Donate now

Boxing Day Tug o’War sees win for Hoylake RNLI and raises over £2,000

Lifeboats News Release

Hoylake RNLI defended their title in this year’s Slater Trophy Boxing Day Tug o’War after a tough competition against Hoylake Sailing Club on Thursday 26 December.

Hoylake RNLI

The Hoylake RNLI and Hoylake Sailing Club teams went head to head on Boxing Day in their annual Tug o’War

The friendly tournament is a traditional festive fixture in the local community calendar and attracted hundreds of spectators, who came down to cheer on the teams outside Hoylake Lifeboat Station.

With fog shrouding the event arena, the two teams went head to head at midday for the coveted Slater Trophy: a small teapot that bears the name of the winning team stretching back to the start of the competition in 1972.

There were two very challenging pulls between the well-matched teams, with Hoylake RNLI ultimately winning the day.

The teams later gathered in Hoylake Sailing Club, where the prestigious teapot was presented to Hoylake RNLI by Terri Slater, who celebrated her 101st birthday this year. Terri’s husband Arthur co-founded the tournament over 50 years ago with then Hoylake RNLI Coxswain Danny Triggs.

This year the RNLI team were sporting red wool bobble hats to mark the lifesaving charity’s 200th anniversary in 2024. The hats paid tribute to lifeboat crews of the past who originally wore this iconic knitwear.

Spectators at the Tug o’War also made generous donations to support the lifesaving work of the RNLI’s volunteer crews, with over £2,070 raised.

Over last year’s festive period, RNLI lifeboat crews launched 120 times and saved the lives of two people. On Christmas Eve this week, Hoylake RNLI launched to assist with a multi-agency incident in the River Mersey. Donations to the RNLI will keep its volunteer crews prepared and protected into the New Year.

Howie Owen, Hoylake RNLI Coxswain, said: ‘Thank you to Hoylake Sailing Club once again for a superb competition. It was a really hard pull, but a great effort and we’re thrilled to retain the Slater Trophy this year.’

‘Thanks to Terri Slater and her whole family for their enduring support for this tradition over the past 52 years. And to the hundreds of people who turned out to cheer on the teams, you made this event as special as always. Thanks to everyone who donated to support the RNLI’s lifesaving work. We’ll see you all again for next year’s tournament!’

Robin Stratton, Hoylake Sailing Club Commodore, said: ‘Congratulations once again to the lifeboat for a well earned win. The Sailing Club team put up a valiant effort with two hard pulls but just couldn’t quite get the one win that they deserved.’

‘As always, it’s wonderful to keep up this long running tradition of Hoylake between these two great institutions, cementing our relationship and bringing out the local community in large numbers. We wish the RNLI all the support and best wishes in the continued hard work that they do and look forward to doing battle with them again next year.’

Find out more about the RNLI’s Christmas appeal and make a donation at RNLI.org/WinterAppeal

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact:

Dan Whiteley, Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799 851 316 or email [email protected]

Claire Devine, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer 07734 817 068 or email [email protected]

RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789

Hoylake RNLI

The Slater Trophy - a small teapot - bears the names of the winning Tug o’War team since 1972

Hoylake RNLI

The Hoylake Sailing Club team presented a real challenge to the RNLI team in a well-matched competition

Hoylake RNLI

The friendly tournament celebrates to close links between the two local maritime organisations

Hoylake RNLI

Terri Slater, 101, presented the Slater Trophy. Her husband Arthur co-founded the competition in 1972

Hoylake RNLI

The Hoylake RNLI team sported red bobble hats this year in tribute to past crews and to mark the RNLI’s 200th anniversary

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 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.