World Cup 2026 & the magic of Summer School football

Junior Summer School students about to start the football tournament.

Article written by: Joel Ashton Published on: 16 November 2025 Categories: Excursions, Junior Summer School, Latest News, Penryn Campus, Sport

The Kernow Cup

Every two years to coincide with the Euros and the World Cup, we compete for the Kernow Cup!

Sporting competitions like the World Cup and the Olympics are such a perfect platform to celebrate all the different nations of the world and how we can come together through sport.

And where better to enjoy these global tournaments than on an international summer school where we are already welcoming people from around the world?!

For our inaugural tournament in 2024, we had students here from Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium & Poland. They joined our local teenagers for a fun programme of mini-tournaments as well as coaching and training.

For 2026, we already have students coming from Germany, Spain and Italy. We are also hoping to have students from Colombia, Japan, Mexico and Cambodia too.

Once again, we will have our local teenagers and we are looking for more schools to join us.

Junior Summer School students getting awards at the football tournament.

Calling all teams!

Would you like to join our 2026 Kernow Cup?

We are bringing the World Cup to life next summer in Cornwall.

Choose your dates from 28 June to 19 July 2026.

You will get to enjoy playing football with students from around the world in fun mini-tournaments and compete for the Kernow Cup while enjoying the excitement of the World Cup at the same time.

We welcome individuals and school groups aged 11-16.

We provide:

Full board accommodation on our modern & green university campus in Cornwall.
En-suite rooms
Tasty meals to suit all dietary needs – all cooked on campus
Quality excursion programme to complement the sports.
All transport and entry costs included
Daily sports options including the Kernow Cup
Tailor-made programmes especially for school groups and sports teams
Qualified and experienced coaches – all DBS checked
Fun evening activities including playing sports, World Cup matches, bowling and cinema nights

Cornwall Sports Tours

Since starting the Kernow Cup two years ago, we have really seen the value of connecting local teenagers with our international summer school students.

Everyone has loved it – there has been fantastic intercultural exchange and the kids have really bonded through a shared love of football.

In order to grow this project, we have created Cornwall Sports Tours.

Cornwall Sports Tours is an ABTOT accredited tour operator welcoming school groups and sports teams from across the UK.

We are looking for schools from across the UK who would like to come to Cornwall for their school enrichment weeks in the summer.

Perfect for PE departments looking for a sports offering with a difference! Why not take your students to the World Cup next summer – in Cornwall!

Join our fun international football tournament…

Visit our new Cornwall Sports Tours website