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Annual Tug of War event to feature New Brighton RNLI women’s team for first time

Lifeboats News Release

New Brighton RNLI’s Annual tug of War match will take place on New Year’s Day (Wednesday 1 January 2025) once again next year, with the welcome addition to the traditional day’s competition of a women’s team, competing for the first time.

A night time shot, on New Brighton beach. Floral Pavilion theatre visible in the background, whilst on the beach in the foreground, a team of volunteers from New Brighton RNLI hold and pull hard on a long rope. Others stand nearby watching.

RNLI/Connor Wray

Night time training for New Brighton & Hoylake RNLI

For the last few years on New Year’s Day, New Brighton RNLI have pitted their strength against their friends at Merseyside Sub Aqua Dive Club – Branch Five for a festive tug of war competition, competing for the Bob Grant Memorial Trophy.

The volunteer lifeboat crew’s record in the competition is excellent, having won every year since the bouts began. The Bob Grant Memorial Trophy was named after New Brighton RNLI’s late treasurer, who helped establish the annual tug of war match.

This year for the first time, the tug of war event will feature a women’s team, made up of volunteer crew and shore crew, as well as some family of current crew from New Brighton RNLI. They will face off against a women’s team from Merseyside Sub Aqua Dive Club – Branch Five in the first match of the day, before the men’s team face one another.

In an arranged training session on Monday 9 December, both the men’s and women’s teams faced off against teams made up of their friends and colleagues at sister station Hoylake RNLI. Hoylake also host a traditional annual tug of war competition, with theirs taking place on Boxing Day each year, where they face off against Hoylake Sailing Club from midday.

The event is set to take place from 2pm on Wednesday 1 January 2025, with people invited to come on down to show their support for their local lifeboat crew volunteers, who are competing to help raise vital funds for continuing the station’s goal of saving lives at sea.

Fliss Green, New Brighton RNLI’s first ever female helm, and tug of war competitor, said:

‘2024 has been a fantastic year for inclusion and progression of diversity at New Brighton RNLI, and this is the perfect way to round that off as we look to progress even further in 2025.

'We’re all excited for a fun and good-spirited match on New Year’s Day, and hopefully we’ll see loads of friendly faces out in support once again!’

Notes to Editors:

New Brighton RNLI was established in 1863 in the bustling seaside resort of New Brighton, on the northeast corner of the Wirral peninsula. They cover the River Mersey and out into the Irish Sea.

The station is home to a B-class Atlantic 85 lifeboat, one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet. The crews at New Brighton have been presented with a remarkable 48 awards for gallantry to date.

RNLI Media Contacts

Connor Wray – Lifeboat Press Officer (LPO)

07756553092

[email protected]

A night time shot, on New Brighton beach. On the beach in the foreground, a team of volunteers from New Brighton RNLI hold and pull hard on a long rope. Others stand nearby watching.

RNLI/Connor Wray

Our women's team make sure to get valuable training time in
A night time shot, on New Brighton beach. On the beach in the foreground, a team of volunteers from New Brighton RNLI hold and pull hard on a long rope. Others stand nearby watching.

RNLI/Connor Wray

Mixed teams for the training session ensured everybody got ample chance to practice
A night time shot, on New Brighton beach. On the beach in the foreground, a team of volunteers from New Brighton RNLI hold and pull hard on a long rope. Others stand nearby watching.

RNLI/Connor Wray

Heave, ho!

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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 146,000 lives.

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