Perth hosts UniSport Nationals

24 September 2026

More than 5,000 university athletes from across Australia will descend on Perth next week as the 2026 UniSport Nationals get underway, with several VenuesWest venues set to host competitions across six sports. The event is one of Australia's largest multi-sport competitions and will see students competing for national titles across 32 different sports.

Held from 26 September to 3 October, the UniSport Nationals will see venues across Perth buzzing with student athletes, showcasing elite university sport and VenuesWest's world-class facilities.

• Arena Joondalup will host two competitions during the week. Netball will run from Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October, while AFL Nines, (a fast-paced, non-contact, nine-a-side version of Australian Rules Football played on smaller fields), will take place from Tuesday 29 September to Thursday 1 October.
• At the Perth HPC, Water Polo athletes from universities across the country will compete from Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October, while at Champion Lakes Regatta Centre we will welcome Australia's top university rowers from Tuesday 29 September to Friday 2 October.
• The Bendat Basketball Stadium will host basketball competitions from Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October, and the Perth Motorplex will stage cycling events on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 September.

The UniSport events form part of Cook Labor Government's economic diversification agenda, to grow tourism and support local jobs. 

The Nationals were secured for Perth in 2026 and 2030 through Tourism Western Australia, building on the success of the event's previous visit to the State in 2022, which attracted thousands of visitors and delivered significant economic benefits for Western Australia. The competition will once again showcase Perth as a destination for major sporting events while highlighting VenuesWest's diverse portfolio of sporting venues.