World conker championships could be axed after heatwaves threaten ancient playground tradition

The World Conker Championships in Southwick, Northamptonshire, could be axed after a summer of heatwaves produced smaller conkers.

Since 1965, hundreds of expert conker players have gathered each October to compete at the world championships and raise money for charity. This year’s event is expected to draw about 2,500 spectators to watch 256 players vie for the titles of Conker King and Conker Queen, with the competition having raised more than £420,000 for the visually impaired since it began. Organisers warn that the unusually small conkers could crack when holes for shoe laces are drilled, threatening the October 12 date. The dry and hot summer is blamed for conkers being shed early before they could reach full size. The Met Office said 2025 was the hottest summer on record, with an average temperature of 16.13C. The organisers stressed that the risk of cancellation is small, but the challenge is real.

Last year's championships drew global attention after the men's winner, David Jakins, then 83, faced accusations of using a steel conker to cheat. Jakins, who has competed since 1977, denied the charge and was later cleared.

With the threat looming, organizers have frozen fallen conkers or kept them in buckets of water to slow drying. Whalley said they hope to gather the final conkers in the coming weeks to be used if the tournament proceeds, and that they would be defrosted before competition to avoid last year’s steel conker scenario.

Organisers expect to decide whether the tournament will go ahead in the next week or 10 days, with October 12 as the target date. If it proceeds, the event will again bring hundreds of players and thousands of spectators to Southwick and continue a tradition that has supported charities for decades.