Welcome to Our Fourth Newsletter

Dear clubs and members,

With this fourth edition of our newsletter, we would like to look back on the General Assembly that took place last Saturday. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who attended for their engagement, constructive input, and the smooth and positive course of the meeting.

In this newsletter, we provide an overview of the key points and decisions that were discussed during the General Assembly, so that members who were unable to attend are also kept properly informed.

The presentation that was used during the General Assembly has also been added as an attachment, allowing everything to be reviewed at a later time.

As always, this newsletter is distributed via email, our WhatsApp groups, and our website, ensuring that everyone stays well informed.

Sporting regards,
The BOCRF Board

What to Expect in This Newsletter

General Assembly

Review of the General Assembly

Kick-off with NADO – Clean Sport

We started with a presentation by Guido Steens (NADO Flanders) on clean sport and anti-doping. Fair play, responsibility, and awareness remain an essential foundation within our federation.

Organisation & Governance

We said goodbye to several outgoing board members and explicitly thanked them for their dedication and commitment over the past years.

The new board structure and division of responsibilities were presented. For each committee (competition operations, member management, communication, finance, recreational sports, etc.), clear points of contact have been defined.

For questions, we kindly ask members to contact the responsible person or committee directly.

Mission & Membership

We reaffirmed what our federation stands for: a safe, fair, and professional framework for OCR in Belgium.

Important point of attention:
Membership through an affiliated club and the federation is mandatory in order to participate in official competitions. Clubs act as the primary point of contact and are responsible for communication and administrative follow-up.

Integration of World Obstacle & UIPM

We provided an update on the integration of the Belgian UIPM branch into our operations. For athletes, nothing changes at this moment, and there is no obligation to practice other disciplines. Further developments will follow after the international congress on March 15.

Competition Operations 2026

During the sports-related section, the following key points were explained:

New timing and registration system (registrations open from 14/02)
All competitions count towards the League ranking
League ranking and qualification for European and World Championships are assessed separately
Clubs are required to provide marshals (5% of the number of members, minimum of 2)
Youth from the age of 9 follow the same rules as adults
Age Group 7–8 years still receives 2 attempts per obstacle
All other age groups: 3 bands and 1 attempt per obstacle

The dates of the Belgian Championships and the qualification competitions (national and international) can be found in the presentation.

Qualification Test Day

New this season is the introduction of a qualification test day, with multiple moments throughout the season. This offers additional opportunities under certain conditions (e.g. injury or new members). Details and conditions are available in the slides.

European & World Championships 2026

Practical information regarding the European Championships (Irun) and the World Championships (Limerick) was reviewed.

Important: please deregister in time if you are unable to participate, so that reserve athletes can be called up. Also remember the requirements regarding medical certificates and liability waiver forms.

New: Recreational Waves

Starting this season, we are introducing recreational waves, which take place after the official competition segment. Recreational athletes will follow adapted rules, with a greater focus on enjoyment of the sport (e.g. multiple attempts per obstacle).

Boost Elite Team

The Boost Elite Team project was presented. Thibault Debusschere will act as team captain together with Jarne, supporting elite athletes in their further development, both physically and mentally.

Thanks to Our Sponsor

We would like to sincerely thank our loyal sponsor KLIMBER for continuing their sponsorship in 2026.

Thanks to their commitment, we can continue to invest in the further development of our sport. In addition, our members benefit from an exclusive 7.5% discount at Klimber. We encourage our members to actively support our sponsor.

Conclusion

We ask all members to take note of the information regarding the topics discussed during the General Assembly. We kindly ask clubs to inform their absent members accordingly, so that everyone is fully and correctly informed about the agreements and decisions that were made.

Together, we are building a strong and future-oriented OCR structure in Belgium.

Thank you for reading!