news blog

A bright idea from a bocce lover in the remote Canadian town of Killarney has transformed its community centre’s curling rink into a hot new venue for summer bocce.

The transformation has been made possible through the purchase of two of Packaworld’s portable bocce courts, which take centre stage on Tuesdays for a social league being run by the local council during curling’s off-season.

Municipality of Killarney Project Coordinator Sanket Shinde said bringing the traditional Italian sport to the area was part of the municipality’s goal of improving community wellbeing and social engagement through recreation.

Although Killarney had a population of less than 500, locals deserved the same kinds of opportunities to enjoy physical activity as people in larger localities, he said.

The Paralympic Games in Paris have the world’s sports fans enthralled with the determination, ability and will to succeed of all the amazing athletes taking part.

But while the pinnacle event for disabled sports draws the crowds, some equally exciting happenings are afoot at grassroots level, where participation numbers are on the rise.

The economic impact of parasports events in the US was $139M in 2022, a 78% increase from 2021, according to a 2023 survey by All in Sport Consulting.

This rise in economic impact and participation is being driven by a variety of factors, including increased visibility through global events, and better access to equipment and facilities that enable sport to be played by all.

The first-ever Special Olympics Caribbean Regional Bocce Tournament took place on 23-25 May, with athletes from across the archipelago throwing and rolling for glory on six portable courts provided by Packaworld.

The ground-breaking tournament was held at the Lions Centre in George Town, Cayman Islands’ capital, and welcomed teams from 16  surrounding Caribbean nations plus a US bocce squad representing Special Olympics North Carolina.

Competition Manager and Head Coach for Special Olympics Cayman Islands Nicole Thompson said the highlight of the tournament was bringing together athletes from so many neighbouring countries, making it a truly Caribbean competition.

A new aquatic sport is making a splash in Europe, supported by first-of-their-kind portable goals and fields from Packaworld to make bringing the game to new venues easy.

Water Skyball is a Hungarian invention, played in waist-deep water between teams of two.

Teams score points by throwing a ball into a goal that is divided into three sections – each worth a different number of points.

Water Skyball Federation President Zsolt Gyuris said the sport was created by the Fontanus Scientific Methodological Research and Educational Centre in 2013 and was growing in popularity thanks to its unique mix of strategy, movement and throwing accuracy.

Bigger, better and more ballsy than ever – bocce looks set to continue its meteoric rise in 2024.

The social and highly accessible sport has picked up where it left off before Covid and is now being played by more people and in entirely new locations.

From more unified sport on portable courts in US schools to bocce broadcasts and Olympic aspirations, we’ve taken a look at where bocce is headed this year.

Read our latest feature article exploring how far bocce has come, what the major trends are for the year ahead and where the game might be headed.

Bocce is going places.

Lakers Social and Recreation Club is a beacon of community spirit in The Emerald Isle’s County of Wicklow, providing a supportive environment for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to thrive through the pleasure of social interaction and the joy of sport.

The Bray-based club was set up in 1989 by a group of local parents with intellectually disabled children who wanted to fill a social, sporting and developmental gap to help their children participate fully in the community and prepare for Special Olympics events in Ireland.

Lakers’ Fundraising and Communications Manager Grainne Clarke said the fast-growing sport of bocce had become a cornerstone of the club’s program because all its members could participate regardless of ability.

Portable courts from Packaworld set the stage for the bocce competition at the Special Olympics New York State Fall Games recently.

The inclusive game was one of seven sports played at the annual event, which saw around 1,000 athletes from across the state competing for glory on 21 October.

The bocce competition was hosted on 10 Packabocce courts, all set up within the eye-catching Adirondack Sports Complex in Queensbury.

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said bocce was currently riding a wave of popularity and he was proud to see the courts helping to take competitions to the next level.

“It was a real bocce wonderland out there – an amazing event."

A pioneering program to promote inclusive sport in New York has seen basketball, volleyball, baseball, track and field and the highly accessible sport of bocce reaching a whole new group of students across the city’s public schools.

Co-funded by Special Olympics New York ($50,000) and New York City Public Schools ($300,000), the initiative is providing schools with competitions, coaches and equipment to ensure people of all abilities, including those with disabilities, can experience the joy of sport.

But while the growth in participation across all the sports involved has been strong, it’s the rise of bocce ball that has perhaps been the largest surprise.