News

The Match Division announces that the Organising Committee in Innsbruck has finished the first stage of preparations and shares the invitation to the first two 10m Match Crossbow World Cups of the saison and the 16th year of the traditional Austria Open, held on the same location with the beautiful view over the city in Arzl, Eggenwaldweg 60. The competition dates are 4th-9th of June, 2026. The registration deadline is 21st May, 2026.

The Tyrolean State Shooting Association, the host of the event, is looking forward to welcome you to Innsbruck to compete and meet your fellow shooters from abroad; not only World Cup and world ranking points, or European Championships qualifications, or other rewards, but also the opportunity to see your friends face to face after a long winter is the thing that makes this competition so popular over the years.

Dear Match Crossbow shooters, we are looking forward to meet in Innsbruck soon.

The invitations, registration forms and timetable are ready for download in the calendar section.

The Technical Committee Field has prepared changes to the competition rules for the upcoming season 2026. 

Download the 2026 edition here. An overview of the changes is also available for download.

The 2025 edition of the Match Rules will be applicable also in 2026 as there were no changes.

Important Information on Match shooting clothing: The Technical Committee Match decided in its remote session on March 21, that the material restrictions will be checked using the 2025 ISSF rules during the entire 2026 season in order to grant the shooters a longer time period to adapt. Conformity with ISSF 2026 rules can be tested upon request but it will be not binding for IAU competitions during the 2025 season. The ISSF 2026 rules conformity will be enforced from January 1st, 2027 onwards.

These changes were approved by the Executive Committee during its remote meeting on March 22, 2026.

The IAU announces with sadness the passing of Werner Hirt-Klöti, who died on 5 April 2026 at the age of 86 after a short illness. With him, crossbow sport loses a committed advocate, respected official and one of its most enduring journalistic voices.

Werner Hirt began his shooting career in 1956 with Schiessverein Schöfflisdorf, later serving the club as president from 1974 to 1985. In 1979 he founded his shooting sports agency, from which he followed and documented shooting sport for decades with exceptional consistency and expertise.

For crossbow shooting in particular, Werner Hirt was far more than a reporter. As editor-in-chief of Schweizer Armbrustschütze and as a long-standing communicator within the sport, he helped give crossbow shooting a stronger public profile in Switzerland and beyond. He was known as a bridge-builder, especially in periods when international sporting contacts still required personal courage, persistence and trust. His work connected athletes, officials and federations across borders and preserved an important part of the sport’s institutional memory.

His standing in the discipline was also reflected in his election as President of the IAU in 2003. Even beyond formal office, Werner Hirt remained identified with crossbow shooting through his loyalty, his independence of mind and his readiness to serve the sport wherever needed. For many in the IAU world, he represented seriousness, continuity and commitment. In his long history of offices held, he collected a row of distinctions and honorary memberships.

Alongside his crossbow work, Werner Hirt also rendered major service to the international Olympic shooting community. He was a member of the ESC Presidium for twenty years (1993–2013), after earlier chairing its Press Committee and Press and Promotion Committee, and in 2013 he was named an ESC Honorary Member, one of the rarest distinctions of the Confederation. He was also active in the broader international shooting environment, including high-level judging and media work.

Werner Hirt will be remembered with gratitude by his family, his friends and by generations of shooters and officials who knew his work. The crossbow community, in particular, has lost a grand personality of the sport and a man who helped shape its public record over many decades.

The International Crossbow Shooting Union (IAU) mourns the passing of its Honorary Member Werner Homberger.

Werner Homberger (SUI) dedicated his life to the sport of crossbow shooting and to the service of its institutions. He was elected to the IAU Technical Committee (Match) in 1991 and served with distinction as its Chairman from 1993 until 2006. Upon his retirement from this office, he was deservedly elected Honorary Member of the IAU.

His commitment to crossbow shooting extended far beyond the international level. Having joined the Armbrustschützenverein Oberwil in 1952, he held several key offices, including Schützenmeister and later President of the club, and was named an Honorary Member in recognition of his long-standing service. He was also an Honorary Member of the Zürcher Kantonal Armbrustschützenverband and the Eidgenössischer Armbrustschützenverband.

With Werner Homberger, the crossbow community loses a deeply respected sportsman, official, and companion whose dedication and integrity shaped generations of shooters.

The IAU will honor his memory with gratitude and respect, and extends its sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.