Thousands of interstate university athletes will travel to Western Australia to vie for victory when Perth hosts the UniSport Nationals in 2020.
The event, formerly known as the Australian University Games, is presented by WA-based UniBank and supported by the State Government, through Tourism WA and VenuesWest.
It forms part of the State Government's Mass Participation Strategy, which aims to attract more out-of-state visitors to Western Australia.
The event is anticipated to attract about 6,000 interstate visitors, including approximately 5,400 interstate competitors, with visitor spend expected to be in the millions.
The UniSport Nationals Div 1 and Div 2 events will be held concurrently from Saturday September 26 to Friday October 2, 2020.
The event brings together competitors from universities across Australia to compete in individual and team sports such as badminton, basketball, futsal, golf, netball, cheer and dance, sailing, tenpin bowling and water polo.
The competition will be staged at a range of locations across Perth, including the Bendat Basketball Centre, State Netball Centre, HBF Stadium and Champion Lakes Regatta Centre.
The event was last held in Perth in 2016, when it was run under a different format, and attracted more than 5,200 interstate visitors and added about $6.5 million to the economy.
As stated by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia:
"I look forward to welcoming this event back to Perth next year, which is expected to bring about 6,000 out-of-state visitors to WA - this is fantastic news for local businesses and the economy.
"I encourage visitors to consider extending their stay to explore our transformed city - including its world-class facilities, a range of bars, cafes and restaurants, as well as our regional areas."
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:
"The UniSport Nationals will not only bring quality competition to WA's premier sporting venues, the students taking part will help enliven the city and inject valuable income into our bars, restaurants and small businesses.
"The event is expected to bring thousands of young people from around the world to compete against some of our best - showcasing the city and hopefully acting as a springboard for further visitation around the State."
