Ten things you never knew about... tug of war

Yesterday was International Tug of War Day, so just in case you missed it, here are some tug of war facts. 1. An Egyptian wall engraving from around 2500 BC depicts the oldest known tug-of-war contest. However the phrase “tug-of-war” for the sport goes back only to the late 19th century. 2. Before that, “tug-of-war” was used for the start of military confrontations. 3. Tug-of-war featured in the summer Olympics from 1900 to 1920. Britain won the event twice. 4. At the 1908 Games in London, the London City Police took gold, with Liverpool Police second and K Division Metropolitan Police third... 5. …but the Americans lodged a protest against the police boots which they said had illegal spikes. 6. The protest was refused but the City Police later challenged the Americans to a match in stockinged feet. The challenge was turned down. 7. The Tug of War International Federation is based in Wisconsin and has 67 member nations. 8. Canadian Inuits hold a version of tug-of-war called “aarsaraq” which is played sitting down. 9. In international competition the rope must be at least 33.5m long with a circumference between 10cm and 12.5cm. 10. Tug Of War was the title of Paul McCartney’s first album following the murder of John Lennon.