Opportunity

The “UK-China University Sports Week” is a joint initiative developed in 2015 by the Federation of University Sport of China and the British Council. The initiative aims to deepen and expand collaborations and exchanges between the two countries in the field of university sport.

With the first and second “University Sports Week” successfully held in Beijing (2015) and Xiamen (2016), the third “University Sports Week” will be hosted in Zhuhai, a city on the southern coast of Guangdong province, in July 2017. The theme of this year’s competition is rugby. The one-week-long exchange programme will consist of two or three friendly rugby games with teams from Chinese universities, as well as networking activities with Chinese students and cultural visits.

The Federation of University Sport of China and the British Council are seeking one men’s rugby team and one women’s rugby team to participate in this year’s exchange programme. The teams can come from the same or different UK institutions. Each team is expected to consist of no more than 20 people, including coaches and supporting staff.

Benefits

The “UK-China University Sports Week” initiative was agreed as an education outcome of the UK-China High Level People-to-People Dialogue; a key pillar in the UK-China relationship, celebrating links between the two peoples through culture, education, tourism and sport. Taking part in this national initiative will offer UK institutions the opportunity to build close connections with both the Federation of University Sport of China, the solely authorised national university sport development organisation under the Ministry of Education, and Chinese universities with strengths in sport.

Rugby is a relatively new sport in China and has been increasingly popular among young people. With Chinese authorities’ increasing effort to grow the wider sports industry and promote sporting participation at all levels, the “University Sports Week” will attract attention from the government, industry players, media, and general public, thus creating brand exposure for participating institutions.

The students and staff involved in the week-long exchange programme will also acquire an unforgettable experience that allows them to meet new friends, compete and learn from each other on the pitch, and build an in-depth understanding about China and Chinese young people.

Cost allocation

Participating UK institution(s) will need to cover the cost of visas and return flights to Zhuhai for their team(s).

The Federation of University Sport of China will cover the local cost for the UK teams. This includes their accommodation, meals, in-city transportation and relevant expenses to the networking activities and cultural visits. 

Brief introduction of the Federation of University Sport of China

The Federation of University Sport of China (FUSC) was founded in 1975 under the administration of China’s Ministry of Education. Being a member of the All-China Sports Federation (ACSF), Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF) and International University Sports Federation (FISU), FUSC is the solely authorised national organisation for university sport.

The main roles of the FUSC are promoting participation of sport among university students in China; organising national university sports events; promoting exchanges with university sports associations all over the world; and assisting China’s participation in international university sports events and exchanges.

Timeline