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By Ed Holt
Published: | Updated:
The World Conker Championships are under threat after the unseasonably high winds caused Horse Chestnuts to fall a month early.
Organisers of the championship, which is held annually in October in Northamptonshire, now fear that the 2024 edition could be called off amid the shortfall.
School Children playing with conkers has been a common sight across Britain for centuries. The game involves threading the Horse Chestnut seeds onto a piece of string and taking turns striking each others conkers attempting to break them.
Now the 250 players and 1,500 fans who attend the World Conker Championships are facing disappoint as organisers warn the tournament faces cancellation.
They claim that because conkers are already starting to fall in September – due to the strong winds and freak near-freezing conditions – they could be unusable by the October 13 championship.
A Chelsea Pensioner takes part in the 2022 World Conker Championships. This year’s tournament could be called off after the unseasonably high winds caused Horse Chestnuts to fall a month early
A freshly dropped conker. Conkers can only be played with when fresh as they become too hard to play with after seven days and will not break when struck. As they are already starting to fall they could be unusable in the upcoming tournament in October
School Children playing with conkers has been a common sight across Britain for centuries. The game involves threading the Horse Chestnut seeds onto a piece of string and taking turns striking each others conkers attempting to break them (stock image)
This is because conkers can only be played with when fresh as they become too hard to play with after seven days and will not break when struck.
Contestants need 3,000 nuts to fall next month for the tournament.
World Conker Championships spokesperson St John Burkett said: ‘It looks like a crisis for conkers this year. We’re in trouble. We are very worried we won’t have enough nuts to play with. Many have fallen far too early and will be of no use.
‘It’s one thing after another with the weather. There are far fewer conkers left on the trees after the strong winds, and the cold weather made it worse.
‘Conkers only keep for seven days before becoming unplayable as they are too hard. And you can’t play with nuts which don’t break.’
The championships started in 1965 and in its 58 year history has only been cancelled once in 2011 – which was due to bad weather.
Two men dressed as Elvis and Spiderman taking part in the 2022 World Conker Championships. The championships started in 1965 and in its 58 year history has only been cancelled once in 2011 – which was due to bad weather
Despite remaining a popular game in the playground, one in six schools has banned conkers amid fears of injury or, bizarrely, triggering a nut allergy – even though conkers, which are produced by horse chestnut trees, aren’t nuts
In 2018, a last-minute nationwide conker appeal saved the championships amid a nut shortage, with enthusiasts bringing them from as far away as Scotland and Cornwall.
Mark Hunter and Jasmine Tetley are the current male and female champions in the sport have both won last year’s tournament.
Despite remaining a popular game in the playground, one in six schools has banned conkers amid fears of injury or, bizarrely, triggering a nut allergy – even though conkers, which are produced by horse chestnut trees, aren’t nuts.
And in the digital age fewer children are interested in the centuries old game enjoyed by generations of Brits.
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