Welsh Sailing, Canoe Wales and Welsh Triathlon sign up to Clean Water Sports Alliance.

Three national governing bodies for sports in Wales have joined the Clean Water Sports Alliance to call for the protection of blue spaces for people and wildlife.

RYA Cymru Wales, Canoe Wales and Welsh Triathlon announced their backing for the campaign at a Sustainability in Sport conference hosted by the Welsh Sports Association (WSA) at The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre, Newport (12 November 2024). 

Teaming up to create a new Welsh cohort of the Clean Water Sports Alliance, the three sports are calling on regulators and decision makers to prioritise:

• Further and faster action on pollution to improve the health of Welsh waters by 2030
• Information enabling people to make real-time informed choices about where and when to participate
• Recognition of all recreational water users across decision making and policy

The Alliance was first launched in April 2024 and now represents 14 governing bodies, with the three Welsh organisations joining British Rowing, British Triathlon, GB Outrigger, Paddle UK, Royal Yachting Association, Swim England and The Angling Trust, Surfing England, British Kitesport, British Sub-Aqua Club and British Dragon Boat Racing.

Highlighting the expansion of the Alliance at the WSA conference, in a presentation titled Protecting our Blue Spaces for Water Sports, were Alistair Dickson (CEO Canoe Wales), Catherine Roberts (CEO Welsh Triathlon), and James Stuart (CEO RYA Cymru Wales).

The three sports also announced their intention for a Great Big Spring Clean in March 2025 to further galvanise the support of their members across Wales for the campaign.

James Stuart, CEO RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Cymru Wales:

 “Our field of play is in peril and the health of people and nature is threatened because of it. We want to harness the power of sport to take action and encourage others to do likewise, whether that’s our own members at the grassroots or the decision-makers and regulators responsible for water quality. We aim to not only renew our own efforts but inspire others to join us to protect our blue spaces. The problem is bigger than any one of us and we need to team up, grow our voice and energise and activate our communities at scale. Let’s get started.”

The UK scores near the bottom of the European bathing water quality index, with pollution putting biodiversity under immense pressure and impacting recreational water users.

The Alliance has engaged with major water companies and their trade body Water UK to call for change and share collective data and expertise on issues including water testing.

Almost half of Great Britain's Olympic medals at Paris 2024 (47%) came from water-based sports, with 18% of these won by athletes who train outdoors using rivers, canals, lakes or open water.

A recent finalist in the BBC Green Sport Awards, the Alliance has been successful in bringing water quality issues to the forefront. Earlier this year the Alliance welcomed the announcement of a new Water (Special Measures) Bill, and discussions with Ministers and Officials are ongoing.

Welcoming the expansion of the coalition, Phil Horton, RYA Environment & Sustainability Manager said: “It’s great to see the Alliance representing so many different water-based sports and growing in influence with the addition three National Governing Bodies for sport in Wales, who have understood the urgency that we act now to tackle water pollution and contamination.”

Find out more at Clean Water Sports Alliance (CWSA).