More than racing: EUSA Youth exchange held alongside EUC Rowing 2026

While the European Universities Rowing Championship 2026 brought the best student rowers from across Europe to Zagreb, the championship was also a place for learning, connecting and creating new opportunities for young people.

Alongside the racing, Zagreb hosted the EUSA Youth Exchange, bringing together 32 young participants from Croatia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia for a week of learning, intercultural exchange, volunteering and sport.

Held from 24 to 31 August, the programme gave participants the opportunity to experience the European Universities Championship from a different perspective — not only as spectators, but by getting involved in the organisation and discovering what happens behind the scenes of a major sporting event.

Participants took part in activities connected to arrivals, accreditation, venue operations, logistics, ceremonies and volunteer management, gaining first-hand insight into the work required to bring an international sporting event to life.

The programme also featured workshops on leadership, event organisation and volunteering, as well as sessions introducing participants to European opportunities such as Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps and YouthPass. Through a variety of interactive activities, participants developed communication, teamwork and intercultural skills while sharing experiences with their peers from different countries.

A special part of the exchange was the opportunity to meet and learn from young people with different backgrounds and experiences. Through the “From Experience to Impact: The Power of Youth Participation” panel, participants discussed volunteering, youth participation and the impact these experiences can have on personal and professional development.

Sport was at the heart of many of the activities, serving as a tool for learning and bringing people together. Creative challenges, reflection activities and international group work encouraged participants to explore topics such as volunteering, fair play, inclusion, equality and teamwork.

The exchange also gave participants the chance to experience the cultural side of Zagreb and Europe through Intercultural Night, where they shared traditional games, music, dance, languages and stories from their countries.

The Youth Exchange was also an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the people who make events like this possible. Our volunteers are the heart of every project, bringing their time, energy, dedication and enthusiasm to every part of the organisation. Through this programme, young participants could experience first-hand just how important volunteering is to the success of a major sporting event.

By combining the excitement of a European sporting event with non-formal learning and international exchange, the EUSA Youth Exchange added another important dimension to EUC Rowing 2026.

Because a European Universities Championship is about more than racing — it is also about the people, experiences and connections created along the way.