New Zealand beach volleyball will experience a first for the game next year with the confirmation of the hosting of a Beach Pro Tour Futures event in Mt Maunganui.
New Zealanders Alice Zeimann and Shaunna Polley embrace during their beach volleyball semifinal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Photo: Photosport
The March 16-19 event will be the first Beach Pro Tour stop ever held in New Zealand, something Volleyball New Zealand chief executive Toni-Maree Carnie said was an important step.
"We're obviously delighted to confirm the hosting of the Futures event in Mt Maunganui," Carnie said.
"Hosting the event will be hugely beneficial for the development of our best athletes and they will have strong preparation with the Futures event coming immediately after the finish of the 2023 New Zealand beach tour."
The Futures event will feature 16 teams in both men's and women's main draw and will be one of several in the Oceania region with events slated for the Pacific Islands and Australia in March and April.
Volleyball New Zealand High Performance Coach Jason Lochhead said the Futures event is an important moment in development of beach volleyball in this country.
"I never thought I'd see the day when New Zealand would host a FIVB tournament, but the great work Volleyball New Zealand are putting in have made this a reality," Lochhead said.
"Hosting this event provides the chance for our elite and aspiring athletes to play and watch international teams, something that will be hugely beneficial for them as individuals but also the development of the wider game."
The Beach Pro Tour structure includes three tiers of competition: Elite 16, Challenge and Futures.
The Futures level of the tour feeds towards the Challenge level events with New Zealand Beach Ferns and Beach Blacks athletes competing in several Futures events in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham earlier this year.
Beach Ferns Alice Zeimann and Shaunna Polley have recently competed in the Elite 16 event in Australia while Beach Black Brad Fuller won a Futures event in Italy in July with then playing partner Sam O'Dea.
- RNZ