WFDF

WFDF Announces 2021 Schedule of World Championships

In Beach Ultimate, Disc Golf, Events, Guts, News, Official Communication, Overall, Press Release * Official Communication, Ultimate, Upcoming Events by WFDF

Planning to resume global Flying Disc events starting in July 2021

Following the March 24 announcement by the World Flying Disc Federation that all Flying Disc championships in 2020 were cancelled or postponed due to the rapid spread COVID-19 virus and effect of the pandemic on international travel, WFDF has been pushing forward with negotiations, plans, and preparations for a full calendar of events for 2021.

As of today, WFDF is planning to hold its World Under-24 Ultimate Championships (3-10 July, Limerick, IRL), World Ultimate and Guts Championships (24-31 July, Leeuwarden, NED), World Overall Championships (July, USA), and World Beach Ultimate Championships (November, USA). The World Team Disc Golf Championships (Croatia) will be postponed to August 2022 and World Masters Ultimate championships (Gold Coast, AUS), which was initially announced to be postponed to September 2021, has been cancelled.

“We are hopeful that there will be significant progress made in the development of one or more safe and effective vaccines in the next two months, with a broad distribution program in place by early in the second quarter of 2021, which should make it feasible to resume competitive international competition by July,” WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “We will continue to hold extensive meetings with key stakeholders, city hosts, and LOCs, and will discuss all options with the WFDF Sport Committees and Events Team in consultation with the WFDF Chief Medical Officer, in making decisions about proceeding with our events at each stage of the way. Our next decision milestone will be late December and we will communicate further at that time.”

Notwithstanding these plans, WFDF reiterates that, due to the uncertainties about the course of the pandemic and any ongoing or new restrictions that may be imposed, there may be further revisions to the plans as new information comes to light. Teams and players should continue to prepare and be ready for making payments as soon as registrations are open, but national federations or participants should not make any bookings for flights, hotels or rentals until a firm green light is given and registrations open in late December. Please pay particular attention to the official information bulletins which will be shared with you via email.

Any questions regarding WFDF events should be directed to the WFDF Events Team via email. [email protected] with the inclusion of the event name you are enquiring about.

WFDF 2021 World Under-24 Ultimate Championships  (Ireland)  remains on schedule

WFDF confirms that WU24 2021 remains firm on the WFDF event calendar and will be hosted in the city of Limerick, Ireland from Saturday 3rd to Saturday 10th July 2021. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) has been preparing the official information bulletin which will be shared with all member National Federations by mid November, with a pre-registration in order to allocate bids at that time.

Tournament Director Liam Grant said, “We are absolutely delighted to be hosting the WFDF 2021 World Under 24 Ultimate Championships. It is a great honour to be trusted with hosting this event. The facilities here at the University of Limerick are world class and we are excited to showcase them to the global community. The modern campus will give the event an Olympic village feel and will allow for a stress-free experience. Given the reduced planning times, we have put together an experienced all-star organizing committee and the city is really behind us to make this a memorable tournament. The event will have a real positive impact on the Ultimate community here for years to come. We look forward to giving the world’s up and coming elite Ultimate players the famous Irish welcome.”

The event will host national teams comprising the Under-24 Open, U24 Women’s and U24 Mixed divisions. Teams are reminded that no bookings should be made until WFDF gives the go-ahead in December once we determine the event can be run safely and successfully.

World Ultimate & Guts Championships (Netherlands) planned to go ahead in 2021

WFDF is pleased to announce that negotiations with Team TOC, the WUGC 2020 Organising Committee, have resulted in a mutual understanding on the necessary revisions to the existing contract to enable us to proceed with holding a rescheduled WFDF 2021 World Ultimate & Guts Championships (WUGC 2021) in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. WUGC will be held from Saturday 24th July to Saturday 31st July 2021 at the same four venues that were planned to be used for the 2020 event.

More than 2,200 athletes were scheduled to attend WUGC 2020 in the Open, Women’s and Mixed divisions. Earlier this year, WFDF polled each team and interest from almost 40 countries remained high with only three countries opting out when it was announced the event would not take place as planned in 2020 due to the effects of the outbreak and global pandemic of COVID-19.

In addition to the health considerations around the pandemic, the event must raise the operating capital necessary for WUGC 2021 to show that it is viable. Therefore, the balance of player fees and surcharges will have to be paid prior to the 15th January 2021. All teams are asked to plan for the event and to anticipate the fee payment from their teams to be ready for the mid-January payment. Teams are urged to hold off on making any bookings until after WFDF re-opens team and player registration in late December following our meetings and a firm decision has been made that it appears it will be safe and responsible for WUGC 2021 to take place.

It is anticipated that there will be a surcharge of around €165 for Players Fees for WUGC2021 to cover extra work caused by the event delay and an expected reduction in total players across whom fixed charges are spread. TOC has negotiated with hotels to carry over to 2021 hotel deposits already paid. Any new revenue collected by WFDF for the 2021 event, will be returned in full if, by the 15th January 2021, either concerns surrounding the safety and health of participants remain significant and/or not enough revenue is raised to have the event proceed.

Each team (currently registered) will be sent direct information (by mid-November) about the 2021 decision and payment timelines, with an online form to fill out to provide us accurate and current team information with a number of players you are bringing.

WUGC 2021 will serve as the qualifier event for the IWGA World Games which has been rescheduled to be hosted in the USA, now in 2022.

WFDF and the TOC remain hopeful and committed to making WUGC 2021 a reality. We thank you all for your patience and support and understanding during this difficult and uncertain time.

WFDF 2021 World Beach Ultimate Championships  (USA) to proceed as planned

WFDF confirms that the WBUC 2021 will go ahead as scheduled in the fourth quarter next year in the USA. The Local Organizing Committee and WFDF have been working through event logistics to delay registration and payment deadlines as much as possible to gain more certainty around the course of the pandemic. It is anticipated that an announcement for the venue and date will be made by mid-November 2020 at the latest.

WCBU in 2017 had an overwhelming response to team registrations in all divisions and WFDF is looking forward to moving ahead with the event when it is deemed safe and responsible to do so. All member National Federations who are interested in sending teams, should continue to plan, select and prepare teams for next year’s event and to be sure to respond to the pre-registration per the deadlines listed in the bulletin.

WFDF 2021 World Overall Flying Disc Championships (USA) In-planning

The WFDF 2021 World Overall Flying Disc Championships date and venue will not be announced until after 15th January 2021. WFDF believes strongly that the expected field of 100-150 athletes will remain a possibility, given the fact that many of the Overall disciplines are outdoors and many of the World competing athletes continue to train and play during the many restrictions due to covid-19. The event is planned to be hosted in the USA late summer.

WFDF 2021 World Team Disc Golf Championships (Croatia) Postponed

In September the WFDF Board approved the WFDF Disc Golf recommendation to postpone the 2021 World Team Disc Golf Championships (WTDGC) until August 2022. The Event will be held in Croatia.

Pushing back the event for 12 months, will allow players to train and plan for attending the event with more certainty and will hopefully give more nations the opportunity to attend. Further information about this event will be released early next year.

WFDF 2021 World Masters Ultimate Championships (Australia) Cancelled

WFDF, AFDA and the WMUC TOC are very sorry to announce that the previously-postponed (from 2020) WMUC event to be held on the Gold Coast, Australia from 5th – 11th September 2021 is now cancelled.

WFDF member National Federation and WMUC host, the Australian Flying Disc Association have informed WFDF that the ongoing efforts by Australian Government and Health Agencies to contain the pandemic spread within Australia has created border restrictions that severely impact international flight frequencies and arrivals which have created too many uncertainties for the planning and ability to stage a successful tournament next year.

It became apparent to AFDA that the current restrictions within Australia would be near impossible to ignore and that no short-term changes to inbound international visitor allowances were forthcoming to meet their necessary booking timelines.

WFDF would like to say huge thanks to the support and hard work of AFDA and the TOC Tournament Directors Mat and Jack and to the hospitality that the Runaway Bay City Council and Cricket Club, the City of Gold Coast and Tourism and Events Queensland showed to WFDF while planning the 2020/2021 event.

To all the Masters Players, we are looking forward to seeing you all back on the field at the World Masters Ultimate Club Championships scheduled for 2022 at a venue and date yet to be confirmed.