Unusual sports in the UK Sports in Great Britain project Interesting about sports in Great Britain
Today you will not find a person who does not know what football, baseball or hockey is. These main sports are played literally everywhere: in the yard, at school, even in prisons. However, there are other, less popular, but much more exciting and unusual sports that you should be aware of.
The types that we will tell you about are probably too strange to be included in the Olympic, but still there are followers of such hobbies that even hold competitions all over the world - from local to international. This article covers the most extreme and bizarre of them, so get ready - we will definitely surprise you. Here are 12 unusual sports.
Checkbox
Let's start with the strangest. How can you possibly combine these two completely different sports? Yes, this is chess + boxing! In principle, both are strategic attempts to outsmart the enemy. This is the ultimate challenge that requires the involvement of both the brain and muscles. In this hybrid sport, players alternate rounds of chess and boxing, trying to either knock each other down or checkmate an opponent. The game lasts up to 11 rounds, and the winner is either the one who ultimately won chess, or the one who knocked the opponent out of the ring. In some cases, the judges will decide the winner.
This sport is mainly played in Germany and England. It gained its popularity thanks to one comic that was published in 1992 by the French comic artist Enki Bilal.
Wife Transfer Obstacle Competition
This sport came to us from Finland. During this event, male rivals must go through a series of obstacles, and the sooner they do it, the better for them, but at the same time, each man must carry his wife on his back. There are three ways how to carry a spouse correctly: across the back, firefighter (over the shoulder) or Estonian (on the back, upside down). The latter is obviously the most popular.
Diving
This is not just scuba diving, but a swim in a peat bog with snorkel and fins. Conventional equipment for such sports is not allowed here, but it is recommended to wear normal swimming trunks. The competition is held annually in Wales (UK).
Underwater hockey
This is a new hobby for Australian diving enthusiasts and fans of extreme sports, which spectators watch on monitors. Underwater hockey rules are very similar to the classic ice hockey game. What's even more extreme is that the game is played under ice, without oxygen, on a 6 x 8 meter rink. Each period is 10 minutes long with a 10 minute break for divers to warm up. Players must surface for a dose of air every 30 seconds.
Quidditch
Yes, we've all read the Harry Potter books or watched the movies, and we all know what Quidditch is. For those who, for some reason, are not familiar with this sport, we will tell you. Quidditch is a magical competition in which two teams take part, each with seven players. They fly on brooms, and there are four balls involved in the game. Players assemble real brooms for themselves and try to throw balls into circular hoops at opposite ends of the field, much the same as in the book.
Bossball
This team sport came to us from Spain. Bossball is very similar to volleyball, but also includes elements of soccer, gymnastics and capoeira. The game is played on a huge inflatable trampoline. Integrated additional trampolines on each side allow players to bounce high enough to throw the ball. Believe it or not, this game is very addictive!
Playing polo on bicycles
This activity is much like regular polo, except that the participants “saddle” their unicycle to chase the ball. Imagine how difficult it is, because they need to balance on one wheel while trying to hit the ball. Seriously, if you're bored or want to kill time, try something like this. It's pretty fun.
Extreme ironing
It all started in England when a bored guy named Phil Shaw decided to take ironing to a whole new level. The point of this extreme sport is to grab your ironing boards and clothes and travel to remote and unusual places where you will have to iron things and still shoot everything with your camera or just take a photo. There is even a special TV program called Extreme Ironing.
Games for brave firefighters
Firefighters also get bored, naturally, at a time when they do not save lives. So they came up with a game. The rules are pretty simple: competitors climb a high wall, set up a ladder, and then climb to the top. The winner is the one who gets to the top faster than the competitors. This crazy sport is about the speed of a sprinter, the grace of a panther, and the headgear of a rock climber.
Bubble soccer / Ball soccer
The rules of the game are almost the same as in standard football. All you need is a ball and a bunch of friends. Using a bouncy ball, you can push and knock other players and shoot the ball. If playing football isn't that exciting anymore, you can always try this weird variation.
Pumpkin racing
Basically, any pumpkin lover can take part in this weird yet fun race. All you have to do is find a huge pumpkin and make a boat out of it, that is, hollow out all the contents of the vegetable. It is also very important to decorate your boat somehow. So get creative! There are no special rules, but you need to swim very fast. The bottom line is that it is not very convenient to operate such an unusual tool on the water.
Throwing a log
This sport is special because, unlike the ones we talked about earlier, it has historical roots. Log throwing is a traditional Scottish sporting event in which opponents throw large wooden posts. Nevertheless, the point of the game is not to throw the log as far as possible, but rather to land the top of the log next to the person who is throwing it. And, of course, all competitors wear kilts.
Speaking of sports, it is customary to mention "Sports No. 1", "The most popular kind of sport", "Queen of sports", which is not surprising, given the increasing commercial component. This is where big money, scandals and top news are spinning.
But initially sport is a means to maintain a healthy state of mind and body. Today in the world there are many kinds of sports, albeit not as popular as, say, football, but no less gambling and exciting.
Some competitions may be unusual, but this gives them an additional flavor. Let's talk about the most unusual sports that have already received some recognition.
Underwater hockey
Despite the fact that ice hockey is constantly heard, as well as field hockey, there is also such an exotic variety of this sport. At the same time, it is already quite old, having been invented back in 1950 in the UK by local divers, who thus decided to maintain their shape. And the popularity of this type is growing rapidly - after all, you don't have to spend as much money on equipment as in traditional hockey. Moreover, people of different genders and physical fitness can play the underwater variety - the underwater world significantly smoothes the difference between people. On each side in teams of 6 people. They drive the puck along the bottom of a pool 2 meters deep and 25x15 meters in size. The player puts on fins, a mask and a snorkel, gloves are put on his hands, and a plastic stick 30.5 cm long acts as an analogue of a stick. Even a bathing suit is not required here, although it is desirable to have one. The goal in underwater hockey is as much as 3 meters wide, and the puck weighs as much as 1.36 kg. The game is divided into 2 halves of 15 minutes each.
Swamp football
The most popular sport has many "younger" brothers. One of the more exotic is swamp football, which many have already heard of. After all, there is even a World Championship in this sport. It was not the footballer who invented such a variety, but the skier Esa Romppainen. Perhaps, in this way, he wanted to laugh at the glamorous modern football players, and the joke to some extent succeeded. And swamp football fans were quickly found. The world championships have been held since 1989, and regular international competitions since 2000. Usually battles are held in the Finnish Huryunsalmi. I must say that swamp football is also played in Russia. Since 2000, the National Championship has been regularly held in the swamps near the village of Novaya, Tosnensky District, Leningrad Region. The rules of the game are very similar to regular football, but there are some nuances. The game will certainly take place in a mud or a swamp, while players are not allowed to change boots during the game. The field size here is 60 by 25 meters. In teams of 6 people, and the game takes place in 2 halves of 13 minutes. Such a relatively short time is enough for the players to find themselves from head to toe in the mud. For substitutions, the game does not stop, and free kicks are given with hands. Swamp football brings great joy to both the fans and the players themselves. It often seems that the winner is not the one who scored the most goals, but the one who gets more muddy.
Lawn mower racing
Few of those who use a lawn mower to create a beautiful lawn imagine the possibilities of this machine as a means of transportation. The idea of holding unusual competitions matured back in the mid-70s. Then the racing car was too expensive (however, and now little has changed in this regard), so the fans of high-speed competitions decided to use what is at hand - a lawn mower. Competitions set as their goal only to get positive emotions and good pastime, no prize money is provided. All proceeds from events are spent on charity. To participate in the competition, no special skills are required, it is necessary that the athletes are inspected, and their units are checked for technical compliance with the rules. There are even 4 groups of participants, depending on the equipment of the lawn mowers. For safety reasons, the blades are removed before arrival. Although from the outside, such races seem fun and easy, in fact, this activity is quite difficult and exhausting, there are even 12-hour races. Lawnmower racing is very popular in the United States, but soon we should expect the sport to spread throughout the world among speed lovers.
Checkbox
In this sport, its creators were able to combine two seemingly incompatible varieties. Chessboxing combines the fusion of the mind and physical strength of an athlete. As a result, a person should be quite versatile, balanced and physically gifted. The first official battles took place quite recently, in 2003. However, for a short time of its life, chessboxing has already gained a fairly large number of fans, an increasing number of athletes want to join smart boxing. There are only 11 rounds in chess boxing, while six are given to chess itself, and five to boxing. In the last round, they play chess. Each game lasts 4 minutes, so each opponent is given 12 minutes to think over the moves in the quick chess half of the match. If the time is exceeded, the batch is immediately terminated. In boxing, each round lasts 2 minutes. There is a 1 minute pause between rounds so that athletes can put on or take off their gloves. A victory in chessboxing is awarded either by mating the opponent, or by the opponent exceeding time to think about his move, or by surrendering the opponent. In the boxing part, the knockout or stoppage of the fight by the referee is important because of the clear advantage of one of the parties. There is even the World Chess Boxing Organization, which has put forward the slogan: "Battles take place in the ring, and wars are fought on the board!"
Royal football
This kind of football, by the way, is already 800 years old, although very few people have heard of it. It is curious that in addition to ordinary football, royal football includes many other sports: aquatic flooring, rugby and others. And the very name "football" stuck to this competition later. It used to be simple city fun. The term "royal" stuck to the sport in 1928, when the Prince of Wales personally started the next competition. Competitions are held annually during Olive Week in Ashbourne, England. As in regular football, the main goal here is to score a goal. Only for this you will have to sweat a lot. The gates are two large mills at different ends of the city, and the city itself is the playing field. The match takes place from 14 to 22 hours, the players are divided into "southerners" and "northerners". The ball can be delivered to the target in any way, it is forbidden only to fight and use power techniques. The ball must not be transported on a vehicle or hidden. Parks, cemeteries, historical sites are excluded from the field of action, so as not to harm them. As a result, the action strongly resembles a numerous wrestling match, but people really like it.
Cheese racing
Even the very name of this sport makes you smile. After all, usually a mouse is chasing cheese, what does a person have to do with it? In fact, in pursuit of entertainment, they come up with other things. In addition, in antiquity, people needed bright adventures more urgently, and this kind of sport arose quite a long time ago. Today even the British are arguing with the French about who exactly invented the cheese race. The meaning of the competition is pretty simple. First, all the participants stand on the top of the hill, then the cheese is thrown and everything that is strong runs after it. The winner is the one who catches the dairy product circle at the foot of the mountain. A participant can have absolutely any clothing. The winner, as the main prize, receives not only a monetary reward, but also the sports equipment itself - a cheese head weighing 3.5 kg. Although from the outside, this kind of fun seems to be fun, in fact, this kind of sport is quite traumatic - a rare race does without fractures and injuries. At one time, racing for cheese in England was even banned. After some time, the competition was again allowed, but the herbs remained an integral part of the games. And how can this stop popular sports fans? Its popularity continues to grow today.
Racquetball
This game is similar in appearance to regular tennis, however, it originated by mixing the basics of handball and squash. The basic rules came from squash, but what does handball have to do with it? In 1949, Joe Sobek proposed to play a squash game on the handball field and use short paddles instead of rackets. It is this person who is called today the creator of racquetball. He did a lot for the development of this sport and its popularization. In 1979, the International Racquetball Federation was founded, and already 2 years later, the first World Championship was held. This attracted attention, which officially recognized the sport as an emerging sport. In 1995, racquetball was even included in the Pan American Games. Today, more than 17 million people from 70 countries of the world are involved in this sport. In Russia, this sport remains unusual, which was the reason for its inclusion in this list. The game is split into two sets, which last up to 15 points. In the event of a tie in the parties, the third set is assigned to 11 points. An interesting feature is that only the server can win a point, but if the receiver won it, then he simply takes the serve without winning points. A similar system existed recently in volleyball. Either 1 or 2 players take part in the game. The main task is to hit the ball before the second touch of the floor, while the ball can also touch the walls. The position of the racket when touching the ball is very important. Ideally, it should be perpendicular to the floor upon impact. The list of compulsory equipment includes a racket, a ball, goggles and shoes. Shoes are usually chosen in white so as not to leave marks on the floor. Racquetball is gaining popularity because it does not require special skills. In addition, here and an awkward hit can bring success, unlike tennis. Racquetball helps build stamina, significantly improving physical fitness.
Sports sauna
Many men will exclaim that the sauna simply cannot be a sport, how can simple relaxation be for them? In fact, everything is not so, because athletes in saunas do not rest at all, but fight in endurance in the sweat of their brow, and in the literal sense. Stamina and excellent physical shape are very important here. In fact, the sauna can turn out to be insidiously dangerous, it is no coincidence that an ambulance team is always on duty at competitions. In this sport, the recognized favorites are the Finns, only once did a Russian woman manage to win the 2009 World Championship. And don't be surprised to see such high-profile competitions. By the way, athletes have to pay 50 euros to take part in them. For fans, entrance costs 15 euros. The competitions are quite popular - in 2009, 150 athletes from 22 countries took part in them. This sport is quite difficult, the participants literally exhaust themselves. Indeed, in the Sunnah, a constant temperature of 110 degrees is maintained, and steam is given in every 30 seconds. To do this, a liter of water is poured onto the hot stones. You cannot lie in the sauna, as well as lean against the walls. Eventually the participant must be able to get out of the sauna on their own.
Football
And there is no typo in this term. Few have heard of this sport, because, moreover, it is only a few years old. The invention of the Ukrainians is distinguished by the fact that here on the field two balls are played simultaneously. The first match took place on October 26, 2007 between the team of the bank and the construction institute. The organizers had to give a 10-minute briefing before the start of the fight to explain all the rules. However, neither the players nor even the referees really understood anything. There was a mess on the pitch, it was not even possible to establish the score of the game right away. As a result, they somehow revealed the victory of the bankers with a score of 15: 8, they were proclaimed the winners and immediately the world champions. The Ukrainians decided not to complicate the fight for the title. The rules are the same here as in big football, the goal and field are the same size. There are two balls here, as has been said, pink and blue. There are 11 players in each team, however, an unlimited number of substitutions are allowed. The course of the game is monitored by four referees at once - two for each ball. The flags of the assistants are also painted in the color of the balls. The referees' whistles also have a different sound, so that the players and the audience could understand exactly where the game was stopped. But there is no offside rule here. The creators of football are determined to develop their sport. In 2010, it is planned to hold the first championship of the city of Kiev, in which 16 teams will take part. While both tactics and player movement seem insane today, perhaps footdullball will take its rightful place among popular sports.
Throwing mobile phones
It seems that the motto of this type of athletes is: "Throw away everything old as far as possible." And although laughter remains laughter, there is even a World Championship in Mobile Phone Throwing. And the prize fund is quite impressive. Interestingly, the winner is determined not only by the distance of the throw, but by the artistry of its execution. So, in 2008, the winner was a dog that, with unprecedented grace, was able to perform a phone throw a few centimeters. The competitions are traditionally held in Helsinki. There is also a category of juniors, also with its own prize fund. The world record for throwing a mobile phone is now 95 meters! Tournament organizers attract celebrities to popularize this sport - Naomi Campbell and Russell Crowe are planning to participate in the 2011 competitions.
Tour wrestling
Arm wrestling is known to everyone, but toe wrestling is not so famous. Athletes enter the ring and interlock with their big toes, although their posture for wrestling is rather uncomfortable. World cups in this unusual sport have been held since 1970. Here the fight is carried out in different weight categories, separately on the right and left legs. Allen Nash, a 49-year-old man, became the 2010 World Champion. Perhaps one of his tricks was the pungent smell of socks and feet, for which the athlete even received the nickname "nasty". But he became known all over the world after winning the 20-minute final. This sport is also known as foot wrestling. This sport is most loved in Asia, although it officially originated in Scotland in the Middle Ages. There, the knights loved to organize tournaments on wrestling with their feet during the halts of military campaigns.
Tractor racing
Even if these competitions are not as fast as Formula 1, they are quite entertaining. Such races are held annually in the Rostov region under the name "Bizon Track Show". It is becoming a good tradition for agricultural producers from all over the country to come to participate in this extreme rally. In addition to the excitement of a sense of speed, the winner will receive a new tractor with an original tuning as a prize. As a result, both the participants and the audience remain satisfied, and this is the main thing in any competition. Every year the track changes and becomes more and more difficult. Typically, the speed of tractors does not exceed 30 km / h, although in some areas they accelerate to 75 km / h. Special attention is paid to safety engineering here. It is recommended to observe the competition while standing on a hill in order to protect against accidents in the behavior of formidable machines. However, technical inspection is also mandatory for cars, besides, old engines on them are replaced with cooled turbochargers, and other parts "sharpened" for racing are used.
Mustache and beard competition
Many will be surprised, but since 2007 this former carnival has been officially recognized as a sporting event. It is not clear what is sporting in wearing beards and mustaches, but the fact remains. The World Championship takes place every 2 years. Owners of the world's most unusual mustaches and beards compete on it. The last time the competition was held in 2009 in the city of Anchorage, Alaska. There are many different categories in the championship, ranging from the thinnest mustache to the largest and most unusual beards. In this case, the judges pay attention not only to the originality of the hair on the face, but also certainly check the authenticity of the hair, the degree of its silkiness and softness.
Dog sled racing without snow
For most people, sled dogs are strongly associated with winter and snow. But there is a sport in which the dogs do not drag their teams through the snow. Such races are already fully promoted. So, the last European Championship was held in the German city of Rasted. It was attended by 300 athletes from 19 countries. The best performances were performed by the Poles, who won 8 medals, including 6 gold ones. The closest competitors were the teams of Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. The races themselves are held on special sleds, which have wheels instead of runners.
Long jump on horseback
This sport even managed to participate in the Olympics! True, it was quite a long time ago - in 1900 in Paris. The meaning of the competition is quite simple - long jump. Only instead of one person the horse jumps together with the rider. When awarding then all the glory went to people, the horses themselves did not rise on the pedestal and did not receive the well-deserved fame and awards. Today, long jumps on horses, as well as high jumps on them, are very popular in France. And now the caring French are preparing sets of awards for horses. The winner's chic dinner includes oats, corn, peas, barley, beans, bran, beets, carrots and potatoes!
In the modern world, more and more new sports are emerging, and some of them are simply amazing.
Many of these competitions remain in the background, despite the large number of loyal fans. Some of these views may be unusual, but this gives them an additional flavor and makes them even more interesting.
1. Underwater hockey
This is a rather traumatic version of ice hockey, with strong shocks and collisions characteristic of it. Add to that the risk of being drowned, and ice hockey seems like child's play.
The rules of this underwater game are the same as in its solid counterpart; the only difference is that the players use wooden or plastic sticks the size of a banana to push a metal washer along the bottom of the pool.
When the game becomes particularly addictive, only the ripples of water created by the intense struggle at the bottom of the pool are visible to the audience.
2. Sports sauna
It would seem, what kind of sport is this? However, in reality, athletes in saunas do not rest at all, but fight in endurance by the sweat of their brows, and in the literal sense. Sauna can be insidiously dangerous, it is no coincidence that an ambulance team is always on duty at competitions.
In this sport, the recognized favorites are the Finns, only once did a Russian woman manage to win the 2009 World Championship. The competitions are quite popular - in 2009, 150 athletes from 22 countries took part in them. This sport is quite difficult, the participants literally exhaust themselves.
After all, the sauna maintains a constant temperature of 110 degrees, and steam is released every 30 seconds. To do this, a liter of water is poured onto the hot stones. You cannot lie in the sauna, as well as lean against the walls. Eventually the participant must be able to get out of the sauna on their own.
3. Throwing mobile phones
Laughter with laughter, but even the World Championship is held in throwing mobile phones. And the prize fund is quite impressive. Interestingly, the winner is determined not only by the distance of the throw, but also by the artistry of its execution.
So, in 2008, the winner was a dog that, with unprecedented grace, was able to perform a phone throw a few centimeters. The competitions are traditionally held in Helsinki. There is also a category of juniors, also with its own prize fund. The world record for throwing a mobile phone is now 95 meters!
Tournament organizers attract celebrities to popularize this sport - Naomi Campbell and Russell Crowe were scheduled to participate in the 2011 competitions.
4. Dog sled racing without snow
For most people, sled dogs are strongly associated with winter and snow. But there is a sport in which the dogs do not drag their teams through the snow.
Such races are already fully promoted. So, the last European Championship was held in the German city of Rasted. It was attended by 300 athletes from 19 countries. The best performances were performed by the Poles, who won 8 medals, including 6 gold ones.
The closest competitors were the teams of Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. The races themselves are held on special sleds, which have wheels instead of runners.
5. Long jump on horseback
This sport even managed to participate in the Olympics! True, it was quite a long time ago - in 1900 in Paris. The meaning of the competition is quite simple - long jump. Only instead of one person the horse jumps together with the rider.
When awarding then all the glory went to people, the horses themselves did not rise on the pedestal and did not receive the well-deserved fame and awards. Today, long jumps on horses, as well as high jumps on them, are very popular in France.
And now the caring French are preparing sets of awards for horses. The winner's chic dinner includes oats, corn, peas, barley, beans, bran, beets, carrots and potatoes!
6. Sepaktakrau
Looking at this photo, you probably think that this popular sport in Southeast Asia is a combination of karate and volleyball. And you are not far from the truth.
The players are throwing the ball from dried palm leaves, and the game itself has a lot in common with similar team play in the West. Sepaktakrau is popular in Asian countries, and in the late 80s and 90s was even carried out in North America.
As in American football, Sepaktakraw players only pass the ball with their heads or feet. The game takes place on a court the size of a badminton court. Two teams of three players on either side of the net try to keep the ball in play for as long as possible. The scoring rules are the same as in volleyball.
7. Dancing with the dog
Dog dancing, also known as canine freestyle, is more like an art than a sport. They combine elements of training, obedience and dance.
Dancing with a dog may seem like a fun pastime to some, but it is actually a sport that pet owners compete in the US, UK, Japan and other countries.
So if you are looking for the perfect dance partner, we advise you to take a look at the encyclopedia of dog breeds.
8. Street light
This sport combines a single sled and sidewalk.
Participants lie down on a device like an oversized skateboard that can accommodate a human body. The rest of the work is done by the force of gravity.
9. Quidditch
As in the Harry Potter books, Quidditch combines magic, athleticism and a touch of bloodlust. Do you think that as a sport, Quidditch simply cannot exist in reality? However, a huge number of Harry Potter fans simply won't let some laws of physics get in their way. These people are without magical abilities, but not devoid of ambition and passion, and they created their own version of Quidditch, though not so magical and dramatic.
The International Quidditch Association, based at Middlebury College in Vermont, has grown in just a few years into a network of hundreds of teams that can be found on every continent. The game applies the same rules and the same scoring system as in the books, with one big difference - no one flies on a broomstick.
10. Dragging wives
Running with wives (Finn. Eukonkanto) is an uncomplicated sport of Finnish origin, which looks like this: husbands overcome all kinds of obstacles with their wife, who hangs upside down, clasping her husband by the neck and back.
Glory is not the only winner's prize. The lucky winners of the Wife Drag World Championship in Sonkajärvi will have a keg of beer weighing the same weight as the winner's wife.
11. Competition in tree felling
It may seem to some that tree felling is a rather routine and dreary job.
However, log-skating or hot-sawing competitions make ordinary lumberjacks real athletes. Competitions also include team relay, speed climbing and endurance games (such as log riding).
12. Buzkashi
It is a national game, characteristic of the Central Asian countries, which is played on horseback - which makes it similar to polo. But there is one serious difference between buzkashi and polo - instead of wooden clubs and a ball, the participants use the carcass of a cow or goat.
A team consists of ten players, five of whom are in play at any given time. Players earn points by dragging the carcass across the opponent's goal line. Given the fact that the game features dead animals, it's no surprise that the game itself is pretty wild, and there are casualties among the audience.
13. Checkbox
This sport combines the fusion of the mind and physical strength of an athlete. As a result, a person should be quite versatile, balanced and physically gifted. The first official battles took place quite recently, in 2003.
There are only 11 rounds in chess boxing, while six are given to chess itself, and five to boxing. In the last round, they play chess. Each game lasts 4 minutes, so each opponent is given 12 minutes to think over the moves in the quick chess half of the match. If the time is exceeded, the batch is immediately terminated. In boxing, each round lasts 2 minutes. There is a 1 minute pause between rounds so that athletes can put on or take off their gloves.
A victory in chessboxing is awarded either by mating the opponent, or by the opponent exceeding time to think about his move, or by surrendering the opponent. In the boxing part, the knockout or stoppage of the fight by the referee is important because of the clear advantage of one of the parties.
14. Cheese Race
Today, the British are arguing with the French about who exactly invented the cheese race. The meaning of the competition is pretty simple. First, all the participants stand on the top of the hill, then the cheese is thrown and everything that is strong runs after it.
The winner is the one who catches the dairy product circle at the foot of the mountain. A participant can have absolutely any clothing. The winner, as the main prize, receives not only a monetary reward, but also the sports equipment itself - a cheese head weighing 3.5 kg. Although from the outside, this kind of fun seems to be fun, in fact, this kind of sport is quite traumatic - a rare race does without fractures and injuries. At one time, racing for cheese in England was even banned.
After some time, the competition was again allowed, but injuries remained an integral part of the games.
15. Tour wrestling
Arm wrestling is known to everyone, but toe wrestling is not so famous. Athletes enter the ring and interlock with their big toes, although their posture for wrestling is rather uncomfortable. World cups in this unusual sport have been held since 1970.
Here the fight is carried out in different weight categories, separately on the right and left legs. Allen Nash, a 49-year-old man, became the 2010 World Champion. Perhaps one of his tricks was the pungent smell of socks and feet, for which the athlete even received the nickname "nasty". But he became known all over the world after winning the 20-minute final. This sport is also known as foot wrestling.
This sport is most loved in Asia, although it officially originated in Scotland in the Middle Ages. There, the knights loved to organize tournaments on wrestling with their feet during the halts of military campaigns.
Dubrovin Anatoly and Rabusov Maxim
A small research paper on "Popular sports in the UK and Scotland"
Download:
Preview:
- Intro 2
2. Main part:
2.1. Key facts 2
2.2. The role of sports in the UK 3-6
2.3. From the history of professional sports 7-10
2.4. Other interesting sports 11-14
2.5. Scottish National Sports 14-16
- Final part
Conclusions 17
4.List of used literature 17
We have been studying the beautiful spoken language English for several years now.
We learn a lot of new and interesting things from the history and culture of this amazing country - Great Britain. But we are especially interested in sports. Many sports are said to have originated in the UK. And the rules of the game were invented by the British. In our work, we would like to talk about the national sports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
Here are the basic facts:
- Many sports originated from England.
- Golf is Scotland's main contribution to British sport.
- Football is a working class sport like boxing, wrestling, snooker, shooting, dog racing.
- Aerobics and yoga, squash and cycling are among the sports where participation has increased in recent years.
- There are several places in Britain associated with a particular sport.
- Wimbledon is a suburb in south London where all English Lawn Tennis Championships are held in July (since 1877).
- Wembley is a stadium in north London where international football matches, the Football Cup have been held since 1923.
- Football is a game played in almost all countries.
- A soccer game usually lasts an hour and a half.
- The final of the football match takes place every May at the famous Wembley Stadium in London.
A variety of sports are popular in the UK today, which involve a huge number of participants and spectators. Some sports appeal to a minority or only certain classes of society, while others are enjoyed by the vast majority of Britons. The number of people involved in sports has increased in recent years, as have sports centers in both the private and public sectors. This coincided with a greater concern about their own health and the need for exercise among most Britons. About a third of the UK adult population regularly plays outdoor sports and a quarter in gyms. Spending on sports, attending sports and buying sports equipment is a significant part of the budget of British families.
The principle of British education has long been "A healthy mind in a healthy body." All schools must take care of the physical fitness of students and provide them with a choice of several sports. Schools play football, rugby or hockey in the winter and cricket, tennis, swimming and athletics in the summer. Some schools may be better equipped with sports equipment than others and offer a wider variety of sports and activities.
The most popular sports in the UK are football, cricket, rugby, golf, athletics, badminton, squash, curling, etc.
Football
In England and Scotland, football is the national sport and it is the passion of many Britons. The level of the Scottish Premier League teams is high, and the English Premier League is considered the best in the world. There are fans around the world of famous English clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, and their matches sometimes reach over a billion people.
Cricket
Cricket is the main summer sport in the UK. It is played by athletes of different levels of training - from teams of a small town to the national team of England. The rules of the game of cricket appeared in the 18th century and is still very popular among young people. Cricket is played wherever there are green lawns in the village or in the city, from April to August. Cricket competition between the teams of the Commonwealth countries is very popular. The England team holds tournament games at home, one-day international meetings, every summer they play Twenty20 cricket matches (the game is named after the number of series of shots for each of the teams), and in winter it travels to matches outside the country. The main event is, of course, the biennial Ashes Cup competition between England and Australia.
Rugby
The paths of the Rugby Union and the Rugby League parted ways in 1895 when parts of the North English league clubs decided to allow their players to become professional rugby players. There are certain differences between amateur and professional rugby, the most obvious of which is the number of players on the teams. Rugby Union games are played by teams of 15 and Rugby League games are played by teams of 13. Rugby is on the rise in the UK and the Northern Hemisphere. British clubs perform successfully onHeineken Cup", Also known as the European Cup. English championship onGuinness Cup"And Celtic League matches are very popular - all tickets are sold out every week. The Six Nations Cup, held annually in January-February, is another peak of interest among the sports audience. But the biggest event is the World Cup, which takes place every four years. In 2007, the South African team became the rugby world champion.
Rugby League matches are mainly played in the north of England, but the Major League also includes a team from Perpignan (France), as well as the London team "Harlequins". English, Scottish and Irish teams are expected to participate in the 2008 World Cup Rugby League games.
Golf
Great Britain is the birthplace of golf. There are hundreds of beautiful fields of play that host world-class competitions. "Wentworth», « Belfrey" and " Carnausti"And the field in St Andrewsare some of the best golf courses in the world.
The British Open Golf Championship, held annually in July, is the oldest and best-known of the four golf championships. Competitions are held on different fields throughout the UK.
The Professional Golfers' Association European Tournament is held at different times of the year on different courses across the country. On theAssociation websitethere is a competition schedule.
Athletics
The UK hosts many international athletics events each year, including the London Marathon and the annual competition.London Grand Prix».
Athletics will form a significant part of the 2012 London Olympics program.
Tennis, badminton, squash
Tennis, badminton and squash are very popular in Great Britain. Tennis is perhaps the most famous sport among them, because most of the summer season in Great Britain is occupied by tennis championships: Wimbledon and Stella Artois Championships, Queens Club tournaments. More details - onLawn Tennis Association website.
British badminton players have made great strides in recent years. The biggest achievement was the silver medal won by Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson in the mixed doubles competition at the 2004 Olympic Games. The main badminton competition of the year is the open tournament.The Yonex All England Open"- held in March in Birmingham.
Squash is another extremely popular sport in the UK. Some of the world's best squash players include James Willstrop and Nick Matthew.
Curling
From the history of professional sports
Football
Each of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom has its own national football association, which administers football matters within its territory. ThisFootball Association of Englandfounded in 1863,Scottish Football Associationfounded in 1873,Football Association for Walesfounded in 1876 andIrish Football Associationfounded in 1880. They are the four oldest football associations in the world and hold four out of eight seats on the International Football Association Council (IFAB), which determines the rules of the game of football (the remaining four are held by FIFA). VEngland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Irelandthere are various systems of football leagues. Wales did not have a national league until 1992 (before that there were only regional leagues), which is why some of the leading Welsh clubs play in the English league system. The England football league system includes hundreds of different leagues and consists of thousands of different divisions. The elite division isPremier League followed by England Football League and Football conference... The Northern Ireland football league system includesPremier league... One Northern Irish club, "Derry City», Performs outside the UK, inChampionship of Ireland... The Scottish football league system consists of two national leagues:Premier leagueand the Football League, as well as several regional leagues. The Wales football league system includesWelsh Premier Leagueand several regional leagues.
Cricket
Cricketwas invented in England and is very popular throughout the country and former colonies. Wales does not have a national team and plays with England, as well as representatives of Scotland and Ireland, whose national cricket teams have only recently begun to develop. Rugby league is popular in parts of the UK. It originated in Huddersfield and is mainly played in Northern England. United British Lions have previously competed in the World Cup and Test Matches, but since 2008 England, Scotland and Ireland have been competing as separate countries. Vrugby 15 prefabricated England, Scotland, Wales and Irelandthemselves are very strong. Six Nations Cup, played between the above-named teams, as well asItaly and Franceconsidered an unofficial European Championship.
Tennis
Playing in tennisappeared in the cityBirminghamsomewhere between 1859 and 1865.Wimbledon tournamentis an international tournament held inWimbledon on South Londonevery summer, and is considered one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.
Rugby
It is considered that rugbyappeared in 1823 whenWilliam Webb Elliswhile playing one of the versionsfootball(it should be understood that in those days in each village and school the rules could differ significantly from each other, and today at least 7 varieties of rules for playing football are popular, and playing with hands is prohibited only in association football) at school Rugby (there is also a more correct version of the Rugby transliteration from the point of view of the rules), took the ball in his hands and ran with it to the goal. However, there were no clearly established rules for a long time (as in “regular” football), the teams agreed on them every time before the match. When the English Football Association was created in 1863, it forbade picking up the ball and trying to take it away from an opponent. So the usual football and rugby became separate sports (which is why football is sometimes called association football). Vyear, the Rugby Football Union (RFU, Rugby Football Union) was created, which still manages rugby in England, and inyear - International Rugby Union (IRB, International Rugby Board). The first international match was played on March 27, 1871 inEdinburghbetween the teams of England and Scotland. Soon, rugby spread to other countries, in particular to many of the possessions of Britain:Australia, New Zealand (1870), South Africa(1875). V North Americafrom rugby have evolvedAmerican and canadian football... By the end of the 19th century, there was a gap between the northEngland, where rugby became very popular among workers and townspeople, and in the south, in which this game remained mainly the privilege of gentlemen. The main issue was the opportunity to become professionals, that is, to receive money for playing rugby. As a result, on August 29, 1895 inHuddersfieldthe Northern Rugby Union (NRFU) was formed. Teams that joined the Northern Alliance were allowed to have professionals on their roster. The rules of the game itself were also slightly changed, and in 1901 the Northern Rugby League was formed. At the beginning of the 20th century, similar splits occurred in Australia and New Zealand. The new game was called rugby leagues (sometimes inOf Russiacalled rugby-13, according to the number of players in the team). To avoid confusion, they began to call the "old" rugbyrugby union(since its rules were originally drawn up by the RFU). Rugby union remained strong in the south of England, as well as in Scotland and Wales (where it was popular with workers as well, especially with miners from the valleys in the south).
Motorsport
UK is also represented inmotorsport... Many Formula 1 teams and drivers are based here and British drivers have won more titles than any other country. The very first Grand Prix took place in Great Britain in 1950 atSilverstone,
Badminton
In the 19th century, English officers serving in India became interested in the ancient Indian game Puna, which can be considered the prototype of the modernbadminton... The British brought their passion for the game to their homeland. The modern tradition of the game dates back to England, in the old Badminton House, whose owner, the famous sports enthusiast and publisher of a series of books on sports, the Duke of Beaufort, built the first badminton court in 1873. In 1893, the Badminton Association of England published the first regulation of the official rules of the game. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) was founded in 1934. Since 1947, the largest team competition among men has been held - the Thomas Cup. Among women, the main team start, the Uber Cup, has been held since 1955. Since 1992, badminton has been included in the Summer Olympic Games.
Golf
It is believed that the game ofgolf originated in Scotlandand was inventedshepherds, who, with the help of staves (future clubs), drove stones into rabbit holes. Presumably the game existed already in the XIV century, and in the XV century in Scotland there were several laws forbidding to play "gof". In the 17th century, golf clubs were already played in the Netherlands. The game in its modern form took shape in the 19th century in Scotland.
Snooker
It is considered that snookerwas invented by a colonel of the British colonial forces inJabalpur (India) By Neville Chamberlain in 1875. Initially there were only four colored balls, but by 1890 there were 6. In 1919, the BA & CC snooker rules were officially established, and the first world championship was held in Birmingham in late 1926 and early 1927. Before the war, the game was dominated by the British and Australians.Snookeris very popular inGreat Britain and the annual world championship held in Sheffield... Team sports such as Gaelic football and Hurling are also popular in Northern Ireland, with a large crowd of spectators. Shinti is popular in the Scottish Highlands.
Curling
It is known that Curlingoriginated in Scotland at the beginning of the 16th century, the actual confirmation of the existence of this sports game is a curling sports equipment (stone), on the surface of which the date of manufacture ("1511"), found at the bottom of a dry lakeDunban... The very first chronicles mentions of curling are found in medieval monastic books dated 1541, preserved in the ScottishPaisley Abbey... About the same time (1565) two paintings of the brush belongPieter Bruegelshowing Dutch peasants playing ice stock, a game similar to curling, on the ice of a frozen lake. Curiously, Scotland andNetherlandsin the 16th century they had very strong trade and cultural ties, which is evidenced by the widespread in continental Europe not only curling, but also golf.
Other interesting sports
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Scottish national sports
Scotland is an amazing country. And the attitude to sports is reverent here.
There are such types of rivalry that appeared here many years ago and are now popular in various countries of the world. These are, for example, football, rugby, cricket, golf, athletics ... And there are the so-called purely Scottish Highland Sports Games, the history of which began many centuries ago. First of all, the conversation will be about them.
In 1057, King Malcolm Sinmore ascended the throne in Scotland. As a man of decisive, reckless courage, he demanded from his soldiers that they cultivate in themselves "the strength of spirit, will and body", arranged competitions between them, during which it was necessary to show strength, dexterity and skill. The soldiers took part in such "military reviews" with pleasure. Over the years, these military tournaments have carried away and "civilians", have turned into holidays with the participation of bards, musicians, dancers.
The atmosphere both centuries ago and now during the modern Highland Games is full of friendliness and fun. Bagpipes sound. Representatives of different clans are dressed in national costumes. Moreover, the color of the kilt-skirt in a cage indicates that it belongs to a strictly defined clan. Anyone can take part in the competition. In which? These are mainly exercises for lifting and throwing various weights. Let's talk about some:
Pushing a stone.
There is no standard size for cobblestones that are pushed with one hand from behind the neck. Two types are especially popular. The first is Open Stone, where the total weight of the stone is 16 to 22 pounds for men and 8 to 12 pounds for women. Throw it as you want and as far as possible. And this is available to very many. But the second type - Braemar Stone - is more complicated. The weight of the stone is 20 to 26 pounds for men and 13-18 pounds for women. The condition is strict - the legs must remain motionless.
Throwing gravity at a distance.
"Shells" are made of metal. They are of various shapes in the form of a sphere, hemisphere or cube. A handle in the form of a ring, a triangle or the letter "D" is attached to them with a chain. Weight -56 pounds for men and 28 pounds for women. The total length does not exceed 18 inches.
Hammer throwing.
The hammer head is spherical and made of metal, and the handle is made of wood, bamboo, rattan or plastic. Rattan and bamboo are more popular than wood or plastic. The total weight of the hammer is: 16 to 20 pounds for men and 12 to 16 pounds for women. During the throw, the athlete's legs must be strictly motionless. You can only change the position of the legs immediately after the throw.
Tossing a post.
The post is made of wood and is a log that is thicker on one side and, accordingly, thinner on the other. There are no exact dimensions and mass of the barrel, the only thing is that they must be such that at least half of the participants in the competition could turn it over (naturally in a throw). Although its usual dimensions range from 15 to 19 feet in length, and weight is from 65 to 130 pounds.
The competition begins with the participant taking the pole by the light end in an upright position (if after that the athlete cannot bear the weight of the pole and drops it, this will still be counted as an attempt). After that, the throw itself begins. The athlete runs and throws the pole up and forward so that the heavy end buries in the ground, and the light end, accordingly, falls to the ground in the direction of the player's takeoff.
Throwing a sheaf.
A bundle is a bag or plastic bag filled with a suitable material such as straw, hay, or string. He is thrown over the bar with a pitchfork. The total weight of the sheaf is 20 pounds for men and 12 pounds for women. The throw can be done in any way, but with the help of a pitchfork having at least two points.
Play of brushes and stones.
Many of us are now aware of the sports game curling included in the program of the Olympic Games. It turns out that it originates in Scotland. Comes from the English word curl - "spiral, curl". The first mention of curling dates back to the distant sixteenth century. A chunk of stone with an engraved date was found in the highlands of Scotland. Therefore, it is Scotland that is now considered the birthplace of curling.
In winter, on the frozen lakes between the wars, the Scottish Highlanders trained and played the game. At first, ordinary rock fragments were used, but in the eighteenth century, English soldiers "optimized" the stones, giving them the appearance they have now. Over time, the game has transformed, the rules have changed and developed.
Rugby
It is impossible not to mention this sport, which has now spread throughout the planet. It all began on April 7, 1823 in the town of Rugby, where a match took place on the anniversary of the victory at Waterloo. Sixteen-year-old William Webb Ellis, in the midst of a battle for the ball, grabbed him with both hands and ran. At the time, it was a violation of the rules of the game, but it was this action that led to the creation of a new sport. And it was named the same as the city where this famous match took place - rugby. On the walls of the college where William Webb Ellis studied, there is still a memorial plaque with the following text: “Let this plaque recall the glorious deed of William Webb Ellis, the first who dared to break the rules, grabbed the ball with his hands and ran with him. This is how the game of rugby came into being in 1823. She received the greatest distribution and appreciation among the Scots.
Conclusion.
We were very fascinated by the topic "National Sports in Great Britain and Scotland" and enjoyed working with the materials of the encyclopedia and Internet resources. We have created a presentation on this topic.
It should be noted that such research work maintains interest in the study of a foreign language and arouses curiosity to explore other areas of regional studies. And most importantly: a dream appeared to travel to England and see the international tennis tournament in Wimbledon and watch the games of cricket, snooker, rugby, croquet and, of course, watch the peculiar and mesmerizing sports in Scotland.
List of used literature
- Soviet Encyclopedia
- Internet resources:
- Encyclopedia of Sports in Great Britain
adelanta.info/encyclopedia/sport
- English sports. adelanta.info/encyclopedia/sport
- Sports in the UK. ru.wikipedia. org> wiki / Sports in Great Britain
- CoolReverat.com> UK _ sports
- http://www.uk.ru
- Langinfo.ru> indexphp? Sekt_id = 2419
- ru. wikipedia.org/wiki/makkiver_ed
Football, volleyball, figure skating are all the sports we know. It won't surprise anyone if you say that I participated in a basketball competition. But there are sports that you have not seen anywhere else, even at the Olympics. Well, forward to the knowledge of the intriguing, for you today the Top 10 most unusual sports.
10. Pigeon Race
This sport is associated with the release of trained pigeons, which must fly a certain distance (from 100 to 1000 kilometers). As soon as the birds "started", the time is fixed, the winner is the bird that reached the finish line faster, that is, its flight speed was maximum in comparison with other feathered participants in the "flight".
9. Water skiing barefoot
Such an amazing sport originated in Florida. Its discoverer is Dick Pope, who rode barefoot on March 6, 1947. Some people deny this fact and say that it was Hancock. The first barefoot water skiing competition was held in 1950 at Cypress Gardens.
8. Underwater hockey
No one would have thought that hockey could be played underwater, but it is possible. This kind of sport is non-contact. Two teams drive the puck along the bottom of the pool to score a goal for their opponent.
7. Freestyle skydiving
Freestyle parachute jumping is a mesmerizing sight. In free fall, one person begins to perform various acrobatic stunts, and the second takes all this on a special camera mounted on a helmet.
6. Skysurfing
Skysurfing is a type of parachuting that involves an athlete, while in free fall, performing acrobatic stunts by sliding through the air on a special board similar to a snowboard.
5. Speedcubing
This sport involves the following: solving the Rubik's Cube against the clock. To date, the world record for one solution out of 3x3x3 is 7.08 seconds. It was installed in July 2008.
4. Competitive nutrition
Competitive nutrition is a sport in which participants consume a lot of food in a short amount of time, about 15 minutes or less. The type of food usually varies, but the competition is based mainly on desserts and fast foods. As a rule, the products are always the same. These are pies, hot dogs and so on. This competition is especially popular in Japan and the United States.
3. Lawn mower racing
Such exciting races attract people of all ages. As a rule, the competitions are fun and perky, although some take them very seriously. The difference between racing lawn mowers and conventional lawn mowers is the lack of a blade. They are being removed for safety.
2. Racing on belt grinders
Belt sanders have been around for a long time, but no one could have imagined such races would appear. The competition takes place in this way: two cars are in parallel channels, they start driving on the whistle. The winner is the one whose car came first to the finish line.
1. Throwing dwarfs
The name speaks for itself. A dwarf dressed in special uniforms is thrown onto a soft cover. The purpose of the competition: you need to throw the dwarf further than your rivals.
