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WSAA and Welsh Athletics Joint Statement - International Age Groups – SIAB Competition
23/07/2026 00:00, In Blog /
WSAA and Welsh Athletics Joint Statement
International Age Groups – SIAB Competition
Welsh Schools and Welsh Athletics are pleased to announce that, following last Saturday's SIAB Annual General Meeting held in conjunction with the SIAB Track and Field in Belfast. Future SIAB events will align with the new UKA competition age groups, this change will take effect on September 1 of this year and will impact both cross country and track and field events.
SIAB Cross Country 2027 (Saturday, March 21 at Leeds Grammar School) will now be contested over the U16 (School years 9 and 10) and U18 age groups (School years 11 and 12), team size is unchanged and the event will continue to incorporate a mixed relay for both age groups.
SIAB Track and Field 2027 (Saturday, July 17 at Grangemouth) will be contested over the U18 age grouping (again School years 11 and 12). The event will use U18 implement weights, hurdle and steeplechase heights and spacings and with 400m events replacing 300s currently used. Outstanding U16s will remain eligible to compete provided they have power of 10 performances recorded where weights, hurdle and barrier heights differ).
We have jointly taken the decision to release this information as soon as it became available, we would hope that this provides clarity for athletes, parents, teachers and coaches and will allow for effective planning of programmes for all of our young athletes.
Furthermore, in the interest of complete transparency, WSAA confirms that it has accepted the invitation of Scottish Schools to attend the Pentathlon International on Saturday, November 14 at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
It should be stressed that this is NOT a SIAB event and that Scottish Schools (in partnership with their governing body) have moved to December 31 as their date for age group change.
This means that although the event will also use U16 and U18 age groups and rules the Under 16 teams will include athletes with dates of birth in 2011 and 2012. Under 18s will have been born in 2009 or 2010.