Bocce is bouncing back in Maryland with the help of portable courts and a unified sports program that brings athletes with intellectual disabilities together with star footballers and other non-disabled peers.

The program is run by Special Olympics Maryland and many of the state’s public schools, which are using the high-quality inflatable courts from Packaworld to run bocce events at high schools, as well as community-based programs for children and older Special Olympics athletes.

"Bocce has become cool,” says Mike Myers, Baltimore Region Director for Special Olympics Maryland.

Portable bocce ball courts are from Packaworld are helping to pump up bocce participation in one of the world’s windiest cities.

Special Olympics Wellington has purchased two Competition Packabocce courts to help grow bocce in New Zealand’s capital and to ensure players can train in all weather.

Bert Warda, the head bocce coach at Special Olympics Wellington, says the high-quality inflatable courts are helping athletes maximise training sessions for future competition.

“It’s fantastic to be able to take them indoors or outdoors depending on the conditions, and the timing is perfect as our region’s bocce players prepare for the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Hamilton in December 2022.”

Packaworld has launched a campaign to bring Visually Impaired Rugby to Paralympic Games. 

Run with the support of UK Charity The Change Foundation, the campaign aims to raise the profile of the sport and further its case to be played at the Paralympic Games in future.

“Rugby is a way of life where we are based in New Zealand,” says Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts.

“We’d love to see pathways created for our rugby-mad visually impaired athletes to compete at the highest level globally. If we can get a full scrum of supporters packed down behind us, there’s no telling where the sport can go.”