OCRA Ireland Position on the Proposed World Obstacle and UIPM Merger

OCRA Ireland recognises the importance of the upcoming vote on the proposed integration of World Obstacle into UIPM, the international federation for modern pentathlon (and dissolution of World Obstacle)

At a high level, we see the potential value in the merger. For a growing national federation such as OCRA Ireland, closer alignment with a larger international structure may create stronger opportunities for long-term development, recognition, athlete pathways, event delivery, and administrative stability. If managed properly, this process could help obstacle sports grow in Ireland.

Our concern is not with growth.

Our concern is with implementation.

OCRA Ireland is not opposed to working within a broader governance framework if that framework helps athletes, clubs, officials, coaches, event organisers, and the wider obstacle community. We are open to constructive collaboration with Pentathlon Ireland and with any international structure that supports the development of the sport in a practical and sustainable way.

However, a merger of this scale cannot rely on broad promises alone. It must be supported by clear national-level guidance, fair transitional arrangements, and a realistic implementation plan.

At present, the main concern for OCRA Ireland is that national federations are being asked to support a major international restructuring without receiving sufficient direction on how that restructuring is supposed to work in practice at country level. The broad message appears to be that national obstacle and pentathlon federations should now engage, cooperate, and find a workable solution between themselves. While cooperation is absolutely the right starting point, that approach leaves too much unresolved.

For smaller federations in particular, this creates uncertainty. It risks unequal negotiations, inconsistent outcomes between countries, and avoidable friction at national level. It also places a significant burden on volunteer-led or resource-constrained organisations that are trying to act in good faith, but without a clearly defined framework from above.

OCRA Ireland acknowledges that the merger proposal includes a number of positive commitments. These include the stated intention to preserve obstacle sports identity, protect athlete achievements, maintain event continuity, recognise existing officials and coaches, and provide representation through an Obstacle Commission. Those points matter and should not be dismissed.

But positive principles are not the same as operational clarity.

The key issue for us is that national federations, including modern pentathlon bodies at local level, do not appear to have been given sufficiently detailed instructions on governance, authority, transitional rights, dispute resolution, athlete representation, event ownership, or the pathway from temporary status to full and meaningful membership. Without that clarity, national organisations are left to interpret a complex merger in real time.

That is not a stable basis for long-term integration.

OCRA Ireland’s position is therefore a balanced one.

We support the ambition to grow obstacle sports.

We support meaningful collaboration with Pentathlon Ireland.

We are open to a future structure that strengthens the sport in Ireland.

But we also believe that national federations should not be expected to carry the burden of implementation without clearer direction from UIPM.

If this merger is to succeed, it should be supported by:

These are not unreasonable conditions. They are basic governance requirements.

OCRA Ireland remains willing to engage in good faith and in a constructive spirit. We do not approach this matter from a position of territorialism or resistance to change. We approach it from the perspective of responsibility. If the aim is to build a stronger future for obstacle sports, then the process must be fair, clear, and workable for the national federations that will ultimately be responsible for delivering it on the ground.

Growth is important.

Unity can be valuable.

But neither should come at the expense of clarity.

OCRA Ireland will continue to support what is best for the sport in Ireland, while also insisting that any international restructuring be matched by practical guidance, fair treatment, and a framework that gives national federations a realistic chance to succeed.

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