[Sports Day] Recommended songs for tug-of-war: powerful BGM that ignites your fighting spirit
When you hear “music for tug-of-war at a school sports day,” does any song come to mind?
You might easily imagine tracks for relays or sprints, but when it comes to tug-of-war, nothing quite clicks—that’s probably true for many people.
So in this article, we’ll introduce songs from a wide range of genres—popular J-pop, international pop, video game music, and more—that seem like a great match for tug-of-war.
From powerful, driving tunes to high-energy tracks that stoke your fighting spirit, we’ve gathered plenty of punchy songs.
Use this as a reference when choosing your BGM!
- Top Songs to Hype Up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals [2026]
- From classics to fan favorites! A catalog of music and BGM to liven up your sports day
- [Fuel Your Fighting Spirit] An Adrenaline-Pumping Fight Song
- [Dancing Tamaire] A fun song for the beanbag-toss game, perfect for sports day
- [Blazing] Carefully selected tracks perfect as BGM for cavalry battles at sports festivals!
- Songs that hype up the athlete entrance at school sports festivals
- Get Fired Up! A Collection of Anime Songs to Hype Up Your Sports Day and Athletic Festival
- Songs that hype up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals: Japanese Music / J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]
- Sports Day/Field Day BGM: Moving Classics & Uplifting Anthems to Power Your Practice
- [Sports Day] A roundup of exhilarating, fast-paced tracks perfect for relay race BGM!
- Recommended exit songs for sports day: A collection of tracks that are perfect for a brisk, quick-march exit.
- Cheer songs to hype up the sports day! A collection of motivational tracks recommended for kids
- [March] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entrance and exit at sports days and athletic festivals!
[Sports Day] Recommended songs for tug-of-war: Powerful BGM that ignites your fighting spirit (41–50)
Enthralling Dance ~ MizutsuneUraya Reo
Background music from the scene where you hunt Tamamitsune in the game Monster Hunter Generations.
Centered on performances with traditional Japanese instruments, it delivers a grand and brilliant sound.
The game’s premise of challenging a monster in battle also evokes the image of a tug-of-war where teams fight for victory.
It’s perfect for cheering on athletes performing on a stage ablaze with passion.
With warm melodies—like the beat of drums and the tones of flutes—this track energizes heated sports day events.
[Sports Day] Recommended songs for tug-of-war: powerful BGM that stirs your fighting spirit (51–60)
Rocky Themebirukonti
A sports anthem that resonates with a powerful brass section and full orchestral sound, portraying humanity’s boundless potential and passion.
Known as a quintessential masterpiece at the intersection of film and music, it stages a grand narrative themed around hard work, growth, and a leap toward one’s dreams.
Composed by Bill Conti for the film Rocky, released in February 1977, it reached No.
1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of the same year and ranked 58th on AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores.
Beyond exit scenes, it’s a highly effective track for moments when you want to encourage people who are giving their all—such as school events, sports day practice, and lineup formations.
Soldier, run.B’z
B’z’s “Tsuwa-mono, Hashiru” (“Warriors, Run”) captured many hearts, inspiring the courage to keep challenging yourself without giving up.
Many people probably remember it as the support song for Japan’s national rugby team.
You might instinctively read the title’s kanji 兵 as “hei,” but the correct reading here is actually “tsuwamono”! Reportedly, when Koshi Inaba was writing the lyrics and thought of the word “tsuwamono,” he typed it into his smartphone and happened to find this kanji via predictive conversion.
The character 兵 can also mean “a brave, strong person,” making it a perfect fit for children giving their all at a school sports day.
SUNRISESPECTRUM
For a song to liven up a tug-of-war where both sides pull a single rope toward their own territory, we recommend “Sunrise.” It was created by SPECTRUM, a band known for delivering sounds centered on jazz and fusion.
The track features a jazzy band performance incorporating brass instruments like trumpet and trombone.
Its driving, horn-heavy sound fits perfectly with high-energy, heated moments.
Why not use its brisk, refreshing melody as BGM for your tug-of-war?
Get WildTM NETWORK
A signature song by TM NETWORK, the legendary band that revolutionized Japan’s music scene.
Released in April 1987, it was also used as the ending theme for the anime City Hunter, propelling the band to stardom.
Its powerful synth sound and exhilarating, fast-paced melody make it a perfect fit for tug-of-war at a school sports day.
The lyrics’ message of “becoming stronger” is sure to ignite the athletes’ fighting spirit.
Combined with the popularity of the ‘free-to-play uncle’ at the Paris Olympics, playing it during a tug-of-war will undoubtedly fire up both the competitors and the crowd as one.
Sora-buneTOKIO
It’s one of TOKIO’s signature songs, notable for its powerful, stirring sound that sets the heart ablaze.
It’s also well known as a song provided by Miyuki Nakajima, and you can strongly feel the resolve and passion it conveys.
With a powerfully rock-driven sound that puts TOKIO’s band identity front and center, the lyrics evoke the image of a ship cutting through rough seas.
It’s a track that seems well-suited to competitions where teammates join forces toward a single goal.
peace signYonezu Kenshi
The gradually building intro is really cool! It’s a song by singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu, released in 2017.
It was used as the opening theme for the anime My Hero Academia and became a hot topic.
It’s a rock number with an exhilarating sense of speed.
It really fires you up to do your best in tug-of-war.
