Portable courts power bocce buzz at NZ Special Olympics Summer Games

Christchurch's Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub buzzed with energy last week as it hosted bocce athletes taking part in one of the largest sports events the city had seen in over a decade.

Eight portable bocce ball courts from Packaworld set the stage for Kiwi rollers to battle it out at the bocce event of the Special Olympics New Zealand 2025 National Summer Games, which saw more than 1,200 athletes compete in 10 sports across six venues in Christchurch.

Casey McLean, a Summer Games bocce ball player, helped the Manawatū Team win gold in the Unified Teams category and enjoyed playing on Packaworld's portable courts.

He said the artificial turf playing surface at Ngā Puna Wai Sports was “a lot faster” than the carpet he often trained on in Manawatū, but he was pleased he and his teammates had been able to adapt quickly.

Special Olympics New Zealand Bocce Technical Director Carol Egan said the event had gone smoothly, commenting that it took just 90 minutes to prepare a professional-level bocce ball arena using the portable bocce ball courts.

“The courts themselves are almost self-explanatory … when they are unpacked and out of the bags it’s basically just a case of inflate, position, Velcro strap, Bob’s your uncle.”

Egan, who was also the head referee for the bocce ball competition, said the Packabocce courts had revolutionised access to the sport and had become essential infrastructure for the New Zealand bocce ball scene.

“Pretty much every club in New Zealand now has access to a Packaworld court.”

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said seeing the portable courts enable elite competition at New Zealand's premier Special Olympics event reinforced the company's mission to make sport available to anyone.

“When we designed our Packabocce courts we wanted to remove the barriers that stop people from playing bocce – whether cost, space, or complexity.

“Seeing these courts support national-level competition one day and grassroots club training the next shows that quality and accessibility don't have to be trade-offs.”

The Summer Games bocce competition was contested by dozens of New Zealand’s best Special Olympics athletes and unified partners, across singles, doubles and unified pairs categories. Alongside bocce ball, athletes competed in athletics, basketball, equestrian, football, golf, indoor bowls, powerlifting, swimming and tenpin bowling.

One trend that stood out at this year’s Summer Games was the increase in unified sports participation. Egan said interest in the unified program – where athletes with and without intellectual disabilities compete together on the same team – was “about 70 percent greater than it was for Hamilton,” where the last Special Olympics New Zealand National Summer Games were held in 2022.

Special Olympics New Zealand Chief Executive Fran Scholey said the Games played a vital role in celebrating inclusion and raising awareness of the important work Special Olympics does.

“Every National Summer Games is a moment to celebrate our athletes, but it's also a reminder of the work we do every day across Aotearoa. When people cheer, volunteer, or donate, they're helping us continue this mahi long after the Games end.

“Community support enables us to reach more athletes, strengthen our clubs, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate, belong, and be part of something truly special.”

VIDEO: Special Olympics New Zealand 2025 National Summer Games Master of Ceremonies Jason Gunn tries his hand at bocce ball during the event.