WPH Handball Destination Series Showcases Australia’s Exciting Handball Community
WPH Showcase, Australia
The WPH is excited to introduce the WPH Handball Destination Series to showcase the world’s greatest handball venues. On this edition of the WPH Handball Destination Series, we will feature our good friends in the southern hemisphere, as Australian handball ambassador Simon “Mappa” Fitzgerald takes us from coast to coast in the Land Down Under.
Australian Handball Landscape
Number of handball players: Approximately 80-100
Popular handball times
Summer months for the 3-Wall
Winter Months for 4-Wall
Year round for 1-Wall
Tournaments in Australia
3-5 major tournaments per year, in Adelaide there are always some additional local events that take place on a weekly basis.
Biggest Tournament in Australia: Traditional Easter 3-Wall event – the 2023 version will be held in Adelaide.
The O`Connor cup is a team event played once a year between the states between South Australia, Victoria &New South Wales – The O’Connor Cup is a richly contested event over a few days of 3-Wall handball
All Responses Courtesy of Simon Fitzgerald
History of Australian Handball
Over the years, so much has changed on the Aussie handball scene. When the Irish Christian Brothers came to Australia, they brought with them the game of handball and erected courts all over the school system (catholic) in Australia.
The vast majority of courts were 3-Wall courts of all varying sizes, dependent on the land available. At its peak, Victoria alone had 70 courts located around the state, today it has merely three. The only functional 4-Wall courts are in Melbourne, where the 1988 World Handball Championships were held
The Future of Australian Handball
1-Wall is clearly the growth opportunity for us now, given space restrictions along with minimal school exposure now in place. There are approximately 10 courts available currently.
What is the best match you have seen in Australia?
We had a period of 3-Wall finals where Jim Cormie & David Sticca faced off in consecutive finals, some of the greatest athletic achievements combined with the struggle to succeed that I can recall.
What has playing handball in Australia meant to you?
Handball in Australia has been so much a part of my life, I couldn’t think about not playing…the people, the brotherhood, the beer after a game…priceless. Quite simply, it’s the people…there aren’t any better anywhere!!!
Thank you to Australia’s Simon Fitzgerald for the tour of Australian handball
Would you like to see your handball community featured on an upcoming edition of WPH Handball Destination Series? Please contact David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv to showcase your community
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer