Goanna Pulling - Tug-of-War Using the Neck
Goanna Pulling is probably not what you think. Goannas are Australian lizards, but this event does not involve pulling these little creatures. The event gets its name from the fact that the participants look like goannas when taking part in this competition. There are goanna pulling events in Australia, but versions of this sport have been played around the world and most likely are not called the same.
A traditional sport like Goanna Pulling being played in Finland 1928The event requires two people to face each other with a heavy leather strap joining them around their necks, then they pull each other in a version of tug-of-war.
The Australian National Goanna Pulling Championships, held in Wooli, NSW Australia, has been conducted since 1985. There are weight divisions (men: lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight, women under and over 70kg), and even junior competitions. The program has recently also included woodchopping, sprint races, brick carrying, dog obedience demonstration, markets, rides and hip-hop classes.
Goanna Pulling is a similar sport to the traditional Japanese sport of Kubihiki (neck pulling or neck wrestling), a test of strength where a cord is looped around the necks of two seated contestants. The sport is no longer practiced.
Related Pages
- About the sport of tug-of-war
- Unusual Wrestling Sports
- It is nothing like the spot of Goose Pulling, which involves ripping the head off a goose.
- More unusual sports
- Videos of unusual sports
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