December 6, 2019

TORONTO / LONDON, Ont. – U SPORTS, the National University Sport Federation of Canada, proudly announced Friday that the 2022 FISU World University Rowing Championship has been awarded to the city of London, Ont.

In partnership with Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA), Western University and Tourism London, the successful bid will see Canada host the biennial international event in August 2022 at Fanshawe Lake.

“Hosting the 2022 FISU World University Rowing Championship is both an exciting step forward for international sport in Canada as well as an honour for U SPORTS, together with Rowing Canada Aviron, Western University and Tourism London,” said Lisette Johnson Stapley, Chief Sport Officer at U SPORTS. “With FISU’s trust in our 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 third FISU World University Championship (WUC) awarded to Canada and U SPORTS by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), which announced nearly 40 WUC hosts for both the 2022 and 2024 seasons on Friday.

Previously, the 2010 FISU World University Cross Country Championship was hosted by Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., while the 2002 FISU World University Wrestling Championship was awarded to the University of Alberta and staged in Edmonton. The Alberta capital was also the site of the 1983 FISU Summer Universiade – the lone World University Games that Canada has hosted in its history. 

In 2022, the City of London will play host to over 20 countries and 300 high-performance student-athletes, all rowing for international glory.

“We are thrilled to have been awarded this event, said Zanth Jarvis, Director, Sport Tourism, at Tourism London. “London has a storied history when it comes to rowing and the legacies resulting from this event will further enhance our city as a leader in the international rowing community.”

A hub for university rowing across the nation, London was home to Rowing Canada’s National Training Centre and its women’s national team at Fanshawe Lake for over 30 years.

The Western Mustangs have also captured 14 combined men’s and women’s Canadian University Rowing Championship titles since 2006, while adding 58 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) combined titles in program history.

“Western is proud to have been selected as host of the 2022 FISU World University Rowing Championship,” said Christine Stapleton, Director, Sports and Recreation at Western University. “Fanshawe Lake is a spectacular venue to host the championships and I know our Western Mustangs men’s and women’s rowing teams, their coaches and supporters are enthusiastically looking forward to welcoming the world to London in 2022.”

On the international stage, Canada has won 35 medals in FISU rowing competition – 11 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze.

Sixteen have come in WUC action since 2002, while the remaining 19 podium finishes came at the FISU Summer Universiade, where it has been contested as on optional sport on six occasions dating back to 1987. FISU stages the multi-sport Summer Universiade and single-sport WUC events in alternating years. Rowing is slated to be part of the 2021 FISU Summer Universiade program in Chengdu, China.

In its last appearance against world competition, Canada captured a pair of silver medals in the women’s double and women’s eight at the 2018 FISU World University Championship in Shanghai, China.

“We are very pleased that London, Ont., has been selected by FISU to host the 2022 World University Rowing Championship,” said Terry Dillon, RCA Chief Executive Officer. “The London community and Western University have a rich history of rowing success at Fanshawe Lake dating back over several decades. We are very confident that London is well equipped to host such a prestigious event and look forward to welcoming rowers to Canada in 2022!”

Additional Quotes

“Dating back to London’s first documented regatta in 1849, the Forest City has produced some of the finest rowers in Canada. We look forward to welcoming the world to London in 2022, while adding to our community’s rich rowing history.”

– Ed Holder – Mayor, City of London

“The Western Rowing Team is extremely excited to act as host to the 2022 FISU World University Rowing Championship.  We are incredibly proud of our student-athletes that represent our country on the highest stage and are very excited that they will be able to do this at home.  We are also very proud of our community and being able to work with Tourism London and our community partners in acquiring the rights to this event.”

– Daniel Bechard – Chair, Organizing Committee and Head Coach, Western University Rowing

“Western University is excited that we have been announced as having the successful bid for the 2022 FISU World University Rowing Championship. We look forward to welcoming all of these world class university athletes to London, Ont., and we are proud of the part that our very successful Western men’s and women’s rowing teams and our Sports and Recreation area, have had in making this happen. 

– Dr. Jennifer Massey – Associate Vice-President, Student Experience, Western University

About U SPORTS
U SPORTS is the national brand for university sports in Canada. Every year, over 20,000 student-athletes and 900 coaches from 56 universities vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U SPORTS also provides higher performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous World University Championships. For further information, visit USPORTS.ca or follow us on:

Twitter/Instagram/YouTube: @USPORTSca
Facebook: @USPORTSCanada

About Rowing Canada Aviron
Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) is a non-profit organization recognized by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national governing body for rowing in Canada, representing more than 15,000 registered members.

RCA is a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Fédération internationale des sociétés d’aviron (FISA), the international federation for rowing.

For more information about Rowing Canada Aviron, please visit rowingcanada.org or follow @rowingcanada.

About Western University
Western University delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community.

For further information, please contact:

John Bower
Director, Marketing and Communications
U SPORTS
Off: 905-508-3000 ext. 241
Cell: 780-667-5646  
jbower@usports.ca

Colleen Coderre
RCA Communications
Cell: 613-530-6217
coderre@rowingcanada.org 

Deb Coward
Manager, Communications
Western University Athletics
Off: 519-661-2111 Ext. 84882
dlcoward@uwo.ca

Zanth Jarvis
Director, Sport Tourism
Tourism London
Off: 519-661-6388
Cell: 226-984-8640
zjarvis@londontourism.ca