By Adnaan Mohamed
The race to make sport safer is gathering pace, and in Cape Town the baton was firmly placed in African hands.
More than 400 delegates from around the world converged on the University of Cape Town for the Safe Sport Global Conference, where World Athletics and World Rugby joined forces to strengthen safeguarding systems and elevate athlete welfare across the continent and beyond.
Held from 25 to 27 May and opening on Africa Day, the conference brought together researchers, policymakers, administrators and safeguarding practitioners in a shared pursuit of a sporting environment where athletes can thrive free from abuse, exploitation and harm.
At the heart of the gathering was a message that resonated through lecture halls and panel discussions alike.
“Safer sport is not built by one discipline, one organisation or one country alone. It depends on shared responsibility, deeper understanding, and stronger systems,” said Associate Professor David Maralack, Head of Department at the School of Management Studies at UCT.
In many ways, the conference embodied that philosophy.
Like teammates linking arms in a defensive line or runners working together through a punishing headwind, World Athletics and World Rugby used the event to create new partnerships, share expertise and strengthen safeguarding networks throughout Africa.
Maralack also highlighted the significance of hosting the conference on African soil.
“Hosting the conference at UCT placed African scholarship and lived experience at the forefront of this important dialogue, challenging the historical dominance of perspectives shaped elsewhere.”
For years, safeguarding conversations have often been driven by frameworks developed in Europe and North America. In Cape Town, African experiences moved from the margins to the centre of the field.
The collaboration between athletics and rugby was far more than a symbolic handshake. It reflected a growing recognition that safeguarding challenges are shared across sports and that solutions are often stronger when organisations work side by side.
“The Safe Sport 2026 Conference came at an opportune time for World Rugby/Africa Rugby and World Athletics/African Athletics, as both sports are establishing safeguarding focal points across their African member unions and associations,” said Global Safe Sport Conference Coordinator Norman Brook.
“Both organisations participated in the conference and hosted related side events, including a joint session where rugby and athletics safeguarding officers explored ways to build regional and national support networks.”
The three-day programme examined how safeguarding commitments can be transformed from policy documents into everyday practice. Research presentations, workshops, stakeholder dialogues and keynote sessions tackled topics ranging from athlete welfare and leadership accountability to international cooperation and policy implementation.
World Athletics and the Athletics Integrity Unit contributed expertise through discussions on continental safeguarding networks, trauma-informed case management and the relationship between integrity and athlete protection.
Away from the formal programme, 15 safeguarding leads from African athletics federations met to exchange ideas, discuss challenges and build relationships designed to strengthen athlete protection across the continent. Working alongside World Rugby representatives, delegates forged connections that organisers hope will outlast the conference itself.
Brook believes those relationships could prove invaluable long after delegates returned home.
“The safeguarding officer role can sometimes feel isolating, with few people available for advice,” he said.
“By working together, Rugby and Athletics have created a practical way to provide mutual, on-the-ground support across their networks.”
The importance of collaboration emerged as one of the event’s defining themes.
Neal Andersen, CEO of Safe Sport International, said that at its core “safe sport is the only sport that matters”.
National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe safeguarding officer Tawanda Mutero said the conference demonstrated growing global commitment to athlete safety.
“It emphasised listening to athletes and putting them first. Collaboration was highlighted as key to making sport safer for everyone.”
Athletics Namibia safeguarding officer Victoria Tilovanhu Katukula echoed those sentiments.
“The Safe Sport Conference provided a valuable opportunity for networking with professionals committed to creating safer sporting environments. My takeaway is that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and it is not done overnight.”
That message became the conference’s enduring refrain.
Safeguarding is not a sprint to be won in a single season. It is a marathon requiring patience, vigilance and collective effort. Strong policies matter, although culture, education and accountability ultimately determine whether athletes feel protected.
As delegates departed Cape Town, the conference concluded with a call to carry the Safe Sport legacy forward.
The final whistle may have sounded on three days of discussion. The work of protecting athletes, however, continues every day in training grounds, boardrooms, clubhouses and classrooms across the world.
If the conference achieved one thing, it was reinforcing a simple truth. Athlete safety is not the responsibility of a select few. It belongs to everyone who shares the field, the track and the future of sport.
Safeguarding is not a sprint to be won in a single season. It is a marathon requiring patience, vigilance and collective effort. Strong policies matter, although culture, education and accountability ultimately determine whether athletes feel protected.
As delegates departed Cape Town, the conference concluded with a call to carry the Safe Sport legacy forward.
The final whistle may have sounded on three days of discussion, although the real work has only begun.
If the conference achieved one thing, it was reinforcing a simple truth. Athlete safety is not the responsibility of a select few. It belongs to everyone who shares the field, the track and the future of sport.
