This is netting interesting

A new sport has taken the country by storm since the beginning of the pandemic with an Irish team now set to compete at an international level.

Irish entrepreneur Simon Leonard discovered roundnet (aka spikeball) while studying abroad in the United States in 2017.

Fascinated by the net and ball sport and seeing great potential, Simon brought it home with him to Ireland.

He founded Roundnet Ireland which now boasts over 8,000 members.

Since the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic, Simon has seen a dramatic increase in popularity of the sport. “When the pandemic began, we were selling 20 Spikeball sets a month. Now we’re selling 20 a day nationally due to the fully inclusive and family friendly nature of the game,” he said.

Roundnet is a game that can be played by all ages and actively encourages mixed gender teams. The game is played with two teams of two, starting on opposite sides of a circular net which sits parallel to the ground between them.

The object, somewhat similar to volleyball, is to ‘spike’ or hit the ball against the net in such a way that the opposing team can’t return it. When a team fails to hit the net with the ball, the other team earns a point.

Roundnet Ireland now employs 15 staff who work on all facets of the business, from event planning and training days to induction days and most recently, the launch of their ambassador programme to support community growth in every county in Ireland.

Roundnet has been hailed ‘the sport of the summer’ as it can be played anywhere including roads, gardens, beaches, halls and even in the water.

The sport has been advocated by the likes of Irish Rugby, Irish Hockey and intercounty GAA teams, all of whom recognise the game’s benefits such as improved hand-eye coordination and improved communication.

The further promote the sport, Roundnet Ireland will be hosting a nationwide roadshow of events every weekend across the summer.

“Our events are about having fun, meeting new people and growing our sporting community. This will be the first year where we have an event in every province in Ireland and we cannot wait to meet new passionate players in person after a year of being apart,” said Simon.

Roundnet Ireland has partnered with HerSport to host Ireland's first ever mixed gender event this summer as part of its commitment to gender equality. Next summer, Dublin will host the Roundnet European Championships followed by the first ever World Championships in Belgium where Ireland will send their first national squad to compete.

For more, visit roundnetireland.com.

“This really is a growing sport and we want to encourage people nationwide to participate,” concluded Simon.