On 25 September, Deena Blacking travelled to Alicante for the annual conference of the European Athlete and Players Association (EAPA), an important gathering for Europe’s leading sports unions.
EAPA, founded in 2008, is a crucial community for European athlete unions. It fosters collaboration, shares best practices, and develops collective policies to advocate for athlete rights. It also supports members through tailored education and training programs designed to enhance their capabilities and influence.
The Cyclists’ Alliance, established in 2017, is dedicated to supporting elite female cyclists. As a small but committed organisation, our membership of EAPA enables us to make vital connections with other athlete unions. This strengthens our efforts to better support our members.
EAPA’s network consists of 28 member unions from across Europe and beyond, including:
- FIFPRO: The global representative body for 65,000 professional footballers
- GIBA: The Italian Basketball Players Association
- RPI: Rugby Players Ireland
- HSF: The Danish Handball Players Association
This year’s conference provided invaluable insights from leading experts in athlete development and union management. Notable sessions included:
- Omar Hassanein, CEO of Rugby Players International, who offered strategic guidance on building and expanding athlete unions.
- Pam Gilpin, Head of Player Development at the World Players Association, who conducted a workshop on creating athlete-centred development programs.
- Presentations from female leaders in Irish Gaelic Sports (Gemma Begley) and Spanish Women’s Handball (Nerea Pena), who shared their experiences advocating for improved rights for female athletes.
Though The Cyclists’ Alliance is approaching its eighth anniversary, it remains relatively young in the athlete union landscape. Our time at the EAPA conference this year provided us with new perspectives and a renewed inspiration for the future. We extend our gratitude to our colleagues at EAPA for their ongoing support and for the opportunity to collaborate and learn from such a distinguished group of professionals.