A NEW champion has joined the ranks of the world's sporting legends - and he's from North Yorkshire.

Alex Callan has been crowned the 2005 world champion ... of conkers.

In one of the few sports at which Britain still truly excels, Alex beat competitors from Russia, Australia, Ukraine and New Zealand to claim the prestigious title.

Alex, a 31-year-old sales manager from Barlow, near Selby, was competing in the 41st World Conker Championships, held on the village green at Ashton, Northamptonshire.

Watched by 5,000 awestruck onlookers, 256 competitors battled it out, armed with only a nut and a 12-inch piece of string.

Today, father-of-two Alex told the Evening Press he was "absolutely delighted" with his win.

He said: "I was a big fan of conkers in school, and about five years ago my father-in-law talked me into entering the world championships. I've been competing ever since. Luck was with me this time - and conkers is about 90 per cent luck. There is some technique in it: you have to aim for the other conker's weak point, and if yours gets a crack, make sure it is facing the other way. That's about all there is to it, though.

"Picking the right conker is a big gamble, but usually as long as it's fresh and has a nice gloss it will be fine. Contrary to popular belief, the old ones aren't as good, because they're more brittle."

Alex played and won a dozen rounds of conker matches to claim his title. He said: "It was wonderful to win, and for a brief moment I was wondering whether I could quit my job and join the professional conkers circuit. Then I realised there isn't one."

Championship organiser John Hadman said: "It was a very good final with some excellent hits.

"The best conker is about 1.5 inches in diameter, reasonably round and very hard. Getting a good one is the luck of the draw."

The annual event is organised by the Ashton Conker Club, and all money raised is donated to charities for the visually impaired.

Alex said: "My new world champion title has caused much merriment among my colleagues at work. To be honest, they all think I should get out more."

:: World championship conker rules

All conkers and strings are supplied by the competition organisers. Each player picks a conker from a hat - if they are unhappy with their conker they may draw another one, but in that case they must keep the second one. Strings and knots must not be interfered with or adjusted. There must be no less than eight inches of string between knuckle and conker.

The game begins with a coin toss, with the winner choosing whether to strike or receive first.

Each player takes three strikes at the opponent's conker, and then receives three strikes.

The game is over when one of the conkers is smashed. A small piece of conker or skin remaining is judged out - there must be enough left to mount an attack. If both conkers smash at the same time then the match is replayed.

Any conker knocked from the lace but not smashed may be rethreaded and the game continued.

A player causing a knotting of the laces (a snag) is warned, and three snags leads to disqualification.

If a game lasts for more than five minutes then play stops and the five-minute rule comes into effect. Each player is allowed up to nine further strikes at their opponent's conker, alternating three strikes each. If neither conker has been smashed at the end of the nine strikes the player who strikes the conker the most will be judged the winner.

Updated: 09:23 Wednesday, October 12, 2005