Packaworld International was at the Wellington Gold Awards finals in Wellington, New Zealand, on Thursday night as a finalist in the ‘Innovation Gold’ category.

The finals appearance recognised Packaworld’s bocce court project, which saw the introduction of new materials and an improved manufacturing technique for Packaworld’s Competition Packabocce courts. The project also included changes to the court’s disabled access gate so players in wheelchairs could access the playing area more easily.

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said the Wellington Gold Awards finals recognition was another high-profile honour for the company.
​

A group of masked bocce players relaxes around a portable Packaworld bocce ball court in the backyard of a stylish event venue in Chicago, Illinois. They are in pairs, spaced apart, and each stands alongside their own set of bocce balls – freshly cleaned and glistening with soapy water from buckets that take pride of place at the head of each court.

After months without bocce because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, these players are learning how to enjoy the sport they love safely. It’s slightly different to what they have known in the past, but the return to play measures introduced by the American Bocce Company mean organised leagues are again possible.

“The biggest challenge has been navigating new information, evolving protocol, and city-wide uncertainty”, says American Bocce Company President Alex Gara.

A project to improve the durability and accessibility of Packaworld’s best-selling inflatable bocce ball court has been announced as a finalist in this year’s Wellington Gold Awards.

The project – one of six finalists in the ‘Innovation Gold’ category – saw the introduction of new materials and an improved manufacturing technique for Packaworld’s Competition Packabocce courts. It also resulted in a re-imagining of the court’s disabled access gate to ensure players in wheelchairs could enter and exit the playing area more easily.

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said it was an honour to see the bocce court project gaining recognition in his hometown of Wellington.

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."

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.

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.