South Africa team lauded for winning 15 medals at the Tug-of-War World Championships 2026 in Mossel Bay
Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, has congratulated South Africa’s athletes on securing fifteen medals, including nine gold, at the 30th Tug-of-War World Championships.
The championships which concluded over the weekend was held in Hartenbos, Mossel Bay.
The 2026 event is the 30th edition of the TWIF (Tug of War International Federation) World Outdoor Championships.
The tournament featured national teams and clubs from sixteen countries.
The championships returned to the Western Cape eight years after Cape Town hosted the Outdoor World Championships in 2018. The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) invested 1.5 million Rands in the championships, following two years of planning and partnership.
This investment forms part of the Western Cape Government’s commitment to strengthening sporting pathways from school to club, to provincial and national colors, and onto the world stage, alongside its 130 million Rands’ school sport strategy over three years.
The championship week opened on Wednesday, 16 September with the TWIF Open Club Championships, followed by the World Championships on 18 and 19 September, when athletes competed in their national colours. The competition spanned junior, under-23 and senior weight categories.
South Africa’s medal tally for the championship week was as follows:
- World Open Club Championships: five gold and two silver medals.
- World Championships – National Teams: four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.This brings South Africa’s combined total to nine gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
South African club gold medallists included Hartenbos in the Under-23 Men’s 600kg, Goudini in the Under-23 Women’s 500kg, Drostdy A in Junior Men’s 560kg, Robertson High School in Junior Mixed 520kg, and Valsbaai A in Under-23 Mixed 560kg. Swellendam and Valsbaai B secured silver medals in their weight categories.
South Africa’s national teams claimed gold in the Junior Men 560kg, Under-23 Men 600kg, Under-23 Mixed 560kg, and Senior Men 600kg. This also includes silver in Junior Women 480kg and senior mixed 580kg, and bronze in the Senior Men 680kg and Under-23 Women 500kg.
Adding to these achievements, Kittie Terblanche from South Africa was named the TWIF Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year, following a public voting process.
Reflecting on the championships, Minister Mackenzie said, “What I saw this week was not just competition. I saw the professionalism of the athletes and officials, the commitment of the organisers, the pride of teams representing their countries, and the warmth of the entire tug-of-war community. To our South African clubs and national teams: baie geluk! To win fifteen medals, including nine gold, against some of the world’s best on home soil is an outstanding achievement.”
The championships also generated significant public interest online with Minister Mackenzie’s TikTok videos attracting more than half a million views. Audiences asked where they could watch more competitions and how they could get involved.
“When you give a sport the platform it deserves, people respond. I certainly see an opportunity to promote tug-of-war more, share more of these incredible moments, and introduce the sport to people who have never experienced it before”, said Mackenzie.
At the farewell ceremony held on 19 September, President of the Tug-of-War International Federation (TWIF), Mr Dan McCarthy (Ireland), acknowledged the Western Cape Government’s support for the championships.
“Minister, thank you for your financial contribution, and I hope you will continue to support tug-of-war,” said McCarthy.
Minister Mackenzie also thanked the South African Tug-of-War Federation and its President, Mr Luther Anton Botha, Convenor of the Selection Panel, Mr Carel Moller, the Local Organising Committee, the officials, volunteers, and everyone who contributed to the successful hosting of the championships.
“What an incredible World Tug-of-War Championships! With eight medals secured in the World Championships, including four golds, our athletes and officials have demonstrated remarkable dedication, determination and teamwork. Behind the success of this event stands an exceptional team of volunteers who have given their time, passion and energy so generously. Their commitment reminds us that, together, we truly pull stronger,” stated Mr Botha.
The championships placed Mossel Bay and the Western Cape firmly on the international sporting map, demonstrating the province’s capacity to host world-class sporting events, inspiring young athletes across the province that the journey to the world stage can begin right here.
The opportunity now is to grow participation, build on the enthusiasm generated in Hartenbos, and to ensure that the legacy of these championships extends beyond the final pull.