88 teams have applied to join the London Volleyball League this season, a 15% increase from last year’s field. 43 women’s teams and 45 men’s teams, totaling 1300+ players, will be divided across as many as 6 divisions. The league, which now boasts performance levels close to the English National League, will help draw additional interest in the sport in England as a whole:
“I am pleased to see another significant increase in numbers demonstrating how well our league has been administered by the willing group of volunteers. It also demonstrates a desire to play competitive Volleyball in London. We do need to be aware though that we cannot continue to grow in this manner without considering if there is a need to change the structure of the league to continue to accommodate all the teams/players who want to compete with our limited resources.” “There are many more people playing recreationally in London, some 8,000+ recorded with the recreational groups. During the summer, players also take full advantage of the Beach Courts built as a legacy from the 2012 Olympics, and others play on the grass in the many parks across London. With London’s youth players winning several national trophies last season, we can look forward to more growth in the future and to improving standards.” – League Chairman Charlie Orton
Although volleyball failed to take off after the 2012 London Games, where the country was granted free berths in all disciplines volleyball related, both of England’s national teams are currently unranked in FIVB’s current senior rankings. Regardless, it now seems that things are on the right track, with the growth in participation, and initiatives such as CEV Volleyball at School, London Youth Games and London School Games as well.
New HC Simon Loftus Talks About The Future Of British Volleyball
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