Egg throwing contest applies for official sport status

The 2011 World Egg Throwing Championship takes place on the 26 June in Swaton

Organisers of a Lincolnshire egg throwing contest have applied for Sport England to recognise it as an official sport.

If successful they hope to have egg throwing included as a demonstration sport in the 2012 Olympics.

Andy Dunlop, president of the World Egg Federation, based in Swaton, said egg throwing needed a governing body.

A spokesman for Sport England confirmed the organisation was considering the application.

Mr Dunlop said: "It's been a long drawn-out process, and we had to submit an awful lot of documentation.

"We were told last week that we had gone through the decision-making process and it had gone before the committee - so we are expecting a decision any time now."

Russian roulette

The World Egg Throwing Championships, which won first place in the Where Else But England awards for "England's quirkiest event", is steeped in tradition, according to Mr Dunlop.

He said: "The earliest recorded egg throwing in Swaton took place in 1322 when the abbot of Swaton was the only chap who had any chickens in the village.

"He used to reward his parishioners for coming to church with an egg - but when the river was in flood and they couldn't get to church the monks used to come and hurl eggs across the swollen river to the peasants.

"We've come a long way since then and have everything from the two-person throw and catch, where eggs can reach speeds of 120mph (193 km/h) and have to be caught by a team-mate, to the 11-man static relay, Russian roulette and the ever popular egg trebuchet."

The 2011 World Egg Throwing Championship will take place on the 26 June in Swaton.