Over time, any game can be turned into a competition. Elite sport is considered the pinnacle of competition, with hundreds of disciplines being practiced across the globe – from football to chess, and everything in between. We’re going to have a little fun and share with you some more obscure competitions that most people wouldn’t even consider to be an international event but are. Did you know about any of these?
Pea Shooting
Known as ‘the sport for everyone’, pea shooting is a real sporting competition. There’s even a National Pea Shooting Association and, on 11th October 2014, they presented the first U.S. National Pea Shooting Championship. You place a pea in a shooter, point the shooter at the target, blow, and aim to get the pea in the center of the target – it’s that simple.
Rock, Paper, Scissors
The UK Rock Paper Scissor Championship takes place every year in central London. 250 competitors battle through seven knockout rounds until only one ultimate winner remains. The grand prize is a cool £100, trophy and bottle of champagne – not to mention a bucket load of respect. If you love playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, be sure to sign up for the next event, and take a look at Ladbrokes’ guide to the game in the meantime.
Finger Jousting
Finger poking sports have a long history, but in the summer of 2005 it all came down to one young man being inspired to found an international organization dedicated to the specific sport of finger jousting, the World Finger Jousting Federation. The rules are long and extensive, making sure that everyone plays by their guidelines. The events take place all over the world.
Shin Kicking
Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olimpicks have been running for over 400 years, and one of the sports included in the time-honored event is shin kicking, which has been involved from the off in 1612. The rules have been improved since then, making it a lot safer – steel toe caps are banned for one thing.
Worm Charming
The Worm Charming event was first devised by Mr John Bailey who was the deputy headmaster of Willaston County Primary School in Nantwich, Cheshire. It was designed as a fundraising event, as part of the school fete, in 1980. Competitors compete for a trophy in the shape of a golden rampant worm, which is awarded to the person charming the most worms from their plot in 30 minutes – yes, you heard that right.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to weird and wonderful games that actually stand as sports all over the world. Would you be tempted to take part in any of these unusual games with a real competition atmosphere?