Hundreds of New Zealand school students will soon be playing handball as part of their PE classes, thanks to a NZ Handball Federation programme using portable goals from Packaworld International.

The initiative will see the goals supplied to selected schools in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. It will expand on the current programme, which has been successfully running in Wellington.

NZ Handball Federation president Mike Roxburgh said the new goals were purchased with the help of a grant from One Foundation to help grow the sport.

He said the NZ Handball Federation was aiming to have 5,000 registered players within the next five years, but a lack of goals and equipment had limited that growth in the past.

The weather might not have joined us yet but that hasn't stopped the Hutt Hawks from being the first handball club to make the sensible switch to Packagoals. Claire Hammond of the Hawks and the New Zealand Handball Federation is delighted with the versatility of the Packagoals.

"We can use them both at the beach for beach handball season, and then take them inside for the indoor season.