The World Conker Championships, an annual international event held in Southwick, Northamptonshire, faces potential cancellation due to a diminished supply of qualifying chestnuts. Organizers are concerned that this year's crop, affected by consecutive heatwaves, has yielded nuts too small for the competition.
The championships, scheduled for October 11, require approximately 3,000 large, two-inch wide conkers to proceed. St John Burkett, a spokesperson for the event, expressed deep concern over the shortage of suitable nuts, stating, "It looks like the worst year ever for conkers." He noted that some chestnut trees have no nuts at all, others have unripe husks, and many of those that have matured are too small for tournament play as they do not break properly.
Organizers will convene on September 30 to make a final decision. Ahead of this meeting, committee members across the country are conducting a review of local chestnut trees to assess the availability of large conkers. The public has also been encouraged to report on the quality of conkers found in their areas via the event's website.
This is not the first time the championships have encountered challenges. In 2024, the event was marred by a "cheating" scandal when the losing grand finalist was found to possess a steel dummy conker. Following that incident, security measures were tightened at the following year's competition, including airport-style scanners and magnetic wands, to prevent similar occurrences.