Tug of War athletes from across the United Kingdom and Ireland will descend on Bedford this weekend, as the Tug of War British and Irish Indoor Championships takes place at Bedford International Athletics Stadium.
Teams from across the nation will be competing for gold medals in Men’s, Ladies’, and mixed weight categories in an effort to be crowned 2026 British and Irish indoor tug of war champions as part of the sport’s own five nations event.
While the Bedford Ladies Tug of War team continue to dominate the sport in outdoor settings, they currently do not have an indoor squad, but they do have some members pulling for England, while the rest of the squad will be there offering their support from the sidelines.
Read: Bedford Ladies Tug of War team strike gold at British and Irish Championships
This tournament is taking place in the backdrop of a bid from the Tug of War International Federation, who are submitting an official bid for the sport to be included in the 2032 Olympic Games, due to be held in Brisbane, Australia.
This latest home nations event will take place on Saturday, 7 February, with an open club competition to be held following the completion of the international event on Sunday, 8 February.
England will be going into the championships with high hopes after winning gold medals in the indoor championships that took place in Newport, Wales in 2025.
However, all of the nations competing will be confident, with England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland having all won world indoor tug of war titles in recent years.
Olympics on the horizon?
The event follows the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) submitting its official bid to reintroduce Tug of War to the Olympic Games at Brisbane 2032, a full 112 years after its final appearance at Antwerp 1920.
TWIF recently submitted its formal proposal to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, advocating for the sport’s inclusion based on its strong alignment with Olympic values – teamwork, equality, sustainability, and universality.
“Tug of War represents teamwork and fair play at its purest. We are proud to support this historic campaign to see our sport return to the Olympic stage”, commented Tug of War Association spokesman, Alan Knott.
“We really hope that this bid is successful. England and the other home nations have a proud track record in tug of war, and 2025 was a ground breaking year for us, which saw Great Britain win gold in the tug of war event at the 2025 World Games in China.
“We also hosted the 2025 TWIF World Tug of War championships in Nottingham, which saw teams from England win a total of 15 medals, five of which were golds, across a range of junior, Under 23, and senior weight classes for Men’s, Women’s and mixed teams.
“Tug of War is practiced as a sport in more than 70 countries worldwide, with both Men’s, Women’s, and mixed team competitions. Its simplicity and accessibility make it ideal for the modern Olympic movement and for engaging audiences across all ages and cultures.”
The British and Irish Indoor Tug of War Championships take place in the indoor sports hall at the Bedford International Athletics Stadium on Barkers Lane across Saturday, 7 February and Sunday, 8 February.
Competitions on both days start at 10.00am and spectator entry is free. For further details about tug of war, visit the Tug of War Association website at www.tugofwar.co.uk/.
