East Anglia is less than one week away from hosting the prestigious World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC).
The international radio contest, much like the Olympics, runs every four years. This year it is taking place in the UK for the first time in the event’s history. The base for the event is Wyboston Lakes, with 50 contest sites located around the Thetford area of Norfolk including Brandon, Euston and Ixworth Thorpe.
Between 8 and 13 July, 50 teams from across the globe will descend on the Norfolk / Suffolk border, each with the goal of becoming the new world champions and taking the WRTC 2026 trophy home.
Over a 24-hour period some of the highest-achieving amateur radio contesters of all ages will make thousands of short radio contacts worldwide. They will use Morse code and voice to compete and score points, with the highest scoring team crowned the winner. Competitors will be in the same geographical region using identical antennas, output power and other operating conditions, so will be competing on a level playing field. Their performance, operator statistics and ranking will be shared throughout the event via a live scoreboard allowing viewers to follow the action as it happens.
The WRTC 2026 Organising Committee is made up of volunteers who have been working hard over the last three years to prepare for this momentous event. They are now being joined by hundreds more, including station builders and managers, transport, logistics, hospitality, referees, judges and IT crew.
The Radio Society of Great Britian (RSGB), which is based in Bedford, is the national society for radio amateurs in the UK and is an official partner of the event.
RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB has served on the WRTC 2026 Organising Committee for the past three years and says: “This is a fantastic event to be part of, and we can’t wait to welcome our international friends. The whole volunteer team has worked incredibly hard to bring the Championship to the UK. The RSGB is proud to be the national partner and hope that it inspires more people to discover amateur radio and all that it has to offer.”
Chairman of the WRTC 2026 Organising Committee Mark Haynes, M0DXR says: “For the first time in history, the premier amateur radio sporting event of WRTC will be hosted in the UK. We are proud to be running this exciting international competition, where we look forward to witnessing a truly nail-biting battle of the world’s elite radio contesters. How many contacts will the leaders make? Let’s see!”
The Championship has drawn in sponsorship from industry leaders such as Yaesu and Moonraker.
