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Cheating alleged after men’s world conker champion found with steel chestnut
(www.theguardian.com)
For true stories that are so ridiculous, that you could have sworn it was an !theonion worthy story.
It's not clear to me if this still conker was painted or otherwise designed to pass as a real one. I could see someone who was an enthusiast carrying around a metal version as a good luck charm or a memento.