Isle of Man to host inaugural RNLI All-island Beach Tug of War

The winning team will be awarded a hand carved trophy that was created by past Port St Mary crew member Terry Kelly in the early 1980s. The competition originally ran for three consecutive years and was won each time by the Nomads Rugby Club who have remained unchallenged until this year. It was the re-discovery of this handsome trophy which ignited the idea to arrange this RNLI All-Island event.

The Nomads will be back this year to try and defend their title, alongside 4 of the islands 5 RNLI Lifeboat Stations, in addition to 10 other entrants representing a range of Corporate and Sporting entities.

The event was originally scheduled to take place in May this year, but inclement weather left the organisers with no alternative but to postpone the fun and games until Sunday 8th August, as it is very dependent on the tides. As a consequence the stalls will open at 2pm this Sunday on Port St Mary's lower promenade, with the main event starting at the later time of 3pm on Chapel Beach.

We are delighted to have the joint support and sponsorship of local companies Excel Construction Ltd and Corefix for this years event, with them providing financial support as well as t-shirts for the teams. There will also be numerous stalls and food outlets including Okell's Beer Tent, as well as face painting and games for children, with the opportunity to win a voucher for Ape Mann Adventure Park in the treasure trail.

The RNLI is always looking for volunteers, not only to crew the boats, but also to assist in vital fundraising and administrative roles. There will be a stall on the day that any potential volunteers can find out more details and register their interest.

It is hoped that the revival of the trophy will become an annual event in the Island's calendar, and we look forward to seeing you all come and cheer on the courageous teams on the day. However if your unable to make it to the event, you can make a donation by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/rnli-all-island-beach-tug-of-war-21

Thank you for continuing to support the RNLI and helping us to keep Saving Lives At Sea.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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