The World Conker Championships

Over 2,000 people flocked to a small village in Northamptonshire, England to watch the return of the World Conker Championships. 

Like many sporting traditions, last year’s Championships were cancelled due to the pandemic.

This year around 250 competitors took part - many sporting fancy dress costumes. 

The game involves swinging a conker threaded on the end of a string at an opponent's conker with the aim of smashing it. 

The game commences with a toss of a coin, the winner may elect to strike or receive. A distance of no less than 8” (20cm’s) of lace must be between the knuckle and nut. There is a gauge to measure this if disputed. 

Each player takes three (3) alternate strikes at the opponent’s conker. If a player causes a knot of the laces (a snag) this is noted, three snags will lead to disqualification. 

If the game lasts for more than five (5) minutes, play will be halted and the 5- 5-minute “rule” comes into effect. Each player is allowed up to nine further strikes. If the game is still going after nine strikes then the winner is the one who has hit the nut the most times.  

In the final, it was local lad Ady Hurrell from Whittlesey near Peterborough who came out on top beating Danny Leslie, and in the Women’s final defending Champion Jasmine Tetley from Nottingham retained her title.

The annual World Conker Championships have been staged more often than both the Olympics and the Winter Olympics combined.

These are some of the rushes from the day.

#CHESTNUTS #CONKER #UNITED KINGDOM #WORLDCONKER CHAMPIONSHIPS

[tralala]

This might be the most British thing ever.

[md]

One minute you're watching serial killer documentaries, next minute, Thank you, YT algorithm.

[ZeacorZeppelin]

I just learned about this from a watch mojo video about top gear where they played conkers with caravans. The gentlemen in the red coat Looks like a World War 2 vet. He looks great and still got it.

[Andrewjg_]

A world conker championship. With the guns firing off in the beginning. Plus it must be very painful as well.

[PatHaskell]

I used to play this when I was a kid living in England. I had a whole draw full of chestnuts. I was so disappointed returning to the states.

[maximvanrijs]

I have some chestnuts that I found about 30 years ago. They’re virtually petrified! Might begin to introduce conkers here in Amsterdam.

[stevebeaver]

Looks like a fun day but we were better than that at school. Is there a kids event? 😀

[georgemoore]

Shame there's no explanation of the rules. When we played at school, whoever got a strike would keep on taking their turn until they missed. This looks like they get 3 shots each, irrespective of whether you hit or not.

[chzuniga]

Recién supe de esto, lo más curioso que he visto hasta ahora… primero pensé que eran castañas pero la IA me dijo que este fruto es venenoso… muy curioso

[martineldritch]

I was going to say it seems a bit silly making a game with your food like that when there are so many hungry people in the world but then I learned that horse chestnuts are unfit for human consumption. I could write "It seems a bit silly making a game with a horse's food like that when there are so many hungry horses in the world" but that seems dumb so I wont write it. Conk on.

[CarrotCompany]

This defines the need to include the word "qwerky" whenever posting anything about the British.

[beevers]

Gotta say, some handsome looking men at the end there.

[kbjb]

What in the actual This is 1000% a clown world we live in folks adjust accordingly.🤦🏿‍♂️