One of Bedford’s strengths in the world of sport remains the tug of war arena, and the ever successful Bedford Ladies team are now gearing up for a key couple of months on the national and international stage.
Bedford Ladies are the team selected to represent England ‘B’ at the upcoming British and Irish Tug of War Championships in Cork, Ireland, from 8 August, and the World Tug of War Championships in South Africa in September.
The team will be defending the 520kg weight class title in Ireland following their success in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in July 2025, where a solely Bedford team pulled England to another gold medal.
Read: Bedford Ladies Tug of War team strike gold at British and Irish Championships
The British and Irish Championships in Cork will provide an important opportunity for England’s athletes to test themselves against the best teams from across the British Isles before heading to South Africa for the World Championships in September.
Tug of War Association spokesman, Alan Knott is wishing all the teams good luck ahead of an important eight weeks.
“The Tug of War Association wishes all selected athletes, coaches and support staff every success as they prepare to represent England on the international stage”, said Alan.
“After a hugely successful 2025 season where English teams won a total of 15 medals in club and international competition at the World Championships we hosted in Nottingham, including 6 gold medals, 2025 will be a very tough act to follow.
“We have every confidence that our teams will continue to be competitive on the world stage and we are hopeful that our teams will bring home some medals once again this year.”
An Olympic sized return?
Tug of War is a sport that is steeped in ancient history, but nowadays sees teams of eight contest in different weight classes, with Men’s, Women’s and Mixed teams.
Bedford’s Ladies side have enjoyed success at every level since their inception in 1988, with medals at regional, national and international level, with regular trips overseas to the compete in the pinnacle of the sport.
Most recently, the Bedford team has picked up a silver and four bronze medals at the English Championships held at Upper Eden in Cumbria, while Bedford defended the Amateur Athletic Association title for an eighth successive year in May in the 520kg class.
Tug of War is applying to return to the Olympic arena for the first time in 112 years, as the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) hope to bring the sport back to the masses in time for the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia.
A decision on the inclusion of tug of war as a sport for Brisbane 2032 is expected in due course.
But first, the UK’s finest pullers descend on Cork to compete for a national title, before Mossel Bay in South Africa awaits for what is currently the biggest prize of them all.
You can find out more about the Tug of War World Championships via the Tug of War Association here.
