Grasmere Sports to Crown Under-10s Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling World Champ

-       The next-gen Dwayne Johnson could emerge amidst the fells of Cumbria

Wrestling stars of the future could be on show in the English Lake District this summer, as Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show announces it has been awarded the right to stage the prestigious Under-10s Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling World Championship.

The competition for under-10 wrestlers will take place at the event, scheduled for August 28, 2022, and will feature both boys and girls, in one mixed-gender competition.  The show, first established in 1868, is returning after a two-year absence due to Covid-19, the only time, apart from during the Second World War, that it has ever been cancelled. 

Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show will welcome young wrestlers for this World Championship competition, alongside wrestlers in various male weight classes, other age groups and in a women’s competition.

The ancient sport of Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling has been part of the cultural tradition of the Lake District for centuries and has been well-documented in newspapers and books for over two hundred years.  Its appeal for young wrestlers will be partly rooted in this heritage and the sense of place the sport enjoys in the fell landscape around Grasmere, but youngsters may also relish the chance to potentially one day become the next ‘Rock’ or Hulk Hogan.

That is because professional wrestling has been built on rural grassroots traditional versions of the sport, as noted in the All-party Parliamentary Enquiry into Professional Wrestling in Britain, in 2021 – the very first such review of the sport.[i]   Wrestling has enjoyed a huge resurgence and made household names of people like Dwayne Johnson, now one of the highest paid actors in the world, earning around $90m a year.

Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling has its own set of rules and techniques, however, and could constitute a great grounding in other up-and-coming sports, such as mixed martial arts and taekwondo – a martial art in which stars like Bianca Walkden and Jade Jones have had such success at Olympic games.

The young wrestlers will need to literally get to grips with this Cumbrian sport, if they are to succeed and take home the title.  This is ‘backhold’ wrestling, with the competitors starting chest to chest, taking a grip around the opponent’s body and resting their chins on each other’s right shoulders, as the contest begins.

Once the referee shouts ‘on guard’ they need to have their wits about them.  When the word ‘wrestle’ is heard, they can start to lift, swing, twist or trip their opponent, to try to achieve the ultimate goal of a ‘fall’.  The contest is won by the first wrestler to achieve three falls, with that being adjudged to be when a part of their opponent’s body, other than their feet, has touched the ground.

The youngsters will need to have practised their moves, in order to emerge triumphant as a World Champion.  These moves are categorised as ‘hipes’ (all the lifting throws), ‘buttocks’ (the twisting throws) and trips, of which there are techniques such as the inside click, cross click, back heel and outside stroke.

This sport traditionally saw competitors wearing long johns, embroidered vests and a velvet centrepiece.  This tradition still exists and many proud mothers and grandmothers may well send their children along to Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show with such a costume.  Nowadays, however, the highly decorative strips are largely just for the costume competition and, when the competitors take to the ring, it is a less fancy strip that is worn.

Grasmere Sports does still encourage competitors to don a traditional costume, however, which calls for a pair of socks to be worn, along with long johns or tightly fitted leggings, an elasticated centrepiece around the waist and a singlet vest or tee-shirt.  It must not be muddy or torn prior to competing and can be of any colour.  Girls can wrestle in a kilt, shorts or tracksuit bottoms.

“In the past, the formality of the costume has deterred young wrestlers from getting involved,” says Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show’s  Sports and Field Manager, Deborah Black.  “With some relaxation of the rules on dress and the chance to scoop a world championship title, which could then potentially help start a journey towards becoming the next big name in wrestling, we expect concerns about apparel to evaporate somewhat.

“We cannot wait to welcome many keen young Cumberland and Westmorland wrestlers to Grasmere and to award the World Championship trophy and title to the most successful on the day. The young wrestlers who compete in 2022, could well be our future male and female champions in future years and there’s every opportunity for visitors to watch and enjoy their progress.”

Youngsters who are not from a family with a heritage in this sport, need not be deterred from taking it up.  The Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling Association (CWWA) has videos demonstrating the moves that must be mastered and there are three clubs in Cumbria, teaching the sport at present. With several months in which to become adept with all those hipes, buttocks and trips, there is no excuse not to give it a go.

More details about Grasmere Sports and Lakeland Show can be found at www.grasmeresports.com

[i] https://www.alexdaviesjones.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/833/2021/04/Final-APPG-Wrestling-April-2021_compressed.pdf

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Editors notes

Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show is an iconic event taking place in the heart of the English Lake District on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Its long historic roots date back to 1868 and it is renowned for its fell running, hound trails and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling competitions, as well as being a fantastic family day out.