The World Radio Sport Team Championship, WRTC 2026, is coming to the United Kingdom for the first time. For radio amateurs, this is a particularly exciting occasion. WRTC is often described as the Ham Radio Olympics, and rightly so. It is a major international competition held only once every four years, bringing together some of the finest contest operators from around the world.
The main contest takes place on 11 and 12 July, when 50 competing teams will operate from matched stations across Norfolk and Suffolk as part of the IARU HF Championship.
There is an enormous amount happening behind the scenes to make an event of this scale possible. Finding sites, preparing equipment, supplying antennas, arranging logistics and ensuring fair conditions for every team is an achievement in itself.
A Major International Amateur Radio Event
WRTC moves to a different host nation every four years. The 2026 event is the tenth World Radio Sport Team Championship, and the UK has been awarded the honour of hosting it.
The format is designed to put the emphasis firmly on operating skill. Rather than having one team with an exceptional location or a bigger antenna system than another, the competitors are provided with comparable stations and similar operating conditions. That makes the contest a true test of the teams themselves: their strategy, speed, accuracy, band awareness and ability to work efficiently under pressure.
For WRTC 2026, organisers are preparing 55 HF station sites around the Norfolk and Suffolk area for 50 teams. Each team will have equipment and antennas provided for them, and each station will run two transmitters. That is a formidable task, involving a huge quantity of hardware and a tremendous amount of planning.
Three and a Half Years of Preparation
An event like this cannot be put together at the last minute. The WRTC 2026 organising committee has spent around three and a half years preparing for the championship.
In the final stages, hardware must be readied and positioned so that the build of all the HF sites can begin. The challenge is not merely to get stations on the air. Every team must receive an appropriately matched setup, and all the sites need to be operational in time for the contest.
It is quite remarkable when you consider what is involved:
- Securing dozens of suitable operating locations.
- Preparing and deploying radios, antennas and associated hardware.
- Creating comparable station conditions for all competing teams.
- Coordinating international arrivals, accommodation and event logistics.
- Organising a full week of activities around the championship.
The contest itself may last a weekend, but the organisation required to make it happen is on another level. The people arranging the sites, stations and equipment deserve enormous credit. It is a heroic undertaking.
More Than a Contest Weekend
WRTC 2026 is a week-long event, with Wyboston Lakes serving as the hub for teams and attendees. Alongside the competition, there will be meetings, organised trips, an opening ceremony and a school visit.
There will also be an on-site HF station, together with remote stations available for use. It is all part of making WRTC a wider celebration of amateur radio, contesting and international friendship, rather than simply a set of operating positions spread across the countryside.
The opening ceremony takes place before the contest weekend, with the IARU HF Championship providing the competitive stage for the teams on 11 and 12 July.
How the WRTC Contest Works on the HF Bands
During the contest, the 50 WRTC teams will be active from their assigned sites using special call signs. With two transmitters at each location, there could be as many as 100 WRTC signals active on the HF bands at the same time.
That should make the special stations very easy to find during the IARU HF Championship. They will be spread across the bands, calling and working stations at an energetic pace.
If you hold an amateur radio licence and have access to the HF bands, this is a splendid opportunity to take part. Simply listen out for the WRTC special stations and work as many as possible.
Every contact helps the competing teams, and it also gives operators around the world a direct connection with a championship that only comes around every four years.
What to Expect on Air
- 50 WRTC teams operating from sites in Norfolk and Suffolk.
- Two transmitters per team, creating up to 100 simultaneous signals.
- Special call signs used by the WRTC stations.
- Activity across the HF bands during the IARU HF Championship.
- Fast-paced contest operation from highly skilled international teams.
Keep an ear open throughout the contest period. With so many stations active simultaneously, there should be plenty of opportunities to put WRTC calls into the log.
Work the Special Stations and Claim Awards
There are awards available for contacting the WRTC 2026 special stations. After the contest, operators can download certificates, with different levels available depending on the number of stations contacted.
There will also be physical awards available. Full details can be found on the official WRTC website.
For anyone who enjoys collecting special-event contacts, contest certificates or simply having an interesting weekend on HF, this is well worth getting involved with. Events on this scale are rare, and this one is particularly significant because it is the first time WRTC has been hosted in the UK.
Follow the Live WRTC 2026 Scoreboard
Even if you are not operating, there will be plenty of action to follow online. The live scoreboard platform supplied by World Radio League will provide team scores, statistics and live commentary throughout the event.
Head to world radio league to follow the championship as it unfolds.
The identities behind the operating call signs will not be displayed during the contest. That separation helps preserve the integrity of the competition, keeping the focus on the scores and the operating rather than the reputation of individual participants. However, the live platform will still show the team standings and a great deal of useful contest information.
It should make for compelling radio sport, particularly as the score develops over the full contest weekend.
Keep 11 and 12 July Free
WRTC 2026 is a landmark occasion for UK amateur radio. Fifty international teams, 55 prepared HF sites, two transmitters at every competing station and a full programme of activities add up to an event of real importance.
If you are on the HF bands on 11 and 12 July, listen out for the special WRTC stations, give the teams some points and see how many contacts you can make. Then follow the scores and statistics through World Radio League as the contest develops.
For official event information, award details and further coverage, visit this page.
It is not every day that the Ham Radio Olympics comes to Britain. This is one to be part of.
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