Major week of university sport concludes in Perth with the University of Sydney Crowned Overall Champions

More than 5,400 students contested 30 sports over five days as the 2026 UniSport Nationals came to a close in Perth on Friday.

Returning to Western Australia for the first time since 2022, Nationals opened in style at the Royal Perth Yacht Club on Sunday, 27 September. The ceremony brought university delegations together in an iconic waterfront setting and gave the week a memorable launch before competition resumed the following day.

By Friday evening, the University of Sydney had secured the necessary pennants across the year to be crowned the 2026 Overall Nationals Champion for a sixth straight time.

The John White Spirit Champion University award went to the Charles Sturt University, recognising the way its students represented their institution positively and contributed to the event.

The 2026 Per Capita Champions were Bond University, taking home the Doug Ellis trophy for the seventh consecutive year and the 12^th time overall.

UniSport Australia CEO Mark Sinderberry said Perth had given this year’s Nationals its own identity.

“Opening the event at the Royal Perth Yacht Club overlooking the beautiful Swan River, made it feel special from the outset, and that energy carried into the sporting venues,” Sinderberry said.

“Most importantly, our students had a national stage worthy of the work they put into representing their universities. The standard of competition was outstanding, and every team contributed something to the week.

“Congratulations to the University of Sydney on securing the overall title for a sixth consecutive year, Charles Sturt University on claiming the Spirit Champion Trophy, and Bond University on retaining the Per Capita Trophy. I’d also like to thank everyone behind the scenes whose hard work made an event of this scale possible.”

Wednesday evening brought a change of pace as UniFest took over Perth’s Wellington Square. All 4,200 tickets were claimed, with thousands of students attending the free event exclusively for registered Nationals participants.

The biggest UniFest yet featured free food, vendor activations, games and giveaways. Red Bull, the exclusive beverage partner of UniSport Nationals, staged the national launch of the Red Bull Wings Cup, with champion wakeboarder Cory Teunissen joining students at Wellington Square and taking part in the evening’s festivities.

The Match of the Day, brought to you by Mainfreight, took selected contests to viewers around Australia through five live and free broadcasts on UniSportTV. Touch, basketball, rugby 7s, hockey and football each featured during the week.

Mainfreight’s involvement extended beyond the broadcast as the event’s Logistics and Workforce Support Partner, helping UniSport deliver the operational requirements of Nationals, feeding our volunteers each day with a BBQ at the UWA Sports Park.

The event was proudly supported by the WA Government through Tourism Western Australia.  

New Balance supported the event as its Merchandise Partner, with assistance from Belgravia Apparel. R U OK? also helped keep student wellbeing visible during Nationals and encouraged participants to check in with one another.

Full results from the 2026 UniSport Nationals are available at www.unisport.com.au/nationals.