London and Western will play host to over 20 countries and 300 high-performance student-athletes in 2026 as the FISU World University Rowing Championships come to Canada for the first time.
The biennial event, one of several university championships organized by FISU (Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire, or the international university sports federation), will be held at the Western Mustangs rowing facilities on Fanshawe Lake in London, Ont.
U SPORTS, the national governing body for Canadian university sports in made the announcement July 22, in partnership with Tourism London, Rowing Canada Aviron and Western.
“Western sports and recreation is excited to bring FISU to London, Ont. and Western University in the summer of 2026. Western has a beautiful rowing facility located at Fanshawe Lake, and our Mustangs Rowing program has produced numerous international champions,” said Christine Stapleton, Western’s director of sports and recreation.
“We look forward to welcoming the local and international community to this world-class rowing competition, and partnering with FISU, U SPORTS and Tourism London on this incredible event.”
A hub for rowing across the nation, London, Ont. was originally awarded 2022 FISU World University Rowing Championship, however the event was cancelled due to rescheduling related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fanshawe Lake was home to Rowing Canada’s National Training Centre and its women’s national team for over 30 years.
“Hosting the 2026 FISU World University Rowing Championship is both an exciting step forward for international sport in Canada as well as an honour for U SPORTS,” said Pierre Arsenault, chief executive officer of U SPORTS.
“We are grateful for the strong leadership and commitment provided by Western University, Tourism London and Rowing Canada Aviron in bringing this exciting event to Canada. With FISU’s trust in the championship organizing committee, we relish the opportunity to stage an event of this calibre on the world stage and look forward to bringing more FISU events to Canada in concert with our sport, membership and community partners.”
This marks the fourth World University Championship to be hosted by Canada. Previous world university championships include the world university championships in cross country (2010) wrestling (2002) and judo (1996).
“We look forward to welcoming the world to London and showcasing what makes our community such a strong sport hosting destination.” – Zanth Jarvis, director of sport tourism, Tourism London
On the international stage, Canada has won 40 medals in FISU rowing competition – 12 gold, 14 silver and 14 bronze. In its last appearance against world competition, Canada secured five podium finishes at the 2024 FISU World University Championship in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
“This event not only allows the athletes to compete in front of a Canadian crowd but will also inspire the next generation of rowers to pursue the sport,” said Jennifer Fitzpatrick, interim chief operating officer of Rowing Canada Aviron.
“We look forward to welcoming the world to London and celebrating the spirit of international competition on Fanshawe Lake.”
