Competition.
The Conker Cup is the premier annual invitational competition in competitive nut sports. Held once a year, it brings together a small group of invited players to compete for the Conker Cup and the unofficial title of the world's most formidable conker combatant. It is fiercely contested, occasionally controversial, and taken far more seriously than anyone outside the sport would consider reasonable.
This year.
Applications close 10th October. Applying registers interest, not a guaranteed place — the Conker Cup remains strictly invitational, and the organisers extend invitations from applicants. The tournament begins 17th October at 4:00pm, played as a straight knockout, with optional practice rounds for entrants who want them.
- Until 10 OctApplications openEntrants apply. Applying registers interest; it doesn't itself secure a place.
- 10–17 OctInvitations & schedulingThe organisers extend invitations to applicants; the knockout bracket is drawn for confirmed entrants.
- 17 Oct, 4:00pmTournament dayPlay begins: a straight knockout, one bout decides who advances.
Tournament Essentials: this year's dates and format on one page you can add to your home screen.
History.
The story behind an invitational that takes itself unreasonably seriously.
The Conker Cup began life as a small family competition. Over time, however, interest grew and participation expanded beyond its original setting. As the competition grew in size and intensity, the organisers eventually introduced an invitational format to keep the event competitive, manageable, and suitably prestigious.
The competition itself remains strictly invitational. There are no qualifying rounds, no ranking points, and no formal pathway to entry. Invitations are extended at the discretion of the organisers and, occasionally, through acts of diplomacy or persuasion. This year's application window, above, sits inside that same tradition: applying registers interest, and the organisers extend invitations from applicants afterwards.
Roll of Honour.
Nine tournaments since 2017, interrupted only by two years without a competition during COVID.
- 2025Dylan McIlwee
- 2024Leanne Atkins
- 2023Margaret Home
- 2022No tournament (COVID)
- 2021No tournament (COVID)
- 2020Jonah McCafferty
- 2019James Atkins
- 2018Juliette Warren
- 2017Juliette Warren
James Atkins, the Conker Cup's founder, has won the tournament once, in 2019. Juliette Warren is its only two-time champion.
The Majors.
The Conker Cup Tournament is one of the sport's four Majors — its top competitive tier, comparable to golf's. Regional clubs and casual play make up the wider tour beneath them.
The Conker Cup
InvitationalThe benchmark in high stakes competitive conkers. Each year the best of the best are invited to compete for the ultimate prize. Winners of all the majors are automatically extended an invite, however additional invites are extended to exceptional players at the discretion of the Conker Federation.
Peckham Conker Club
OpenPlay however you want - play a long cerebral game or just smash sh*t up & have some good old-fashioned fun. Conkers is the perfect game to play over a pint outside the pub; the perfect way to let off steam at work or college.
Annapolis Conker Club
OpenEstablished as a conker centre of excellence outside of the UK. With high growth expectations the club is expected to grow over the coming years to become the international destination of choice for conker enthusiasts.
World Conker Championships
OpenThe longest running conker competition. The World Conker Championships were founded in 1965. The competition origins are surrounded by myth and folklore, but legend has it a fated fishing trip ended in a village pub that was surrounded by horse chestnut trees, you can do the maths.
Press.
For reasons that remain unclear, the Conker Cup has attracted attention from national and international media, including The Times and The Wall Street Journal.
"Soft nuts are obviously an issue. If the idea is to break a nut, then softer, less robust nuts won't fit the bill. Atkins is hoping that by delaying nut collection more mature (and harder) chestnuts will be rounded up ahead of the big event."
The Conker Cup Board.
The Conker Cup is overseen by a small but dedicated board responsible for safeguarding the traditions, governance and future development of competitive nut sports.
- James AtkinsFounder
- James founded the Conker Cup after spending an unreasonable amount of time thinking about the finer points of competitive conkers. What began as an annual family competition gradually evolved into the Conker Cup — an invitational tournament dedicated to preserving and celebrating the traditional game of conkers. Despite these advantages, he has only won the Conker Cup once.
- Juliette WarrenBoard Member
- Juliette Warren is the tournament's only two-time champion (2017, 2018) and the first recipient of the Golden Conker Award. She joins the board following her playing career; her specific board role is still being confirmed.
- Chad SlammerNon-Executive Director
- Known widely as the Bad Boy of Conkers, Chad Slammer is a renegade of the sport and one of the pioneers of the street conkers movement. With a large social media following and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of traditional play, Chad brings a modern edge to the board and plays a key role in introducing competitive nut sports to a new generation of players.
- Colin BucketNon-Executive Director
- Colin Bucket is an enthusiastic botanist and passionate defender of the humble horse chestnut tree. His work focuses on promoting the natural heritage behind the sport and ensuring that the game of conkers remains closely connected to the landscapes and traditions from which it emerged. Colin advises the board on environmental stewardship, tree preservation and responsible nut sourcing.
- Natalie StringerNon-Executive Director
- Natalie Stringer serves as the Conker Federation's Director of Policy and Regulation, and brings that expertise to the board. She oversees the standards that keep sanctioned play fair — including the ban on pre-competition nut preparation and the alignment to the Triple Strike Pattern — and continues to press government for formal recognition of the Federation as the sport's governing body.
The Golden Conker.
Presented once, to Juliette Warren GC — the tournament's only two-time champion — the Golden Conker is on record as the highest honour in the world of conkers. She is its first, and so far only, recipient, entitled from that day to style herself Juliette Warren GC.
Apply for this year's Conker Cup.
Applications close 10th October. Applying registers interest, not a guaranteed place.