Bedford Ladies Tug of War side have cemented their place as one of the strongest sides on the planet in winning a World silver medal in the 540kg open class at the Tug of War World Championships in Mannheim, Germany.
The side had worked their way through local, regional and national championships to reach the biggest stage of all throughout the year and have come home with a well-deserved silver medal after they were officially invited to represent England at the 2024 World Championships.
Read: Bedford’s Tug of War team win golds at National Championships
Three golds and a silver at the National Championships in Devon secured the team’s place at the showpiece event and they got all the way to the final in the 540kg Open Club competition but lost out 3-0 to Jingmei Dai Shi Dai of the Chinese Taipei.
There was also an impressive performance in the 540kg closed competition but Bedford just missed out on the medals in the bronze medal pull-off, finishing in fourth place.
The Bedford side were also in a highly competitive Ladies 500kg Open Championship, where the team finished third in their group, and just missed out on making the semi finals.
After another terrific season, the team now take a break before the indoor action begins, but it won’t be long before their outdoor journey starts again, with the European Championships hosted on home soil in Nottingham in April 2025.
The World Games are also taking place in Chengdu, China but with funding still at a minimum, there are doubts as to whether Bedford’s side will be able to attend.
Tug of War competitors receive no funding from any sports organisations; their efforts in Germany were funded by a fundraiser and with costs naturally much higher in travelling to Asia, their participation is in doubt.
There will also be the challenge of working their way through the stages once again to reach the World Championships in 2025, but for now, the team can sit back and celebrate what has been another stellar year in the world of Tug of War.
