President's Bulletin:
Updated 25th October 2026
Online entries for Nationals now open, 74 entrants so far. These can be viewed at the bottom of the Nationals page & will be updated once a week, usually Monday from 2nd Nov. Please do not email for entry confirmation, check the list. If you see your name in the list of 8 unconfirmed entries, we need more information. Everything you need to know is on the NATIONALS page. Please read it & re submit your entry with the correct information. Team captains, new pullers we haven't heard of who say they are with you need to be confirmed. Please send your list of pullers you have who are safe to pull so we do not reject an entry unneccessarily. If you unknown to us, not in a club we do not have facility to check you are safe to pull on the day. You won't be able to compete. Look on the clubs page, find a club near you & arrange to visit. You will need to have them add you to their list. Unknown clubs - make yourselves known if you wish to be included. There is a process, time is running out.
It's going to be hectic, triple elimination means an extra chance for everyone & a longer day. I'm going run four tables & have 4 IFA refs coming to help us so our refs can pull their categories if they want to without feeing obligated to help. I intend to start ontime at 12pm & be efficient. It means that when the weigh in closes at 11 it is closed & latecomers are superheavyweights & unknowns who can't confirm they are safe/resident/old enough will not be pulling. Make sure your team captains have put you on their list of safe pullers if we haven't seen you before. Team Captains - please direct your teams to read the instructions on the Nationals page. Monday 23rd November is the last day of online entries. You don't have to pay to enter online - it's cash on the day & it makes registration a little easier, especially where there are names with lots of consonants to type. Finals are usually at the end, presentations after. The board are considering whether to run each table to the final, present the medals & then do the next section. This makes less of a spectacle, but saves people getting cold waiting for their final & allows those not interested to go home early without continually harrassing the score team as to what time their final might be. Nationals are important, it's a long day, those running it got up earlier & go home later than you. Send your thoughts to the get in touch button, we'll decide next week how we're going to do it.
NEW IFA PRESIDENT Marian Capla was in touch two weeks ago & I said I would keep the notice up until he said otherwise. He's looking to reduce my workload by providing an alternative:
"Just wondering, maybe 5 people can avoid UK nationals and would be willing to go to represent UK in the very first Team WCH in Baku.
Can you just ask the team?
There are unique conditions - free accomodation with HB for team, no starting fees.
You have all invitation package already so just share it please and I believe there are 4 men and 1 woman who would like to attend.
Thank you and take care,
Marian Čapla
IFA President"
It is the same weekend as the UK & IRELAND NATIONALS. It's open entry so you're not selected - as long as you are able to pull for the UK under the usual residency rules we'll put you forward. Two or three at the Warzone finale were considering it. Anyway, read the outlines in the link above - ignore the closing date - he's asked us to put forward a team so they've extended it. It could be a club trip. Have a read, have a think & use the get in touch button if you are interested.
Similarly Dave Curry has been in touch:
"I need armwrestlers. Ideally 8 around 95-100kg and for what ever reason can’t make Nationals. The date is the 27th of November. I’m working with a production company to create a new TV show. It is a live pilot, based in the North East that we're developing with the BBC and North East Screen. I've hopefully pulled the main points together below, any questions just ask. • Date, venue and timings: The event will take place at PROTO on Friday 27 November, with the live show running from 17:00–19:00. Hopefully that gives anyone heading to the Nationals on Saturday enough time to get to Birmingham afterwards. The timings should only move if the streaming platform requests a specific slot, which looks unlikely at the moment. *Competitive armwrestlers: *We'd like to source six -eight competitive arm wrestlers — three for Team A and three for Team B. We'll pay each competitor £250 and look after food and refreshments on the day. We're thinking they'll arrive at around 10:00 so there's plenty of time for rehearsal and some pre-filming. Competitor selection: Where ability is broadly equal, it'd be great if the six competitors have strong personalities and social followings, and are happy to lean into their on-camera personas. The more local the better but this goes out to anyone who can be in Gateshead on that date. Competition format: The six competitive arm wrestlers will form part of five-person teams, alongside an influencer and an (ex-)sportsperson on each side. The current plan is 11 bouts in total, with the first team to six wins taking the competition. Each bout will be best-of-five-format. The competitive arm wrestlers (3matches each)will take part in the round-robin section, followed by the influencer and (ex-)sportsperson bouts. There are two more shows planned for mid Jan and mid February. Great opportunity to be part of a show that if the pilot is successful will become a full tv show taking the sport to a new audience."
If interested contact Dave (not me) via whatsapp on 07779342183
See you down the road.
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