Beyond The Medals: The Friendships That Make UniSport Nationals 

For the students who travelled to Perth for UniSport Nationals 2026, their highlights of the event extended beyond the sporting competitions in Western Australia. When asked about their favourite parts of the week, students from a range of sports and universities consistently pointed to the friendships they had formed. 

From strengthening team bonds to meeting students from other universities, UniSport Nationals connected people through a shared passion for sport. As one Edith Cowan University hockey player put it, “Nationals is about coming together and playing the sport we love with friends”. 

For many students, the event provided an opportunity to build friendships beyond their existing circles.

James Cook University (JCU) rugby sevens player and nursing student Mali valued the opportunity to represent her university while forming connections she could take back to Townsville. As a first-year university student, she particularly enjoyed meeting people who shared similar interests in study and sport, describing her Nationals experience as amazing. Reflecting on the friendships she had made, she stated, “I’ve loved to represent my university and get to know the bunch of girls I’m playing with, making all the new friends”. 

The shared experience of competition, from university chants to post-match celebrations, made hard-fought victories even more rewarding when enjoyed together as a team. 

For a Monash University soccer player, a standout moment was a victory they achieved as a team. “Winning our soccer game yesterday, that was really good. The whole team got around it, which was nice,” she said. 

Beyond their own teams, students found opportunities to connect with competitors from other universities, creating communities beyond rivalries. 

The beach volleyball courts were a standout example, with a vibrant environment bringing together students through a shared love of the sport. 

For UNSW Sydney beach volleyball player and Bachelor of Commerce student Mateo, the social atmosphere on the beach was a defining part of Nationals. He highlighted the friendships formed on the sand and described the sport as having a culture unlike anything else. 

The University of Sydney student Luke also enjoyed the beach community, particularly the opportunity to connect with players from other universities between volleyball games. 

A similar sense of camaraderie extended to lawn bowls.  

For JCU student Joe, who returned to Nationals for a second year, the friendly and welcoming nature of lawn bowls stood out. Joe said meeting new people was a great part of the experience, adding that “everyone, especially in a sport like this, is very friendly, social, and gets along”. 

A Charles Sturt University student also highlighted the social side of lawn bowls, describing the best part as “getting to know more people from all the other different universities, and being social while playing sport”. 

These student experiences show that UniSport Nationals offers more than the opportunity to represent their university in sport. 

Whether celebrating a victory, chatting during training or between matches, or meeting fellow competitors for the first time, students found common ground through their shared love of sport. 

For many, the friendships made in Perth were just as memorable as the results, giving them something to take home long after the final whistle. 

Article written by UniSport Digital Marketing & Communications Intern, Nia Phillips.