European Championship

In the plural, the European Championships also refers to a specific combined quadrennial multi-sport event featuring the continental championships for athletics, aquatics, artistic gymnastics, triathlon, rowing, cycling and team golf.

A number of countries maintain departments outside the European continent, but which are considered an integral part of their mother country, including France (e.g. Guadeloupe and New Caledonia), Denmark (Greenland), Spain (e.g. the Canaries) and the Netherlands (the former Netherlands Antilles).

Athletes and club teams from these regions are typically eligible for European championships.

The overseas territories of the United Kingdom, however, are usually not included unless an individual athlete has transferred allegiance completely to the UK.

In addition, in football, under UEFA, but not in other sports, the Asian country of Kazakhstan also competes in European competition for historical reasons, while South African clubs participate in the top-level club championship in European rugby union, The European Rugby Champions Cup.