new destination | wsf 2026
LANDING IN
VICTORIA FALLS,
ZIMBABWE.
The 7th edition of The World Schools Festival touches down at one of the seven natural wonders of the world - seven days of rugby and netball against the roar of the Zambezi.
scroll
7th
2018
45m
32
edition
founded
founded in 2023
teams in 2025
Zimbabwe hosts, Dec 2026
Launched in Paarl, South Africa
Up from 24m in 2022
Across rugby, netball & cricket
01 — the festival
BE PART OF THE MOST UNIQUE SCHOOLS SPORTING EXPERIENCE
The World Schools Festival brings school teams from across the globe together for one week of competitive sport, cultural exchange and once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Creating once-in-a-lifetime memories for every participant since 2018 — players, coaches, parents and supporters alike. Twenty schools and 800 players from 12 countries took part in the first festival in Paarl; the Festival has grown every year since, with top-class competition, worldwide viewership and friendships that outlast the week itself.
For WSF26, that story continues at Victoria Falls: mist rising over the Zambezi, the border of two nations, and a stadium of players who came for rugby and netball and leave with a passport full of new friends. More than a tournament — extraordinary happens here.
WHY CHOOSE THE FESTIVAL?
02 — why wsf
Create your own memories - the Festival is built around the experience as much as the result.
Experiential Sports Event
A world-class organised sports festival, trusted and respected by schools across the world.
Trusted Track Record
A platform for the best of schools sport from across the globe — viewership grown to 45 million views in 2023.
Showcasing
The ultimate multi-day sporting experience — pre-season preparation or the finale of a journey shared for years.
Sporting Competition
20 SCHOOLS · 12 COUNTRIES · 800 PLAYERS
03 — the journey
SEVEN EDITIONS,
FOUR HOST COUNTRIES.
2018
PAARL
2019
STELLENBOSCH
2020 - 21
PAUSED
2022
2023
2024 - 25
2026
THAILAND
20 schools, 12 countries, 800+ players at the first festival.
VICTORIA FALLS
ABU DHABI
The festival moves along the Cape and grows in popularity.
WSF20 and WSF21 were not held due to the pandemic.
A neutral venue, new format, December window for both hemispheres.
Viewership grows from 24m in 2022 to over 45 million.
Cricket, hockey and netball join rugby XVs and 7s.
Rugby XVs, 7s and netball — first festival staged in Zimbabwe.
45m VIEWS
04 — compete
THREE COMPETITIONS,
ONE FESTIVAL.
cup
girls
court
RUGBY XV
RUGBY 7'S
NETBALL
The full fifteen-a-side game, played across pool rounds and a knockout draw for the Festival cup.
Fast, open, and run across pool play and finals.
Round-robin group stages lead into semi-finals and a Festival final under the Victoria Falls sky.
05 — last year
A LOOK BACK AT 2025
rugby
cricket
netball
SAINT KENTIGERN COLLEGE
HOWICK COLLEGE
WESTERN PROVINCE ACADEMY
New Zealand
New Zealand
South Africa
06 — individual entry
ODYSSEY SIGN-UP
An invitational boys' rugby team for players who want in on WSF26 — whether or not their school is sending a side.
Odyssey is the Festival's invitational rugby squad: a composite touring team drawn from individual sign-ups rather than a single school roster. It's built for boys whose schools aren't fielding a team this year, or who simply want the experience of playing alongside new teammates from around the world at Victoria Falls.
Players are selected into the squad ahead of the Festival, train together on arrival, and compete as one side across the competition week — same fixtures, same finals, same shot at a Festival cup.
odyssey | boys rugby
SIGN UP HERE FOR ODYSSEY
destination
dates
eligible
format
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
13 - 19 december 2026
Individual boys not on a school touring squad
rugby xv
open to individual boys, regardless of school
Places are limited — register interest early.
coached squad, formed ahead of the festival week
competes in the Rugby XV / Rugby 7s draw at WSF26
FOR FUTHER
DETAILS & ENTRY
Entries open now for WSF26 · Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe · 13–19 December 2026
