Some Crazy British 'Sports' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Worm-charming

There are strict rules set in place concerning the very serious business of worm-charming. Each competitor has to gather as many worms as possible from a three yards square plot of land in a set time. No digging, or using liquids of any kind is allowed. Singing is permitted as is chanting magic rhymes, tapping the surface and imitating the worms' mating calls.

As of 2007 the world record-holder is the marvelously named Tom Shufflebotham with the outstanding achievement of charming 511 worms in a mere 30 minutes! Applause, whistles and bells! Specialist equipment is usually required for fly-swatting; a rolled up magazine or newspaper is essential. No formal world championships take place. Many people get a buzz from bee-keeping but there are only contests for the best honey. Llama-racing does not exist as a sport in the UK but there are llama-trekking facilities in some areas.

Answer: Bog-snorkling

The first bog-snorkling world championship was held at Llanwrtyd Wells in 1985 and has become an annual contest attracting contestants and competitors from all over the world (well from Mid-Wales anyway). A 60-yard trench was cut through a peat-bog and contestants must negotiate two lengths wearing snorkels and flippers, wetsuits are usually worn but die-hard bog-snorklers scorn such frippery. As of 2007, the world record-holder is Joanne Pitchforth with a time of 1 minute and 35 seconds. Other events held at the same meeting include bog mountain biking and a bog-snorkling triathlon.

Answer: Cheese-rolling

A large round Double-Gloucester cheese is set rolling at the top of a steep hill and a group of competitors must run after the cheese and try to catch it.
The cheese is rarely caught as it is estimated it can reach speeds approaching 70mph! Injuries to competitors are common however, with various ankle injuries topping the list. The local St John's ambulance service administer first aid and ferry the more badly injured to local hospitals. The event dated back at least 200 years, possibly longer, and its popularity shows no sign of diminishing.

Answer: Conkers

The first world conker championship was held in 1965 and has taken place on the second Sunday in October. The 'nut' from a horse chestnut tree is threaded onto a piece of string and competeitors take turns to try and break each others conker. Notable contestants have included "Monty Python" regular Michael Palin who was disqualified in 1993 for 'doctoring' his conker, the shame of it! It is a wonderful sport for the British as we almost always win, the only time the championship has gone abroad so far was in 1998 when it was won by Helmut Kern, a German, boo, hiss.

There are big international competitions for both marbles and tiddleywinks; sounds way too serious for me. British bulldog was a game played in school yards, it was a cross between 'tig n tag' and 'catch' and often had quite violent outcomes.

It is now banned at most schools on 'Health and Safety' issues.

Answer: Underwater hockey

Underwater hockey (also known as octopush) was first created in Britain in 1954 by Alan Blake of Southsea Sub-Aqua Club. Most of the action takes place on the floor of a swimming pool and competitors wear snorkels.
Swamp football was created in Finland; the first British championship was held in Dunoon in Scotland in 2006. Wheelchair basketball was created in the US during the 1940s, both disabled and able-bodied players can compete in many competitions. Donkey polo (instead of the usual horses) is a popular fun activity in some parts of the world; it too probably has its origins in America.

Answer: Lawn mower racing

Modified sit-on lawnmowers are used for this sport; the blades are removed for safety reasons but the engines should not be tampered with. Employees of an American oil product company saw an early lawn-mower contest and decided it was just what the States needed. They helped set up the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association which organise the annual lawn-mower race at Twelve Mile in Indiana. At least two video arcade games feature this increasingly popular sport.

Answer: Welly-wanging

The art of a good welly-wang is in the arm movement; you must get maximum speed through the shoulder and down the forearm to the welly. The noble art of throwing a wellington boot as far as possible probably started in Yorkshire. It has now spread throughout the English speaking world (and beyond) and is known as gumboot throwing in New Zealand but it seems like the world championships are held in Finland. Wetwang is a small village in east Yorkshire where all the men wear flat caps and parade their whippets (small greyhounds) every day.

This is not just peculiar to Wetwang, it is normal behaviour for all Yorkshiremen. Willow warblers are birds which are common Summer visitors to Britain. They do have a lovely song but they all sound pretty much the same so a competition between them would be pointless.

Answer: A sack of wool

Carrying a heavy sack of wool (around 60 pounds)along a 280 yard course with uphill gradients of around 1 in 4 is not for the faint-hearted. However this race has been in existence for many hundreds of years, it is thought it originates from 'refreshed' local men trying to impress the girls after the day's sheepshearing had finished, show-offs! These days there is a separate women's race. What is it with Gloucestershire folk? If they're not chasing cheeses downhill then they're carrying great sacks of wool back up them!

Answer: Dyke-jumping

Dyke-jumping is somewhat akin to pole-vaulting except the competitors aim for distance not height. The other big difference is that you have to jump across a wide ditch or dyke; get it wrong and you get very wet. Although popular in parts of East Anglia, The sport of dyke-jumping originates, not too surprisingly, in Friesland in northern Holland. Tossing the caber (a large log) is an integral part of the Scottish Highland Games.

The World Toe Wrestling Competition began life in Derbyshire in 1976 and has high hopes of Olympic recognition one day. Gurning is a peculiar form of entertainment from Cumbria; it basically involves pulling daft faces.

The international event is held each September at the Crab fair, Egremont in Cumbria.

Answer: Extreme ironing

The story goes that Phil Shaw come home from work one evening and the thought of ironing didn't appeal even though it had to be done. He would much rather have been out rock-climbing; so being a practical sort of chap he decided to combine the two; the sport of extreme ironing was born.

He promoted the activity using the alias 'Steam' and it has become popular in countries as wide apart as Germany and New Zealand. as well as ironing on tops of mountains, competitors have ironed on top of famous landmarks, down river rapids, under the sea and even while bungee-jumping. Extreme-ironing while doing a naked bungee-jump; now that should make your eyes water.