Water polo as we know it for the most part is restricted to pools. Those who wanted to get creative and play in open water in the past had better be pretty serious — setting up lane ropes and metal goals is not only expensive, but time-consuming as well.
Now, inflatable technology created by Packaworld International is making it possible for water polo to be played off the coast of Australia. The Karratha Water Polo Association (KWPA) has used Packaworld’s “Packagoals” and inflatable water polo field for open water play. The result was the ability to use Australia’s beautiful beaches as sites for tournaments.
According to a release from Packaworld, an event is being planned off Sydney’s coast for mid-December. Former Australian national water polo representative, Scott Nicholson, is planning the Beach Water Polo Fours event that will use Packaworld’s product.
“If we had to set up lane ropes and metal goals, the cost would have been prohibitive,” Nicholson said in a statement. “Now we’ve got a system where it’s going to take us about 10-15 minutes on the day. It’s going to make things so much easier, and we see this as an idea we will be able to take anywhere.”
The innovative setup offers more than a just a breathtaking backdrop for tournaments; it increases tourism potential as well. Drones captured footage of KWPA’s recent “Water Polo at the Island” event. Hundreds of spectators showed up, docked their boats and enjoyed a day of water polo in the ocean.
Many other events are planned for the future using Packaworld’s inflatable setup.