Extreme couple's ridiculous sport obsession

As someone once said, it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
Particularly if you're James Barber and Sally Raynes and bizarre sports are your thing.

Through the week they lead 'mundane office lives' - but every weekend they travel around the country seeking wacky challenges.

The couple from Devon have enlivened their lives by taking part in more than 90 championships for such fun events as bog-snorkling, gurning, shin-kicking, clog throwing and stinging nettle eating.

Data analyst Mr Bamber, 35, is World Russian Egg Roulette champion - like Russian roulette except with five hard-boiled and one uncooked egg.

Ms Raynes, 36, an event manager, said: 'We became hooked after taking part in a bog-snorkelling contest that we saw advertised in a local paper.

'We had to swim to the end of a 60-yard bog using a mask, snorkel and flippers. It was cold, pitch black... but we had a blast so we started looking around to see what other events were on.'

Stinging nettle eating saw them having to eat as many nettle stalks without being sick.

But that was nothing compared to swamp soccer. 'That was definitely the hardest event,' said Ms Raynes.

'The pitch was a complete quagmire of mud and you had to kick the ball down to the other end.

'Even though James is incredibly fit, within 15 seconds he was exhausted.'

Yesterday the pair, who plan to write a book on their experiences, were out again - taking part in a wife-carrying contest.