[Source: File]

Raiwai Volleyball is carrying decades of community-driven passion into this year’s Vulaca Volleyball Championship, with youth development once again at the heart of its mission.

One of the founders and Raiwai volleyball women’s head coach, Frances Lanyon, says the club was established in the 1990s as a way to keep young people in Raiwai actively involved in sport, particularly during rugby’s off-season.

What began as a grassroots initiative has since grown into a lasting volleyball culture within the community.

“We founded Raiwai Volleyball back in the 90s because of the growing number of kids in the area. We thought it would be a good alternative to keep youths involved in sports when rugby is in its off-season.”

This year’s championship has seen a strong showing from Raiwai’s young players, especially on the women’s side, following the introduction of structured age-group competitions.

Lanyon says the club has focused on building from within, starting from under-16, under-17, and under-19 levels.

“This year there are a lot of young players, especially in our women’s team. We’re trying to breed our own and develop them, and it has improved a lot since last year.”

Despite fielding one of the youngest squads in the competition, the Raiwai women have been competitive over the two-day tournament, recording wins against more experienced teams.

The youngest player in the squad is still in Class Eight, while the oldest is in Form Five, a sign of the club’s commitment to nurturing youth talent.

Lanyon says the club’s long-term focus remains on growing participation, as current numbers sit at around 30 players in their weekly club competition.

Raiwai Volleyball is among the associations taking part in this year’s Vulaca Volleyball Championship, which concludes today, as the club continues to build a pathway for young players and keep community sport thriving.

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