33 countries to compete in the first ever ‘Spikeball Roundnet World Championship’ in Belgium

Nelson Dziruni and Megan Leybourne (Austrian National Squad). Photos by Esaja Ekman @two_swedes

From casual outdoor game to the first World Championship

LONDON (PRWEB)
August 26, 2022

From casual outdoor game to the first World Championship.

• Spikeball Inc has teamed up with the International Roundnet Federation and Roundnet Belgium to host the first ever ‘Spikeball Roundnet World Championship’
• The Championship will take place in Belgium on September 8-11, 2022
• 33 countries will participate, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, USA and many European nations

On September 8th, 33 countries’ national squads will arrive at Park Molenheide, Belgium, for the first ever Spikeball Roundnet World Championship. In total there will be over 200 teams competing, cheered on by spectators and fans from all over the world. Each national squad is made up of five men’s teams, three women’s team and one mixed-gender team. One team is comprised of two players. The first ever world championship marks a significant moment in history for the sport of roundnet. Spikeball Inc. is the official equipment provider and title sponsor of the event.

What is roundnet? Where did it come from?

Roundnet is played two versus two and is very similar to beach volleyball: each team has up to three touches to return the ball back on the net. There are no sides or boundaries, and the game is played 360 degrees around the net. Watch this video to see it in action.

A common misconception is that ‘Spikeball’ is the name of the sport. The sport is in fact called ‘roundnet’ – Spikeball is the leading equipment provider for the sport and for the Spikeball Roundnet World Championship 2022.

The sport has been growing steadily for the past 15 years. In 2008, Spikeball Inc began creating high quality roundnet equipment and investing into the sport. As time went on, both Spikeball Inc and roundnet enthusiasts began setting up local tournaments on beaches and in parks. Fast forward a decade and there are hundreds of tournaments being hosted across the globe on a weekly basis, and a first ever world championship. Spikeball Inc runs the prestigious annual ‘Spikeball Tour Series’, which hosts events across the USA, Canada and Europe.

In 2020 the International Roundnet Federation was created to put the sport on the path to Olympic inclusion. This global governing body is a non-profit organization currently made up of 35 national roundnet federations. The inaugural world championship is a key milestone for the IRF and a much anticipated occasion for the entire roundnet community.

Schedule

Thursday September 8th: Coed (mixed-gender) Championship

• Each country selects one coed team to compete
• This is a key event within roundnet that sets it apart from many other sports

Friday September 9th: Individual Championship

• Teams from each country play against each other to crown the top individual mens and womens teams in the world

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of September: Squad Championship

• National teams gain points and progress through the tournament as one squad

There is no doubt the atmosphere on all four days will be electric. In addition, Spikeball Inc will be live-streaming many of the knock-out stage matches across their Youtube and Twitch channels, so fans can follow along from home. Check out their latest stream from the Columbus Major for a taste.

“I am so incredibly excited to be a part of the first ever Spikeball Roundnet World Championship. When I started the business back in 2008 never in my wildest dreams did I think there would be a world championship, let alone one with 30+ countries competing! This is such a testament to all of the work the players and organizers have been doing all over the world for years. I’m feeling grateful that Spikeball has helped play a part.”

-Chris Ruder, CEO of Spikeball Inc

“I can’t wait to see all the countries together in one place. There are people I’ve been working closely with for years that I’ll be meeting for the first time at the event. The initial World Championship was planned for 2020, but Covid put a stop to that. Since then, the International Roundnet Federation and the member National Federations have grown tremendously. It will be amazing to see it all finally come together.”

-Jack Scotti, VP, Strategy & Sport Development at Spikeball Inc

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Useful Links & Resources: Spikeball Roundnet World Championship official website

International Roundnet Federation official website

Spikeball Tour Series: the home of Spikeball roundnet tournaments

Lefty on Two: player write-ups, rankings and tournament previews

Spikeball Inc official website

Free Images for use in press

Original press release

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