Rivals battle it out at the World GRAVY Wrestling Championship 

Thousands of people across the country will be celebrating the bank holiday today by tucking into a roast dinner.

But instead of adding gravy to their meat and vegetables, a select few in Lancashire will be wrestling in the sauce.

Today saw the 11th annual World Gravy Wrestling Championships taking part in the spiritual home of liquid meat fat, Burnley in Lancashire.

All wrestlers get sponsorship and give it their all to raise money for charity.

Despite being placed in the top 10 of the weirdest ‘sports’ and pastimes, hundreds of people flocked to the unusual event to watch contenders get down and dirty in a puddle of gravy.  

Dozens of contestants wrestled in gallons of the brown stuff in the name of charity, raising much-needed funds for the East Lancashire Hospice and other nominated charities.

In order to win this unusual culinary contest, contestants must wrestle in the gravy for two minutes and points are scored for fancy dress, comedy effect, entertainment and wrestling ability.

The championships are billed as a fun family day out with plenty of entertainment on hand for all and children are allowed to have a go in the gravy too – if their parents let them. 

Smash! Two female contestants wrestle in the gravy in the hope to win top prize

Take out: Two male contestants fight in the sauce as hundreds of spectators watch

Take out: Two male contestants fight in the sauce as hundreds of spectators watch

Champion: Roxy Afzal, a Neo Natal Nurse from Manchester, won the women's trophy

Champion: Roxy Afzal, a Neo Natal Nurse from Manchester, won the women’s trophy

The gravy grapplers transformed into their fighting alter egos to compete at the Rose n Bowl pub, all in the name of charity

The gravy grapplers transformed into their fighting alter egos to compete at the Rose n Bowl pub, all in the name of charity

Two brave contestants take part in the World Gravy Wrestling Championships today

Two brave contestants take part in the World Gravy Wrestling Championships today

Crash out: A woman covered in flags nearly falls to the ground as her competitor in red gloves stands

Crash out: A woman covered in flags nearly falls to the ground as her competitor in red gloves stands

Fighting: The event is held to raise funds for the East Lancashire Hospice and competitors nominated charities

Fighting: The event is held to raise funds for the East Lancashire Hospice and competitors nominated charities

The contestants fall to the ground as a referee gets covered in gravy

The contestants fall to the ground as a referee gets covered in gravy

The event, now in its 11th year, sees contestants wrestle to win sponsorship money for charity

The event, now in its 11th year, sees contestants wrestle to win sponsorship money for charity

One contestant mounts another as the pair wrestle in fancy dress at the World Gravy Wrestling championships

One contestant mounts another as the pair wrestle in fancy dress at the World Gravy Wrestling championships

Two women laugh in the gravy at the world championships at the Rose N Bowl pub in Bacup, Lancashite

Two women laugh in the gravy at the world championships at the Rose N Bowl pub in Bacup, Lancashite

Cruella de Vil fights a woman in a Union Jack skirt  as she plunges into the gravy 

Cruella de Vil fights a woman in a Union Jack skirt  as she plunges into the gravy 

The referee blows his whistle on two people as gravy splashes into the air

The referee blows his whistle on two people as gravy splashes into the air

Kaplunk: Wrestlers crash into the pool of dinner sauce

Kaplunk: Wrestlers crash into the pool of dinner sauce

Pow! One wrestler doesn't hold back as he takes on another in the pool 

Pow! One wrestler doesn’t hold back as he takes on another in the pool 

Gravy shower: a pair of brave wrestlers are drenched in the sauce by a referee 

Gravy shower: a pair of brave wrestlers are drenched in the sauce by a referee 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk