Team England Sumo
What is Team England Sumo? The national squad pathway for athletes in England who want to represent England at home and in Europe, and progress through the UK pathway for major international events.
Who governs sumo in the UK? British Sumo (britishsumo.com). EnglandSumo is affiliated to British Sumo; EnglandSumo is not the UK governing body.
Eligibility in brief: current EnglandSumo membership is required for athletes in England to represent England in England and European contexts, and for eligibility through the British Sumo pathway to World Championships.
Last updated: 2026-11-02.
Eligibility and representation rules
- England and Europe: athletes must hold current EnglandSumo membership to represent and compete for England in England and in European competition contexts.
- Outside Europe (including World Championships): athletes in England must hold current EnglandSumo membership to be eligible through the British Sumo pathway when representing British Sumo at World Championships and other non-European international events.
- Selection pathway: international entries and invitations are coordinated through British Sumo under recognised federation pathways, with England athletes progressing via EnglandSumo. See the competition levels ladder below.
See Governance and safeguarding for wider UK governance context, including links to the European Sumo Federation and British Sumo pathways.
Competition levels
The progression path for athletes in England — from club events toward national and international representation. Current EnglandSumo membership is still required where eligibility rules on this page say so.
- Club competitions: Local club events — the usual first step into competition. Entry via: Individual / club .
- Regional closed: Only open to athletes in a specific region. Entry via: Individual / club .
- Regional opens: Open to athletes from outside the host region. Entry via: Individual / club .
- English Nationals: Open to all registered athletes. Entry via: EnglandSumo .
- International opens: Opens held in the UK, Europe, or further afield. Entry route depends on where the event is held. Entry via: UK and Europe — EnglandSumo; outside Europe — British Sumo .
- Continental Cups: Same entry split as international opens: UK/Europe via EnglandSumo; outside Europe via British Sumo. Entry via: UK and Europe — EnglandSumo; outside Europe — British Sumo .
- European Championships: Continental championships representing England. Entry via: EnglandSumo .
- World Championships: World-level championships via the UK governing body pathway. Entry via: British Sumo .
- World Games: Multi-sport World Games selection via the UK governing body pathway. Entry via: British Sumo .
European Sumo Cup 2026 (Poland)
Lance Wicks and Nathaniel Thatcher represented England at the 2026 European Sumo Cup in Rzeszów, Poland on 1–2 August 2026 (competition day Sunday 2 August 2026). Referee Guy Simpson attended with the group in his first international event as a referee. Both athletes finished 5th in their weight classes and faced podium-level opposition — including open-weight bronze medallists Lasha Jeladze and Oleksandr Veresiuk.
| Name | Club | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Wicks | Southampton Sumo Club | M-92KG |
| Nathaniel Thatcher | Southampton Sumo Club | M-115KG |
Referee: Guy Simpson. Team England results · Event on Sumo Cup (opens in new tab)
Swiss Sumo Open 2026 — results
England returned from Geneva with 3 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze, including a team bronze for the South Coast Sumo side. Nathaniel Thatcher won best all-round fighter and Manjinder Nagra won the president's prize.
European Sumo Championships 2026
The 2026 European Sumo Championships were held in Stirling, Scotland on Saturday 27 June 2026 (26–28 June 2026) at the University of Stirling Sports Centre. EnglandSumo sent a delegation of 20 people — 16 athletes and 4 officials.
Team England results · Full event on Sumo Cup (opens in new tab)
Team England squad
16 athletes and 4 officials represented England at the championships. Weight classes reflect English Sumo Nationals 2026 entries where applicable; final ESC categories and placements are shown in the results column.
Full Team England results · All nations on Sumo Cup (opens in new tab)
Athletes
| Name | Club | Weight class | ESC result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex King-Zhang | London Sumo Club | M-77KG | 13th (0–1) · 70 kg |
| Harvey Dines | Oxford Sumo Club | M-77KG | 9th (0–2) · 70 kg |
| Mark Jacobs | Sumo East | M-85KG | 13th (0–1) · 77 kg |
| Sebastian Wray | Deep Sumo Club | M-85KG | 7th (1–2) · 85 kg |
| Damien Gardach | Deep Sumo Club | M-92KG | 9th (3–2) · 92 kg |
| Lance Wicks | Southampton Sumo Club | M-92KG | 14th (1–1) · 92 kg |
| Shorai Lai | Southampton Sumo Club | M-100KG | 9th (2–2) · 100 kg |
| Joshua Christian | London Sumo Club | M-100KG | 9th (2–2) · 100 kg |
| Sonny Bell | London Sumo Club | M-115KG | 13th (0–1) · 115 kg |
| Nathaniel Thatcher | Southampton Sumo Club | M-115KG | 13th (0–1) · 115 kg |
| Nathan Rault | Southampton Sumo Club | M+115KG | 9th (1–2) · +115 kg |
| Mandeep Kundi | Deep Sumo Club | M+115KG | 11th (0–1) · +115 kg |
| Fiona Chan | Southampton Sumo Club | Senior women (British Isles Sumo Championships 2026 (Belfast)) | 13th (0–1) · 65 kg |
| Laura Clark | Doncaster Sumo Club | W-73KG | 7th (2–2) · 73 kg |
| Leah Cozens | Southampton Sumo Club | W+80KG | 7th (0–2) · 80 kg |
| Manjinder Nagra | Deep Sumo Club | W+80KG | 5th (1–2) · +80 kg |
Officials
4 officials travelled with the delegation, including team management and refereeing support.
Next steps for athletes
- Swiss Sumo Open (7 November 2026): completed — England returned from Geneva with 3 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze. See the results.
- Keep your EnglandSumo membership current and train consistently with an affiliated club.
- Review Find a sumo club in England if you need a training base.
- Recent results: see the results hub for Team England appearances, including the Open Weight Competition in September 2026.
- For governance and eligibility detail, use Governance and FAQ. Coaches: see the coaching pathway.