Women in Sport Congress registrations open
Registrations have opened for the 2026 Women in Sport Congress (WISC) — Australia’s premier event dedicated to female athlete health and performance.
Hosted by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the biennial Congress will be held in Brisbane from March 8–11, 2026- to coincide with International Women’s Day.
The 2026 WISC theme is: “The Lifecycle of the Female Athlete: From Adolescence to Retirement” and it is targeted at coaches, support staff, executives or researchers working with women and girl athletes of all ages and abilities.
Global experts will share the latest research, innovations and best practices in supporting female athletes across a range of topics- tailored injury prevention, concussion management, menstruation and hormones, performance demands on female athletes and more.
WISC 2026 will kick off with the unveiling of the most comprehensive evidence gap map in women’s sport. This landmark study spotlights key areas where specific female knowledge is lacking and what must be done to close the gap.
“Right now, there’s a lot of information flooding athletes and often it’s not reliable or evidence-based,” Professor Sophia Nimphius, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Sport at Edith Cowan University said.
“It’s our job to sift through existing research and ensure athletes, coaches and support staff can easily access quality information. This in turn will lead to more athletes feeling and performing at their best.”
The 2024 Congress drew over 300 delegates, including international representatives from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, England Football, Sport Singapore, High Performance Sport New Zealand and the Japan Institute of Sport Sciences. Over 90% expressed interest in returning so tickets are expected to sell fast.
“This is a must-attend for anyone who wants to help athletes thrive at every stage of life,” AIS Female Performance and Health Initiative (FPHI) Lead Dr. Rachel Harris said.
“It’s also a unique opportunity to hear directly from those applying the research, such as athletes and coaches, who are witnessing really exciting results.”
WISC is part of the AIS’s broader commitment to making Australia home to the most supported female athletes in the world.
Parents can also take advantage of the free childcare service which is available to all children aged under five.
Keynote speakers and full program details will be announced in the coming weeks via the WISC2026 website, opens in a new tab.
Researchers interested in submitting an abstract can contact: femaleperformancehealth@ausport.gov.au