Overview

• The tournament is scheduled for October 12 in Southwick, Northamptonshire, with 256 competitors and roughly 2,500 spectators expected if it goes ahead.
• Organisers say this summer’s heatwaves and drought left horse chestnuts undersized after early drop, making them prone to split when drilled for laces.
• The Met Office has confirmed 2025 as the UK’s hottest summer on record, reinforcing the explanation for the poor conker crop.
• To keep options open, volunteers are freezing or storing fallen conkers in water and would fully defrost any frozen ones before play.
• Cancellation is described as a small risk for now, and caution over preserved nuts follows last year’s cheating allegation against winner David Jakins, who was later cleared.