Tug-of-War World Champs for Mossel Bay
Hartenbos will play host to about 2 000 athletes from across the globe in September 2026 for the Tug-of-War World Championships.
This was determined at the Tug-of-War Federation's (TWIF) annual congress in Nottingham, England, just over a week ago, when the chairman of the Eden Tugof-War Federation and vice-president of the SA Tug-of-War Federation, Barries Barnard, signed the contract. Barnard is a teacher at Van Kervel School in George.
The contract initiates a number of tugof-war events in the Mossel Bay area over the next two years.
First of these will be a junior Tug Festival at the George Show on 31 August this year - 120 years to the day that a South African tug-of-war team participated for the first time at an Olympic Games. Yes, the first South African team to participate in an Olympic Games was in fact an SA tug-of-war team that participated in St Louis, USA on 31 August 1904.
To add to the festivities, Eden Tug-ofWar will host a Tug Festival modelled on the very popular GENSB tournaments in Europe during the Mossel Bay Sports Festival.
On 21 and 22 March next year, the Tug-of-War World Congress will be held in the Diaz Hotel in Mossel Bay. About 50 representatives from across the world will attend the congress and according to Anton Botha, president of SA Tug-of-War, they will be spoiled with authentic South African cuisine and warm hospitality.
The Eden Tug-of-War Federation will host the SA Junior Tug-of-War Championships, the largest school sport event in South Africa, at the Van Riebeeck Stadium in Mossel Bay over the same weekend. The congress members will also attend the opening ceremony and some of the early events at this championship.
In July 2025, the SA Senior Championships will also be hosted by the Eden Tug-of-War Federation in Hartenbos.
This event will put the pulling grounds of Hartenbos to the test for the 2026 World Championships.
The World Championships are planned for 16 to 19 September 2026.