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Northamptonshire: World Conker Champions' celebration plans

Charles Whalley World Conker champions Ady Hurrell and Jasmine TetleyCharles Whalley
The World Conker Championships first took place in Ashton, Northamptonshire, in 1965

The newly crowned World Conker Champions have spoken of their plans to celebrate winning their coveted titles.

The championships, which took place at Southwick, Northamptonshire, on Sunday have been running since 1965.

Men's champion Ady Hurrell said he may "do some clubbing" as that is how boxer Tyson Fury celebrated his latest win.

Women's champion Jasmine Tetley said she had a "nice dinner" but now planned to get on with her volleyball training - a sport she can do all year round.

About 250 competitors took part in the tournament this year and 2,000 people flocked to watch the return of the event, cancelled last year because of Covid restrictions.

'I can take it'

Mr Hurrell, a freight train driver from Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, won the men's competition, having last taken the crown in 2007.

Nicknamed "One Hit", the 50-year-old admitted needing more than that this year as "the conkers were quite hard".

But he remained cool under pressure.

"I can take it," he said.

"Last time I won there were 5,000 people watching me."

Asked how he would celebrate, he joked: "Tyson Fury went out for a bit of clubbing after his brilliant victory against Wilder, so yes, I might go out for a bit of clubbing, too."

'We talked tactics'

Ms Tetley, 28, an environmental scientist from Long Eaton, Derbyshire, retained her women's title from 2019.

"I think the aim was always to be a world champion, and I found out conkers was something I was quite good at," she said.

While she trains regularly for her other passion - volleyball - the conker queen admitted she had "never practised before a conker tournament".

She was also victorious in the team challenge, and said she and her teammates had had "talked tactics", which seemed to work for them.

"We try to stack the odds by hoping our conkers won't break in the first five minutes, then we go all out in the penalty shoot-out," she said.

At the end of the tournament, after the men's and women's champions were crowned, there was a grand final between the winners.

Ms Tetley was also victorious in that, although she said the final match was "really just a bit of fun".

Both champions plan to return for the 2022 event.

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Strings attached: The rules of the game

Charles Whalley World Conker team champions 'We Came, We Saw, Jasmine Conkered'Charles Whalley
Jasmine Tetley led 'We Came, We Saw, Jasmine Conkered' to the team championship title
  • Conkers are provided for each game and cannot be tampered with or reused
  • There must be at least 20cm (8in) of lace between knuckle and nut
  • Each player takes three alternate strikes at their opponent's conker, with a game decided once one of the conkers is smashed
  • If a game lasts for more than five minutes it is halted and each player will be allowed a further nine strikes
  • If neither conker is smashed, the winner is the player who hit the nut the most times during this period
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