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TRAINING

Like any sport training is important to not only learn what you need to do, but how to perform at your best come competition day. No sport can be replicated in the gym, nor can you train for a team sport on your own and it’s no different for tug of war.
A tug team consists of 8 pullers of which each brings something different to that single rope. Each position has a different feel and requires a range of abilities from its pullers. Strength and power, control, height and speed. As well as positive mental ability to hang on in there and sustain long, enduring tough ends. Each of the 8 men or women on that rope has a part to play, just like training has its part to play in building one strong, cohesive, all dominating team.

INDOOR / COVERED

Constructed from several full-size shipping containers welded together, with a wooden floor with added timber cross braces, this is where we can pull during the wet and cold winter months to get a run up towards the start of the competition season. Outside there is a gantry with a variety of weighted blocks.

Up to 10 people can get on the rope to make this weight travel to the top of the gantry and then slowly take it back down under smooth, steady control.

To increase the difficulty often 1 or 2 are pulling against the team of 8 or so pullers….so in addition to the large weight of 400+kg they have the active resistance and weight of two pullers to contend with.

In 2023 we added a second pulley and set of covered slats outside of the shipping containers offering our expanding team an additional training space.

Winter training is about teaching technique, posture, fast feet and most of all, building strength. More pressure can be forced through your legs and feet as they have something to push against.

Winter training runs usually from October to March when the field and grass is too soft and tears up easily.

OUTDOOR

Our largest gantry sits out on the bottom field of Sandhurst memorial park. There are two huge weights that during the course of the season the team will lift thousands of times. There are multiple pulley fixtures available so we can fight against the weight, “cutting” our own footholds in the field or thanks to the hard work of our team in late 2023, we can now use our outdoor slats.

Out on the grass, it’s all about the feet placement and using those specially plated boots to their fullest potential. This is more realistic training for competition. Summer training can vary from rig training (weight on pulley), V Block training, one team against another (the V block brings stability and steadiness) and live pulling, just like a competition rope.

Summer training runs from March to September, in line with the competition season. On occasion if the ground conditions and weather are not in our favour, training Is not cancelled, but just moved on to the slats.
Training is more than just rope work. Many will jog walk or run prior to a training session. Warm up and cool down stretches, with squats and other workouts done between runs to keep moving and build endurance for the rope.
Many pullers also have outside sporting interests, running, cycling, gym and weights, in fact anything that supports their fitness for tug of war.

Who can "get Roped in"?

Anyone who feels they are able can have a go at tug- Men, women and youths.
We recommend 13 years old+ for H&S reasons. Parental supervision required under 16 years of age.
The club has two designated safeguarding officers registered with full DBS to safeguard anyone under 18 years of age.
Many pullers still training and compete in their 60’s. if you are fit and feel capable, you can pull.

No prior knowledge or understanding needed. Everything is taught in house.

How to get involved:

Either just pop down to training one session to say hi, watch and see what it is all about. Or contact us via our contacts page, make contact via any of the available route sand get roped in.