Packaline temporary line markings make Australian debut at NSW boccia championship

Australian boccia players got their first taste of Packaworld’s latest inclusive sport innovation at the Riverina Regional Boccia Championship, which was held recently at Wagga Wagga’s Bolton Park.

The tournament, won by Wagga Wagga High School, was the first boccia event in Australia to trial Packalines to mark out temporary courts of play.

It was organised by NSW School Sport Unit – a division of the NSW Department of Education focused on providing carefully planned, adaptable and enjoyable physical activity experiences for all students in NSW public schools – in association with Boccia NSW.

The 21 July tournament is part of a state-wide competition that has been going for around a decade and involves around 180 schools, making it one of the largest boccia competitions in the southern hemisphere.

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said Packaline was used to mark out one of the four courts at the Wagga Wagga event, and feedback had been positive.

The lines would be invaluable for organisers to use in future when running inclusive sport roadshows, or when introducing boccia to new schools throughout New South Wales, he said.

Boccia differs from bocce, its close cousin, in that a boccia court is played without raised walls for the balls to rebound off. Bocce balls are heavier, with more of a roll, while boccia balls are leather and lighter, but still with enough heft to thud and roll. Boccia is always a hotly contested competition at the Paralympic Games, and involves a surprising amount of strategy, as well as a deft aim and touch.

Most boccia games are played on a hardwood surface, often within a leisure or recreation centre, but many modern recreation centres don’t allow visiting boccia groups to use adhesive tape on the floor to mark courts because removing the tape can damage the floor’s surface.

The Packaline temporary marking solution sits on top of the floor’s surface without leaving adhesive residue, allowing for quick and easy setup on any surface, and removing the possibility of damage to the playing surface once the game is over.

Mr Roberts said it was outstanding to see Packaline gaining recognition among the boccia community.

“We believe in the joy of sport, and we want that joy to be accessible to all. We are excited to be able to help bring boccia to a wider community, and we look forward to continuing to supply Packalines to the NSW School Sport Unit and other boccia organisers around the world to make that happen.”

Wagga Wagga High School’s victory at the Riverina Regional Boccia Championship earned them a place in the Boccia NSW State Finals event, which will be held in Sydney tomorrow (August 10).

>> Want to know more about our temporary recreation court line marking solution? Visit our Packaline product page.