Tired of the scandals and soap-opera of big time professional sports? Well then 2018 should be the year to cherish some of Britain’s oldest and most bizarre amateur games as they take place around the country.
To help out, Holiday Cottages put together this calendar of some of the most weird and wonderful of quirky sports and games to look forward to across the UK.
World Bog Snorkelling Championship
If you like getting stuck into nature in your sport, then bog snorkelling could be for you. Held every year in Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales, the competition involves swimming two lengths of a mucky bog channel. You will have the help of a snorkel and goggles however.
British Lawn Mower Racing Championship
On the go for more than 40 years, the British lawnmower racing season reaches its zenith with this 12-hour, Le Mans-style endurance race. Settle in for some wild action as the mowers reach speeds of 80 km/h, though fortunately their cutting blades have been removed.
World Black Pudding Throwing Championship
Puddings are a much-loved food in the north of England, so it should hardly come as much of a surprise to find a sport dedicated to them. In this case flinging meaty black pudding at a pile of doughy Yorkshire puddings to see how many you can knock over.
Hurling the Silver Ball
February can be a cold month in Cornwall, thus a great and ancient tradition in St. Ives is to wrestle with hundreds of others to return a silver ball to the mayor of the town. Not only is it a great way to warm up but the winner also receives a silver coin for their troubles.
Caber Toss
Long a sign of brute Scot strength, the sport of caber tossing is unlike anything you will find around the world. The key is to toss a huge tree-length caber end-over-end and hope that it lands close to the 12 o’clock position. Easy.
World Welly Wanging Championship
Welly wanging is one of the most surprisingly joyful sports in Britain. Simply take a Wellington boot, throw it however you like and see how far it goes. Get in a bit of practice and you can enter yourself in the West Yorkshire-held World Championships.
World Egg Throwing Championship
In a Lincolnshire game that stretches back to pagan times, teams of two try to perform a throw and catch between each at ever increasing intervals. The premise is simple, but failure can lead to particularly messy results.
Shetland Pony Grand National
One of the smallest events on the yearly racing calendar, in height at least, this race pits miniature horses and their child-jockeys against each other in front of big crowds and even the queen herself.
Tetbury Woolsack Race
Dating back hundreds of years, the tradition of Tetbury natives racing with live sheep on their backs in a show of strength and bravado has since been slightly lessened to a sack of wool, though it is still quite a watch-worthy spectacle.
World Toe-Wrestling Championship
Toe-Wrestling might not be the most watched sport in the world, but it may be one of the most intriguing. Each round, or toe-down, sees competitors lock toes and try to force their opponent out of bounds.
World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship
Eating nettles may not seem like the best way to spend a summer afternoon but wait until you try it competitively. In Dorset the annual eating competition draws hundreds of visitors, unperturbed by the black-stained tongue the juices of the nettle leave behind.
Egg Jarping Competition
Smashing hard-boiled eggs together is just as much fun as it sounds. Up in Durham the annual World Jarping Championships bring together those of like minds to revel in the primal enjoyment of the act for a great day out.
So, if you’re looking for a completely different sporting experience, why not check out some of these amazing events to be found around Britain in 2018.
