Victoria based Cornish Wrestling made history at the National Celtic Folk Festival in Geelong during the Queens Birthday Weekend. 

Fifteen entrants competed in the largest competition of Cornish Style wrestling in Victoria since the eighteen hundreds. It was also the first time, since the revival of Cornish Wrestling in Australia, that ‘wrasslers’ competed in official weight divisions. The other big news was Heavyweight champion Colin Roberts finally being toppled from the position he has held for the past three years. 

Competitors:

Under 12 – Eric Jones, David Roberts, Ben Wood.

Under 14 – Luke Jones, Adam Cullen, Mike Roberts.

Lightweight (<67.5kg) – Adam Quinn. Middleweight (<74.25kg) – Daniel Pilone, David Stone.

Light Heavyweight (<81.0kg) – Jeff Cullen, Grant Williams.

Heavyweight (>81.0kg) – Chris Roberts, Bob Manning, Colin Roberts, Greg Gough. 

David Roberts retained the Under 12 crown for the third time in a row with the first ‘back’ (equivalent to a knockout) of the day, while Luke Jones also continues to look unbeatable in the

Under 14 age group. Due to the disappointing unavailability of Barry Smith, Adam Quinn was forced to wrestle with the Middleweights. He convincingly won his first bout against fourteen year old Daniel Pilone. David Stone took out the Division and has clearly established himself as the premier sub-Heavyweight wrestler in the State. Seven wrestlers recently completed an introductory training program and this was a benefit to Daniel Pilone who demonstrated great skills development, despite his two losses. 

At more than twice his opponent’s age, Light Heavyweight Jeff Cullen had a clear victory over eighteen year old Grant Williams. Williams was carrying a hand injury and is sure to seek revenge later this year if he can keep within the weight limit for the division. 

In what was seen as somewhat of a surprise win, Bob Manning defeated Greg Gough in the first round of the Heavyweight Division. With a background in Karate and an impressive physique, Gough was highly fancied to be the new Heavyweight Champion, but with his family looking and cheering loudly, Manning won through to the final. 

In somewhat less of a surprise, Chris Roberts won a points victory over Reigning Champion, Colin Roberts (no relation). Colin had beaten Chris in Castlemaine earlier this year in the Open Competition held as part of the Cornish Festival but, even though there were doubts about his fitness, Chris could not resist the opportunity of settling a score, which he did convincingly. 

In the playoff for third and fourth place in the Heavyweight Division Colin Roberts won with one of the afternoon’s rare knockout victories - a ground-shuddering ‘back’! 

The final was a torrid affair between Bob Manning and Chris Roberts, but Roberts won and was loudly applauded by onlookers who had stayed throughout the two hour competition, despite the cold and threatening rain. 

“Fifteen entrants competed in the largest competition of Cornish Style wrestling in Victoria since the eighteen hundreds” 

Competition organiser Colin Roberts thanked sticklers (referees) Fernie Rogers (originally from Colin’s home Town of St Columb in Cornwall), David Stone, Wendy Roberts, Ross Shepherd and in particular Doug Jones. “Cornish Wrestling would not have advanced in Victoria as much as it has … were it not for the contribution of Doug and his family” stated Roberts in his final address for the day. 

Appreciation was expressed to Ross Shepherd of ‘Parker Leather’ in Ballarat, for the supply of six new wrestling jackets. The attendance of Greg Williams, President of the Preston Reservoir Little Athletics Centre, was acknowledged. It was from senior and past members of this Club that many of the newer competitors were drawn. A Life Member of one of the clubs that form the Preston Reservoir Centre, Colin Roberts described how, when at an athletics event he was wondering where to get new wrestlers from, and that it suddenly dawned on him that they were right there in front of him! “A Cornish Wrestler needs to strong, agile, fit, and very competitive” stated Roberts. “It is clear that these young men from Preston Reservoir have these qualities in abundance” then went on. “… but it also begs the question as to why the hell I’m still doing it” 

Asked “where to from here?” Roberts advised that this may be the last time the wrestlers would compete at the May Festival as wrestling outside on grass requires a less cold and unpredictable climate.  “The next step planned is to form two clubs, one in Reservoir and one in Ringwood”, reported Roberts. “The need for skill development for the emerging sport is paramount, and this can be best achieved by creating an element of competition ”. 

When asked what his ultimate aim for the sport in Australia was Roberts stated there were two. “An interstate competition between New South Wales and Victoria at ‘Kernewek Lowender’ the world’s largest Cornish festival, to be held in South Austrlaia in May next year; and to take a team of Wrestlers over to Cornwall and Brittany to compete against the original practitioners of the sport”. 

All in all an eventful day by any reckoning with a record number of competitors, a new Heavyweight Champion and the making of a bright new future for one of the worlds oldest forms of one-on-one combat.