Beach Volleyball: The sun continues to shine on the pro circuit

Anna Scarlett. Photo / Dean Purcell

It had looked unlikely, but the sizzle and sexiness of professional beach volleyball will be on display this summer in New Zealand - if condensed in scale.

The national pro tour, a regular feature of the summer sporting scene for over a decade, was in jeopardy after Volleyball New Zealand terminated the long-running contract of event promoters SMC group last month over a financial dispute.

But the sport has pulled together a circuit of sorts, although the athletes will have to pay their own travel and accommodation costs and there is likely to be no prize-money on offer.

Volleyball New Zealand general manager Pam Brodie says: "Losing any event is a big blow," Brodie admitted, "but we get to start with a clean sheet of paper. [The promoters] did an exceptional job over the years but maybe, on reflection, it was time for a change. It is also a chance for us to be more involved as in the past we have always been at arm's length with this event."

Like many promoters and marketers in the current climate, SMC Group encountered trouble finding sponsors and confirming venues. Wellington City Council pulled their funding and support of the popular Oriental Parade event, preferring to put money into the Rugby World Cup, a recurring theme among companies, according to SMC.

Unable to secure a title sponsor, promoters offered to run the event at break-even, with reduced prize money and a waiving of the sanction fee paid to Volleyball NZ. The sticking point was 2012, with the national body unwilling to offer any guarantees and wanting to put that year's contract up for tender.

There will still be an international presence next month, though less than the 11 international teams that competed on this year's tour. The defending women's champions, world No 3 German combination Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig, will be training with their New Zealand coach Craig Seu Seu and are expected to participate in some events. There has also been interest from female duos in China and Vanuatu.

On the men's side, top 25-ranked combinations from Holland and France are likely to take part, as well as a British pair. The competition offered by New Zealand champion pairing of Kirk Pitman and Tony Lochhead (world No 26) is believed to be a major lure.

All international participation is dependent on the new tour obtaining sanction from the International Volleyball Federation, which Brodie is confident will be granted "in the next couple of weeks".

The New Zealand Open and tour finale will be in Mt Maunganui on January 21-23, with the penultimate event at the new rowing complex at Lake Karapiro between 18-20 January.

There will also be an event in Hamilton from January 15-17 - either at the Te Rapa courts or a show court near the city. A fourth tournament is planned, though unconfirmed, for Auckland between 5-7 January at the Mairangi Bay courts with the ASB Tennis Centre unavailable due to renovations.

It has been a tough year for the sport, with the huge AVP circuit in the States falling over, and the Australian pro tour has also been discontinued.

It is not all doom and gloom though, as the sport continues to attract new countries and an Olympic qualification tournament is currently being played in Rwanda, with Burundi, Uganda and Kenya competing.