2023 National Championships - Saturday 17 June 2023
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
- Junior Mixed 520kg (please note we are aiming to start this before 9.30am so please tune in to the live stream before 9.30am if you don't want to miss it)
- Men 560kg and Ladies 500kg
- Men 640kg and Ladies 540kg
- Men 600kg and Ladies 520kg
- Men 680kg and Ladies 560kg
- Junior GENSB
- Mixed 580kg
- Men 720kg
- Men Catchweight (no weight limit)
The YouTube stream is available below or can be viewed directly on YouTube at 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT7n9m_o0dw
National Outdoor Championships - Saturday 17th June 2023
Venue - Bridlington Rugby Club, Dukes Park, Queensgate, Bridlington, Yorkshire, YO16 7LN
Entry forms for the 2023 National Outdoor Tug of War Championships will be made available to download in due course. Please ensure that they are returned by the advertised deadline.
2023 National Championships Weight Entry Forms
Please ensure that you complete the entry forms and submit with the relevant entry fees (£25 per team per weight class) by the deadline to the Championship Secretary, Mick Grimston, using the details on the entry form. Your entry will not be confirmed until we have received BOTH your entry form AND the entry fees. Cheques should be made payable to "The Tug of War Association".
Bank transfers can be paid to:
NatWest Bank
sort code: 54-30-27
Account Number: 37013963
Account Name: Tug of War Association Club Account
Please quote your club name and quote national championships entry fee into the payment description. Please note that we will never e-mail you to change account payment details. If you receive such a communication, or are unsure, please contact us by phone to confirm payment details before making any bank transfer.
Please note that entry fees are non-refundable if you withdraw from any weight classes after the deadline for entries has passed.
Registration Cards Required
Individual Weigh In - Friday 16th June - 3.30pm - 7.30pm - to be held at Bridlington Rugby Club
Stamping - Saturday 17th - from 8am at the venue - please do not arrive late at the venue for stamping.
Note - Teams will be able to weigh in on the Saturday morning if they wish to do so, however for teams weighing in on the Saturday morning, the weigh in will take place on 8 man scales and MUST be agreed and approved by the Championship secretary prior to the event.. There will be no individual weigh in on the Saturday.
First Pull - 09.30am
Weights (in pulling order)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Senior Men | 560kg* | 640kg* | 600kg* | 680kg* | 680kg* | 720kg | Catchweight |
| Senior Men |
| |
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|
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| Senior Ladies | 500kg* | 540kg* | 520kg* | 560kg* | |||
| Senior Mixed | Mixed 580kg* | |
Please note that the above pulling order is as voted upon at the 2023 TOWA AGM.
Official junior and under 23 weight classes are as follows:
Under 23 – Men – 600kg – Ladies - 500kg
Junior – Men – 560 – Ladies – 480 and 520 – Mixed – 560kg
Other weight categories deemed practical for youth tug of war can be staged at the discretion of the General Committee in accordance with TOWA rule 2.2.
If you are able to field junior or under 23 teams, please contact the TOWA as soon as possible so a decision can be made to determine what junior/under 23 competitions can be staged and the timings for such.
* denotes weight categories that are representative weights at the World Outdoor Championships and World Junior Championships and British and Irish Outdoor Championships.
How to compete at the event
1. Register your team as a full or associate club member with the Tug of War Association Clubs wishing to compete on a regular basis and teams wishing to compete at championship events should become full club members (£150 per club) or associate club members (£30 per club) of the Tug of War Association. If your club has yet to renew their membership with the Tug of War Association, or wishes to join the Tug of War Association as new members, then please contact TOWA Secretary Mick Copper for a membership form on 01933 622639 or e-mail mick.copper@tiscali.co.uk
2. Register all of your individual pullers and team coach by completing the puller registration form and provide 2 passport size photos of each member and team coach (if not already registered with the TOWA) and submit your form to the Tug of War Association Secretary with the appropriate puller registration fee of £10 per puller/coach (there is no fee for junior pullers aged 18 and under), which registers your team members to compete at all Tug of War Association competitions and championships throughout 2021. Please note that to compete at the championships, all pullers must be registered by 17th May at the very latest.
For new pullers, only official passport type photos on photo quality paper will be accepted, which the puller must print their name and sign on the rear as well as provide a date of birth. Photos printed off social media, etc. will not be accepted. For junior and under 23 pullers, a copy of a document that provides proof of age MUST be provided with the registration form. Acceptable documents for proof of age are as follows:
- a full or provisional driving license
- a passport
- a birth certificate
You can download the puller registration forms below in Excel and PDF format.
Puller Registration Forms
Please return your puller membership form and puller registration fees to TOWA Secretary Mick Copper by post - 11 Holmfield Drive, Raunds, Northamptonshire, NN9 6PB, or e-mail an electronic copy of your forms to mick.copper@tiscali.co.uk
Please note that as per our new drug testing policy, all pullers who register to compete do so on the basis that they may be subject to being called forward for a random drug test.
3. Complete the national outdoor tug of war championships entry form to confirm which weight classes your team would like to enter, and submit it to the Tug of War Association Championship Secretary with the relevant entry fees.
How does your team qualify to compete at the championships?
There are no pre-qualification events that teams have to attend to qualify to compete at the Tug of War Association National Outdoor Tug of War Championships. As long as your club is registered as a full or associate member of the Tug of War Association, all individual pullers have been registered by 17th May 2023 you have submitted your entry form and paid all entry fees in advance, then your team can compete. All registered teams are welcome to compete.
The only qualifying criteria that applies is for those teams who aspire to be selected to represent England at international events. The winning teams (and in some cases the second or third placed teams, and at the discretion of the TOWA fourth placed teams) from the various weight classes at the national championships may be eligible for selection to represent England at international events.
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 TOWA Fixture List, or if less than 6, as many competitions within a 200 mile radius of your club's training ground as the crow flies (excluding any training leagues, early pulls, limited events (such as Young Farmers only events) or other similar type of non TOWA event) as amended at the 2018 TOWA AGM on Saturday 26th January 2018. Junior teams wishing to represent must have also competed in junior weight classes at 4 competitions prior to the national championships to be eligible to be invited to represent England. Latest ruling as per the resolution passed at the 2022 AGM.
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 in at least one weight class with a minimum of 5 of your club's own registered pullers if weighing in to compete with 7 members, or 6 of your club's own registered pullers if weighing in to compete with 8 members.
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.
Substitutes
Each team can make 1 substitution per weight class. The replacement puller must be the same weight or lighter than the puller they replace.
Prizes
Gold, silver and bronze medals will be presented to the top three teams in each weight class. An annual trophy will also be presented to the winners of each weight class to keep for one year to be returned at the 2023 national championships.
The winning teams in each weight class may also have the honour of being invited to represent England at the British and Irish Championships and/or the World Championships, which are scheduled to take place respectively in Scotland in August, and in Sursee, Switzerland at the end of August / early September.
4+4 Teams
Mens teams may register female pullers from other clubs as second claim members to compete in the mixed weight class, and likewise, ladies teams may register male pullers from other clubs as second claim members to compete in the mixed weight class where a mens club or ladies club don't have a team of the opposite gender.
At the 2018 AGM a resolution was passed that will only allow a mixed 4+4 team to be made up of pullers from a maximum of two clubs only. This can be of any combination, e.g. 4 males from one club and 4 females from another club, or 4 males and 2 females from one club and 2 females from another club and so on.
Second claim pullers for the mixed weight class must also be registered by 17 May 2023.
Team Tents
Participating teams will be permitted to erect a team tent for the day, however tents will only be permitted to be erected in the designated area. There will be no exceptions to this requirement.
Tents will NOT be permitted to be erected next to the edge of the arena. If you erect your team tent next to the arena outside of the designated area then you will be asked to move it.
Car Parking
Cars will NOT be permitted on the field / around the arena at all and must be parked in the designated car park.
Spectator Entry
Entry for spectators to the event is free.
For further details about the national championships, please contact the Championships Secretary Mick Grimston on 01205 369753
