Bocce ball has been undergoing a quiet revolution over the past few years as new portable courts allow enthusiasts to take the sport to exciting new locations.

No longer are players limited to parks and venues that have existing courts made of wood or stone. High quality inflatable courts made from heavy duty thermoplastic have allowed a new generation of players to transform almost any environment into a bocce lover’s dream.

Many bars, music festivals, breweries, luxury resorts and even cruise ships have become bocce hotspots, using portable courts to run pop-up events and social leagues. Some of the settings for these events are hard to believe – from bocce ball on the decks of cruise ships to high rolling in the open air at a Chicago whiskey bar, the modern game of bocce is reaching new heights.

Packaworld’s portable bocce courts provided an inflatable yet sturdy platform for Special Olympics athletes at the Munster Area Advancement event in Ireland.

More than 80 athletes from Munster took to the Packabocce courts, tossing and rolling their way ever closer to the palina (white ball) – and the Munster regional event, where it will be decided who qualifies for the next Ireland Games in 2022.

The event took place in February, prior to the recent COVID-19 pandemic and was held at the University of Limerick in Munster, one of five regions associated with Special Olympics Ireland. Similar to lawn bowls and petanque, the ancient Italian sport of bocce can be played by people of all ages and abilities, making it ideal for social and competitive competitions.

From ancient Italy to the city of Omaha, Nebraska, the sport of bocce ball has brought people together in an age-old sporting ritual. Add quality craft beer to the mix and you will find the ideal recipe for new friends and good times.

Jeff Larson and his team of social sport enthusiasts at All in Sports brought portable Packabocce courts to Omaha, founding new bocce leagues in fall 2019. Now the sport is taking off, with new leagues springing up across the city.

Mr Larson says bocce and beer is “undeniably a match made in heaven”. This enlightened understanding led to a partnership with the Nebraska Brewing Company to host the Game on Omaha! brewery league, based on the dreams of backyard bocce enthusiasts.

“What’s better than bocce and beer! The two go hand-in-hand."

A popular swim school in Washington State is inspiring children to learn valuable water skills and discover a love of aquatic sports with the help of portable Junior Water Polo Packagoals from Packaworld International.

7C’s Swim School teacher and junior water polo coach Kat Cunningham started water polo clinics in 2018 for swimmers over the age of eight who displayed the right skills and a willingness to play.

Held at the swim school’s Woodmoor Elementary aquatic venue in Bothell, the lessons were initially run only occasionally, as a low-key way to show children how to use their newfound swimming skills to have fun. But they grew in popularity and, with the addition of inflatable Water Polo Packagoals in 2019, the swim school has taken its water polo coaching clinics to the next level, Ms Cunningham said.

Thousands of Special Olympics bocce players in New York are now enjoying their sport on the same high-quality portable bocce courts used for many of the global organisation’s major bocce competitions.

The state’s Special Olympics body has brought in 14 of the courts to run events for the 4,600 athletes participating in Special Olympics bocce competitions and school programmes across the state. The courts have already been used for competitions in Capital District, New York City, and Long Island. In August and September they were used for a bocce exhibition at the New York State Fair.

Special Olympics New York Director of Digital Engagement Kyle Massa said the Packabocce courts were being used to grow the sport, with a particular focus on holding more unified competitions.

A visionary water polo club with a knack for getting things done is using portable water polo fields from Packaworld to bring the sport of beach water polo to the Middle East.

The Dubai Camels Water Polo Club hosted the United Arab Emirates’ second ever international beach water polo tournament earlier this month.

“It was a real showcase of beach water polo and Dubai,” said Peter Roberts, chief executive of Packaworld International. “The Dubai Camels did a fantastic job organising the event and the backing from sponsors and supporters was brilliant.”

The tournament venue – a scenic stretch of water alongside Club Vista Mare on Palm Jumeirah – was transformed into a beach water polo players’ dream with the help of a Packaworld inflatable water polo field and a set of high-quality water polo Packagoals.

Two Australian schools have got the hockey ball rolling once again and, with some help from Packaworld International, shots will be flying into the back of the net.

The portable sports gear company awarded Magill Primary School and Mudgee High School each with a set of Hockey Packagoals, after they won a competition on Packaworld’s Facebook page.

Australian parents and teachers were called upon to nominate their schools, outlining why they deserved to win.

Cynthia Paterson’s inspirational nomination describing Magill Primary School’s hockey revival was a particular highlight. The sport “was as good as dead in 2014,” she wrote.

Special Olympics bocce players in Ireland will have access to high-quality playing courts following the purchase of 26 portable Packabocce courts by their national body.

The new courts are a major investment in the sport’s future and will help Special Olympics Ireland introduce bocce to athletes in new venues and locations.

Special Olympics Ireland Sport Development Manager Elaine Twomey said the courts arrived in the country in October and had their first outing last week at a two-day area advancement event attended by more than 190 bocce athletes in County Kilkenny. 

The event was a success and played an important role in determining which athletes would be eligible to advance to the Leinster Regional Games next year and Ireland’s National Games in 2022, she said.