It will soon be easier than ever before for Australians to get hold of high-quality portable sports equipment, thanks to an agreement between Packaworld International and Sydney warehousing and logistics business ACR Supply Partners.

The agreement will see Packaworld products stored on-shore in Sydney and shipped to Australian addresses direct from the ACR Supply Partners’ warehouse. As a result, shipping costs for Australians will be lower and delivery will be quicker.

“We’re on a mission to help bring the joy of sport to the more people,” says Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts.

“The past year has seen an increase in sales and interest in what we are doing, especially in the sport of water polo, so we’ve decided to make a bigger commitment to Australia. Storing our products in-country will make it easier than ever for Australian sports organisations, clubs and families to buy portable Packaworld sports equipment.”

Packaworld was on show at Nelson Bay in Port Stephens, New South Wales this past weekend, with its inflatable water polo goals, fields and signage helping to make the final Beach Water Polo Fours event of the 2018/2019 season a success.

The event, which ran over two days, was attended by Packaworld Chief Executive Pete Roberts, who got involved in the Open Men’s Competition on the second day, donning a pair of hot pink budgie smugglers for the occasion.

“Everyone was having an absolute blast. Beach water polo is as much fun for the spectators as it is for the players – and it’s a lot of fun for the players!”

It wasn’t only players and spectators taking to the water during the event, with dolphins and pelicans adding to the thrill.

Some of New Zealand’s top water polo players plunged into Tauranga Harbour over the weekend for New Zealand’s first festival of ocean-based water polo.

The two-day Water Polo on the Waterfront event was played in full view of The Strand hospitality district, attracting thousands of spectators who enjoyed a weekend of water polo, music and delicious delicacies offered by on-site food stalls.

Event organiser Danny Kayes said the event saw 12 teams from around New Zealand competing in a five-a-side tournament played with eight-minute halves rather than the eight-minute quarters seen in conventional water polo.

“We wanted to create a fast-paced festival atmosphere that was fun and accessible, similar to that of Rugby 7s. The stormy conditions over the weekend made things challenging, but it made for good watching regardless.”

It’s been a challenging year at Waikato Water Polo Club. Its main playing venue at Waterworld in Hamilton, New Zealand, closed for refurbishment work, forcing the club to find alternative deep and shallow water venues for its training.

The loss of its main venue cast doubt over the club’s 2018 season and had organisers and players questioning how they would be able to keep club and school competitions running. It also posed a challenge for its representative teams, which needed to keep training for upcoming major tournaments, including the biennial Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival held in Auckland in July.

Club President Mark Harvey said the club searched for a new pool to run its training events but struggled to find a suitable venue that could store its existing three-metre-wide aluminium goals.

Packaworld’s custom-made inflatable water polo playing fields featured at the Karratha Water Polo Association’s annual Australia Day water polo tournament at Malus Island, located 20 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia.

Known as ‘H20Polo@theisland’, the tournament attracted more than 50 players and numerous spectators, who enjoyed a day of sun, sport and the sea in a spectacular offshore setting.

Karratha Water Polo Association President Justin Angove said being able to play water polo in a location where few would even dream of playing made the event special. 

Imagine playing water polo in a remote patch of ocean 20 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia or enjoying a major beach water polo tournament on the Sydney shoreline. This dream will become reality this summer thanks to Australian sporting pioneers using specially made water polo playing fields that float on the ocean’s surface.

​Malus Island in the Dampier Archipelago will be the setting for the Western Australian event, which will see dozens of private vessels anchor for a unique Australia Day tournament. Inflatable water polo goals and custom-made water polo playing fields from Packaworld International will be used to create a one-of-a-kind experience for everyone taking part.

An award-winning swim school in Wellington, New Zealand is inspiring children to learn to swim with the help of Junior Water Polo Packagoals.

Tawa-based Easyswim Swim School launched junior water polo sessions in February 2017. These ‘Splash Attack’ sessions are a form of junior water polo played in shallow school pools so all children can play.

The swim school’s founder and director Todd Morton says introducing the sport at a junior level has given swimming teachers a way to help children understand the practical importance of skills in the water and comprehend not just how to swim, but also why swimming skills are important.

Perth’s youngsters are keeping active in Western Australia’s summer heat thanks to the introduction of Junior Water Polo Packagoals at Beatty Park Leisure Centre in North Perth.

More than 80 children are enjoying the inflatable goals from Packaworld International each week as part of Triton Water Polo Club’s shared Flippaball Competition with Newman Water Polo. Over 50 children also turn up to Triton’s junior training sessions each weekend.

Triton Flippaball Coordinator Jemma Day says the club’s newest purchase, from the ‘professional’ range of Junior Water Polo Packagoals, is taking the hassle out of training for the club and stands out amongst the alternatives.