news blog

When Kendall King’s colleague first saw Packaworld's portable bocce courts at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, they immediately recognised their potential to transform how they could help grow participation of the sport back home in Western Australia.

King, the State Coordinator for Special Olympics Western Australia, now rolls out Packabocce courts in parks, schools and community venues across Perth to stage activations and ‘have a go’ events to introduce new players to bocce.

King said the courts were a vital part of the organisation’s campaign to provide opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities and “spread the word” about inclusion.

If you've seen people rolling or throwing balls in a park or courtyard and wondered which game they might be playing, you're not alone.

The world of ball-wrangling sports can be confusing, with titles like pétanque, boules, bowls and bocce chucked around and used interchangeably – though sometimes not accurately.

In this helpful guide we seek to  untangle the terminology, remove some of the mystery and explore what makes each of them unique (or not as the case may be!).

After reading this, you'll be sure to know your boules from your bowls, and your pallino from your jack and cochonett.

If you’ve ever delved into the history of bocce ball, you’ll know that even the sport’s biggest fans are prone to heated debates about where it all started.

Perhaps its creation stems from an ingrained impulse to target an object, honed through millennia of hunting animals to provide food for the tribe, or maybe humans are just hardwired to love challenging games of skill that involve socialising.

Whatever the idea was behind the game’s original format, it has remained perennially popular ever since.

The story of bocce ball’s development takes us on a journey of more than 7,000 years, from polished rocks thrown in the shadows of Egyptian pyramids to resin balls used on portable inflatable courts for international Special Olympics competitions.

Christchurch's Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub buzzed with energy last week as it hosted bocce athletes taking part in one of the largest sports events the city had seen in over a decade.

Eight portable bocce ball courts from Packaworld set the stage for Kiwi rollers to battle it out at the bocce event of the Special Olympics New Zealand 2025 National Summer Games, which saw more than 1,200 athletes compete in 10 sports across six venues in Christchurch.

Casey McLean, a Summer Games bocce ball player, helped the Manawatū Team win gold in the Unified Teams category and enjoyed playing on Packaworld's portable courts.

Bocce ball has become a star addition to the activity schedule at the Westminster Lakeland continuing care retirement community in Florida, after the purchase of a portable bocce court hit a sporting sweet spot with its winning blend of social connection and gentle exercise.

Bob Slavkovsky, a resident at Westminster Lakeland, said the inaugural bocce ball competition he helped organize in October drew in dozens of enthusiastic players who are now raring to keep rolling on a regular basis.

“We had a great turnout for a party to celebrate the opening of our bocce court, and we’ve set it up for a whole weekend every month in our activity center.

“People here love bocce and one individual has come up with a wonderful chart to keep score of the games.”

Whether you're setting up a backyard bocce court for some summer fun, planning competitions across multiple venues or managing a community-sports program at a leisure center, choosing between a fixed and portable bocce ball court is an important decision.

Each option has benefits and drawbacks depending on how you plan to use your bocce court, the specifications you require, and your budget.

In this helpful guide, we explore the pros and cons of fixed and portable bocce ball courts  to help you make the best choice possible.

The court you choose will depend on your circumstances and how you want to use it.

Some of Texas’ most skilful and enthusiastic bocce athletes rolled into action at the recent Special Olympics Texas Fall Classic, competing for glory on the same high-quality portable bocce ball courts that will be used at the Special Olympics USA Games next year.

More than 300 athletes and Unified Partners took part in the Fall Classic’s bocce competition, joining hundreds of other competitors taking part in swimming, golf and softball events across the West Texas cities of Midland and Odessa on 2-4 October. 

Special Olympics Texas Executive Director of Competitions and Sports Programming Chad Eason said the portable Packabocce courts used at the event provided a professional playing experience and had proven invaluable for the state’s growing bocce ball scene.

As bocce fever continues to spread globally, Puerto Rico and St Kitts and Nevis have been unable to resist it, with the arrival of new Packaworld portable bocce courts bolstering the sport’s boom in popularity throughout the Caribbean region.

Bocce ball athletes throughout Puerto Rico flocked to its Special Olympics National Bocce Tournament in September, hosted using the new courts at Pista Rafael Meléndez Pagán – an athletics track in the coastal area of Barceloneta.

The athletes and courts will be back in action at the Coliseo Roger Mendoza in Caguas on 11 October for the bocce ball competition of the Special Olympics Puerto Rico National Games.