 2019, the TOWA will be holding a recorders course in conjunction with the TOWA Training and Development Day
TOWA recorders provide a very important role in the running of tug of war competitions, in particular assisting with the draw, recording the scores and recording cautions received by each team.
Becoming a TOWA recorder offers those who enjoy coming along to support events with an opportunity to participate and assist with the running of such events. There are few limitations to becoming a TOWA recorder and everyone is encouraged to put themselves forward.
This is an ideal opportunity for anyone that wishes to help out with recording at their local club events.
Please click here for further information
Click here for a link to an article featured on "Around the Rings" for an interview with TWIF President Anton Rabe discussing the prospects and challenges for the future of including tug of war in the Olympic Games.
If you are a Facebook or Twitter user, please click the links below and share the article with your friends / followers to help promote the ethos and values of our sport.
Tug of War Pulls for Olympic Returnhttps://t.co/sb2QA7oe2L pic.twitter.com/xsPb2NKxZG
— Around the Rings (@AroundTheRings) July 15, 2019
Click here for the results of Bedford Ladies TOWC's annual open tug of war competition held at Kempston, Bedford on Sunday!
Click here for the results of the Far Western Area Championships held at Launceston, Cornwall on Saturday night.
Click here for the results of the Devon County Championships held at Ansty on Friday night!
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of long standing TOWA Member and judge Ernie Jones. Click here for more.
Click here for a full roundup, photos and videos from a fantastic national tug of war championships held at the Cumberland Show on Saturday 15 June 2019.
Two England Under 23 Ladies Tug of War training days have been arranged to take place on Sunday 23 June and Sunday 30 June 2019.
For further details, please click here.
All ladies under the age of 23 are encouraged to apply and trial for the England under 23 ladies team and otherwise come along for some training and experience.
Click here to read about what happened at York's annual open competition!
Click here for the results of the 2019 Shropshire Open Championships!
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of James Myatt, former puller of Leek, Sheen and Bosley. Click here for more.
A busy weekend of tug of war culminated in the well organised annual open competition hosted by Felton Eccles TOWC. Click here to see the results from this event!
Click here for the results of the tug of war competition held at Otley Show in Yorkshire!
Click here for the results of the tug of war competition held at Devon County Show!
Click here for the results of the AAA tug of war championships and Midland Area Open Competition!
Click here for the results of the tug of war event held in conjunction with North Somerset Show.
Click here to read about the Charity Truck Pull event organised by the Lancashire Association of Boys and Girls Clubs that the Tug of War Association helped to organise!
Click here for the results of the 2019 Daventry Open Tug of War Competition.
Click here for the results of the 2019 Sheen / Waterhouses YFC Open Competition
Click here for the results of the 2019 Lincoln TOWC Open Competition.
Click here to read about everything that happened at the 2019 East of England Open Championships at the weekend and which teams won the various weight categories on the day!
Click here to read about everything that happened at Bosley TOWC's annual open competition at the weekend and which teams won the various weight categories on the day. It was another well attended event this weekend!
This Sunday Essex Tug of War / Essex YFC held a tug of war day which was well attended by a mix of TOWA and YFC teams, and it was pleasing to see a good number of ladies teams in attendance.
Click here for the results from the day!
Click here to read more about what went on and who won what weight classes at the Dorset Training League held at Marshwood, Dorset over the weekend!
Congratulations to Mick Grimston, Heather Grimston, Terry Spoore and Vic Ludkin who received the TOWA Award of Merit at the 2019 TOWA AGM. Click here to read more.
Please click the image below to watch a documentary about tug of war and the Tug of War Association made during the 1970's. It is a fascinating watch!
The GENSB Promotional video has been launched and can be viewed below:
To find out how you can take part in the GENSB 2019 Tournament, which takes place in Folkestone, Kent on the August Bank Holiday weekend, then please visit the GENSB 2019 Page of this web site!
All teams are encouraged to take part, including established TOWA Clubs, military, cadet and young farmers teams. If you have any questions about this event, then please do not hesitate to contact us!
On Thursday 6 December the Army Tug of War Team graced the famous coblles of Coronation Street in Manchester to take part in a tug of war match for a special compilation programme of messages from military families to their loved ones back home and overseas. Click here to read more and see some photos and videos!
Click here for a report, photos and videos from the 2018 National Indoor Tug of War Championships held at the Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre in Smethwick, West Midlands on 1 December 2018!
There are still some British and Irish Championship polo shirts and t-shirts left over which are available for purchase at a reduced price (limited stock available).
Polo shirts are available for £5 each
T-shirts are available at £3 each
Postage and packaging is £4 per item.
If you would like a 2018 B&I Championships t-shirt/polo shirt, please contact John Gracie and he can advise you as to what sizes are still available:
Tel: 07736 675640
email: john@gracie.co.uk
Click the video below to watch a highlight program from the 2018 World Outdoor Tug of War Championships held in Cape Town, South Africa in September, featuring all of the medal pulls from the closed international competition and interviews with organisers, coaches and pullers.
The Tug of War Association is saddened to learn of the passing of Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Cecil John Lawson, known to most of us as "Tug" this afternoon.
Tug was well know in both the TOWA circuit and of course the military circuit, bringing many teams through over the years at both senior and junior level and actively encouraging new recruits to get involved.
Tug has previously served on the TOWA general committee, served as TOWA president and was also a TOWA Award of Merit holder.
In 2014, Tug was awarded with the British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours List today for voluntary service to the Army Cadet Force. Tug had been part of the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland ACF for many years, and was instrumental in promoting tug of war within the ACF. Tug of war is now a fully recognised sport within the ACF, with county, regional and national tug of war competitions taking place every year. Many ACF clubs are now taking part in TOWA youth competitions, with many also taking part in GENSB competitions, with some ACF clubs also going on to represent England at youth level.
Thank you Tug for everything that you have done for our sport.
A true gentleman in every sense of the word who will be greatly missed.
Rest in Peace Tug.
Congratulations to our medal winners at the 2018 AAA indoor tug of war championships at the weekend:
Catchweight - winners - Uppertown - runners up - Raunds
640kg - winners - Kilroe - runner up - Uppertown
Great effort from everyone who continues to support indoor tug of war!
photo: Kilroe Squad
Photo - Uppertown Squad
Click here to read more about the first weekend of indoor tug of war competition!
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published the 2019 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, and The Tug of War Association wants to ensure you know all the key details before it comes into effect on 1 January.
Whether you’re a puller, coach, parent, physio, doctor or S&C coach, it’s vital you are aware of the changes, so you don’t get caught out and end up with a ban from sport.
The List outlines substances and methods which are banned both in and out-of-competition, but it is not exhaustive as most categories only include common examples. It’s updated every October, giving you time to get to grips with any changes before the New Year, but please also be aware that changes can also be made to the Prohibited List throughout the year.
Several of the changes relate to supplements, or ingredients commonly found within them, while there is also more information around gene doping and examples of certain substances being known by a different name.
More details can be found on the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) website, so please take the time to have a read through to ensure you don’t get caught out.
The Kessingland Autumn Tug of War Weekend celebrated its 40th Anniversary this year and the organisers are very grateful that pullers are still turning out for the weekend, enabling them to keep the competition going. This included two new teams to the event.
The results were as follows:
Saturday
600kg winners, Raunds and runners up Halstead
640kg winners, Halstead and runners up Raunds
680kg winners, Raunds and runners up Halstead
600kg 4x4 winners Thames Valley B and runners up Thames Valley A
Sunday
620kg winners Raunds and runners up Hadleigh
660kg winners Raunds and runners up Hadleigh
720kg winners Raunds and runners up Halstead
660kg 4x4 winners Hadleigh and runners up Thames Valley
Next year the Kessingland event is being held over the weekend of 12th and 13th October 2019 and the organisers look forward to seeing everybody once again!
4 members of the Royal Corps of Signals recently traveled to South Africa as part of the England Tug of War Squad to take part in the World Tug of War Championships.
Warrant Officer Class One Brian Mclean is a member of 11th (Royal School of Signals ) Signal Regiment and has been involved with military Tug of War for almost 23 years. He is key to the development of the sport within the Army as he introduces young junior soldiers to the sport whilst they are in training. He traveled to South Africa in an assistant coach capacity and gained valuable experience of youth Tug of War at International level which will aid with the development of the young soldiers he has under his command.
In addition to Brian, 3 other members of the Royal Corps of Signals recently traveled to South Africa as part of the England Tug of War Squad to take part in the World Tug of War Championships. Warrant Officer Class Two Jon Perks traveled over as part of his civilian club Felton Eccles who he competed for in the open competition before competing in the closed competition for England, winning a bronze medal in the 680kg weight category. Signaller Nial Lewis and Signaller Elise Kalaher are Phase 2 trainee soldiers who are currently completing their trade training after joining the Army in the past year. While pulling for 11th (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment this season on the Army circuit they both caught the eye of the England Junior team manager and were selected to represent England Juniors in South Africa and also competed in the open competition for Team ACF.
Congratulations to the above. A number of military teams and personnel have competed on the TOWA circuit over a great number of years and continue to do so. Many civilian clubs also take on military pullers after they have left the service, so if you are an ex-member of a forces tug of war team and want to remain involved in the sport, then please contact us to find a tug of war club near to you!
It is with regret that the Midland Area TOWA have had to cancel the above event, due to teams not informing the organisers whether or not they were going to attend the event.
Going forward, the Tug of War Association would like to remind teams that you should contact event organisers in advance of an event to confirm whether or not you are going to attend. A lot of organisation, time and expenditure is required to put on events, so co-operation with event organisers by all teams from this point forward would be appreciated. Thank you.
Visit the International News Page for a round up of a great weekend of tug of war.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped to make this a success - from those who organised the event from the outset, all of the volunteers, Wyboston Lakes, all of the teams, all of the officials and all of the supporters. We had a great time! Here's to the next 60 years and beyond!
