Weird sports can be found all over the world. Every nation has its own games, which other cultures find to be unusual sports. Yet, England seems to have more weird sports than anyone else. Here are seven unusual sports from England.
Weird Sport from Derbyshire, England: Toe Wrestling
The World Toe Wrestling Championships are held in Derbyshire, England. Annually in July, toe wrestlers gather at the Bentley Brook Inn to see who the best at this unusual sport is. The event was originally held at the Royale Oak in Wetton, but moved to Derbyshire in 2003.
Weird Sport from Cooper’s Hill, England: Cheese Rolling
Since WWII, men and women have been running downhill after a wheel of cheese in the unusual sport of Cheese Rolling. The goal is simple: be the first to reach the cheese. Whoever does, wins it. However, Cooper’s Hill is, “Very rough and uneven and it is almost impossible to remain on foot for the descent.” Competitors have chased after a 7-8 lb. Double Gloucester. The largest wheel was a 40 lb. Cheddar.
Weird Sport from Chipping Campden, England: Shin Kicking
The most unusual sport at the annual Cotswold ‘Olympick’ Games is shin kicking. Contestants stuff straw or hay down their pant legs, and then kick one another in the shins. Forcing an opponent to fall in pain is awarded a point. Whoever has the most points after three rounds wins.
Weird Sport from Days Lock, England: Pooh Sticks
This unusual sport was inspired by Winnie the Pooh. In it, participants drop a stick from a bridge, into a river. The stick to emerge from under the bridge first wins. Although Pooh Sticks are played around the world, the Pooh Sticks World Championships are held in Days Lock. They abide by the official rules in The Official Pooh Corner Rules for Play Pooh Sticks.
Weird Sport from New Lodge Fields, England: Conkers
New Lodge Fields hosts the Conkers World Championships, where participants take turns hitting one another’s chestnut. A conker is a chestnut tied to a string. As players hit each other’s in a match, the conker to break loses in this unusual sport.
Weird Sport from Battersea, London, England: Sumo Suit Athletics
Sumo Suit Athletics turns typical sporting events into an unusual sport. As participants don sumo suits, they compete in track and field events: shot put, 100-meter dash and high jump. Their motto is, “Slower, lower weaker!”
Weird Sport from Manchester, England: Black Pudding Throwing
The World Black Pudding Throwing Championships attract participants from as far as Australia. By hurling black puddings at stacks of Yorkshire pudding, this unusual sport revisits the rivalry between Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Many people would consider these weird sports to be games, but the effort participants compete with turn them into unusual sports. Any sport can seem strange to another culture. England just has many events they call sports, and almost all of them are odd. But, isn’t that why we love the English?
Weird Sports Sources:
Toe Wrestling
Cheese Rolling
Shin Kicking
Pooh Sticks
Conkers
Sumo Suits
Black Pudding
Scott Brodie writes on a variety of sports topics, including the normal and strange.
Other Articles:
Weird Sports from Around the World