Sport
25 October, 2024
Players digging in
NINETEEN volleyball teams of all ages from the Cairns region and Townsville are gearing up for some fierce battles at the open Cairns Cup this weekend.
The Trinity Bay State High School Sporting Complex and the Cairns and Youth Recreational Centre on Mulgrave Rd will be the hub for the epic matches on Saturday and Sunday as about 150 players, seven women’s teams and 12 men’s teams from the Cairns region and Townsville prepare to showcase some of the best volleyball that North Queensland has to offer.
As the premier event of the Cairns Volleyball Association’s (CVA) calendar, the Cairns Cup is an opportunity for FNQ up-and-coming players to expand their skills and gain experience for other high-level tournaments across the state while gaining bragging rights as the top team in Cairns.
The tournament runs on Saturday from 8am to 4.30pm and finishes on Sunday 8am to 2.30pm.
“This is the premier event held in Cairns and it’s the opportunity for those who want to play a two-day tournament without having to fly to Brisbane,” said CVA president Chris Poppell.
“It’s great for those who want those two days of intensity and for those who are up-and-coming and have never had the opportunity to experience two days of volleyball and five to seven games in those two days.
“So those players get another level of experience so it’s great across different demographics.
“The event has also been growing every year. Three to four years ago we only had nine teams competing. Now we have 19, we have reached our capacity for men’s teams but we’re hoping to see the women’s game grow too.”
The tournament will involve about a dozen Cairns and hinterland teams.
“This is an open tournament, so all ages will face each other and it’s going to be a very even competition,” Mr Poppell said.
“Townsville will bring a couple of strong teams in both the men’s and the women’s and Cairns has been very close to catch up to them.
“Last year we had the under-19 northern team win in the men’s division and that was a mixed Townsville and Cairns team, while the women’s TOFTS Cairns team won in the women’s division.”
The winner of the Cairns Cup gets a reimbursement of the $300 team registration fee and as Mr Poppell calls it “bragging rights for the next 12 months”. The only condition is that players have to be registered as part of Volleyball Queensland.
For more information, visit the Cairns Volleyball Facebook page.
