World Conker Championships
The World Conker Championships (WCC) is a conkers tournament held annually on the second Sunday in October in the county of Northamptonshire, England. Two players use conkers threaded onto a string and take turns to strike the other's nut until it shatters. Players from around the world enter the tournament, competing in a knock-out format in both team and individual formats, with titles for men's, women's and youth categories. Up to 5,000 spectators watch around 400 players participating. from many countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom. The 2023 event was held on 'Sunday 8th October 2023. WCC History The World Conker Championships began in 1965 when a group of anglers in Ashton held a conker contest at the Chequered Skipper public house because the weather was too bad to go fishing. At the event, a small collection was made for charity, by a person with a blind relative. Since then the event has raised over £420,000 for charities supporting the visually impaired and at least £2,500 is donated yearly. The event was held in Ashton for 45 years before moving to a larger venue at the Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick, Northamptonshire in 2009. The tournament has been threatened with conker shortages over the years, in 1976 conkers used in the tournament had to be flown in from Jersey, in 1980 freak spring weather was one of the factors that threatened the World Conker Championships causing a conker shortage, and in 1982 a late frost killed off the horse chestnut blossom resulting in a failed conker harvest. On 6 October 2011, organisers were forced to cancel the event over safety fears with high winds being forecasted. In 2012, the championships were cancelled again when a suitable venue couldn't be found in time. Concerns for the future of the event were voiced over the Horse-chestnut leaf miner moth, Cameraria ohridella, which has appeared in the region and could have a detrimental effect on the UK's horse chestnut population affecting conker yields. On 9 October 2017, Chelsea pensioner John Riley won the men's tournament at the age of 85, quite possibly making him the oldest world champion on the planet. In 2022, Fee Aylmore won the women's event after 30 years of trying. WCC Rules Players' Rules of Engagement for the Noble Game of Conkers as follows: Prior to the game, over 2,000 conkers (horse chestnuts) of the required 1.25-inch (30 mm) width are collected, drilled and strung ready by tournament officials. All conkers and laces are supplied by the World Conker Championships. Conkers are drawn ‘blind’ from a bag, and players may reject up to three selected conkers. Each game will commence with a toss of a coin, the winner of the toss may elect to strike or receive. A distance of no less than 8" or 20 cm of lace must be between knuckle and nut. Each player then takes three alternate strikes