The Heritage Games Come to The Piece Hall
The Piece Hall in Halifax is bringing sport to its historic courtyard with a new series of activities under the moniker The Heritage Games.
In partnership with international event organiser, Manuel Benages, things like strongman and strongwomen competitions, boxing showcases, football tournaments and so much more will now come to this unique heritage site on a yearly basis.
The Heritage Games are his vision to revive the spirit of historic competition, blending strength, endurance, combat, and community, into a modern global sporting series rooted in legacy, identity, and performance.
The first event will be the GRAFT HYBRID competition held on Saturday 9 May 2026 organised by Rick Hornsey from fitness company GRAFT and designed for everyone from the seasoned pro to the ambitious beginner.
Both Manuel and Rick have extensive experience in national and international sporting events but both hail from Halifax.
Piece Hall Programme & Event Director Aaron Casserly-Stewart said: “We’ve been looking for a way to get regular sporting events to The Piece Hall for a long time and what better way than partnering with local organisations who are so passionate are health, fitness and giving back. As well as entertainment, our programme here is all about supporting and making a difference to the local community and this free to watch event will have something for everyone.”
The format for the first GRAFT HYBRID event is a high-energy pairs race across 12 stations, blending strength, engine and grit. Movements scale in difficulty, meaning anyone with a solid baseline of fitness can step onto the arena floor, while still pushing experienced racers to their absolute limit too.
Co- host Manuel Benages said: “I’m passionate about getting more people involved in sports, both as participants and spectators as I know how beneficial this is for both physical and mental health. With my background in multi-sports and international events I know how perfect The Piece Hall is for this and I’m so incredibly proud to be able to use by experience and expertise to help bring this dream to life in my hometown.”
Booking for the event has just gone live, with multiple categories for all levels and abilities from Beginner to Pro which can be accessed here.
Rick Hornsey, Company Director, GRAFT Ltd said: “I’m so excited to be facilitating the very first event as part of the Heritage Games here in my hometown on Halifax. GRAFT HYBRID is competitive, inclusive and built on community, it’s really accessible and our events have participants of all ages, from teenager to pensioners. The popularity of these competitions is just growing and growing but having the chance to take part in one here at The Piece Hall, with its stunning backdrop is going to make this one extra special.”