August 20th, 2024
Wrestling With a Traditional Sport in Grasmere
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Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling is a sport with roots that go back centuries and which now has participants only in the northern counties of England – in Cumbria and Northumberland. To discover more about this form of traditional wrestling, in a backhold style, Jane Hunt speaks to Linda Scott and Robert Wharton, both part of the Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling Association.
Jane finds out more about the sport and its rules, the current take-up of opportunities to learn the sport and why Grasmere Sports is seen as the pinnacle of the championship season.
She discovers why this type of wrestling has a geographical footprint far wider than the north of England – and actually right across Europe – and why this could potentially become an Olympic sport one day.
She also learns about the deep appreciation that those in the sport have for Roger Robson, in memory of whom a new trophy has been created this year, for young wrestlers competing at Grasmere Sports.
Linda provides her memories of Roger but so too does woman wrestler and multiple Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling champion, Connie Hodgson, to whom Jane also talks.
Connie also explains all about her wider family’s involvement in this traditional sport, as well as highlighting how she is using her role as a physical education teacher to spread the love of this sport and how she is also having great success taking the sport into local primary schools.
The podcast supports Catapult PR’s work in travel and tourism PR and handling PR, content (blog writing and content downloads) and social media for rural experiences too.
