Cardiff and Volleyball Wales poised to host historic SCA qualifier

This weekend, Volleyball Wales and more specifically the Cardiff Beach Volleyball Club will be playing host to a historic international event, namely the CEV Small Countries Association (SCA) U17 Beach Volleyball Championships, which count as a qualifier for next year’s #EuroBeachVolleyU18 as well. 

Carl Harwood, Volleyball Wales Chairman and Cardiff Beach Volleyball Club Co-Owner/Founder is heavily involved in the delivery of this historic competition. Harwood began playing Volleyball when he joined the navy, and since then he has wanted to spread his love of the sport throughout the communities he is involved in. Inspired by Volleyball on the beach in West Wales, he and his business partner and life-long friend Mike Constantinou began playing Beach Volleyball on the shores of Barry in South Wales where the sport grew in popularity. After managing and running a Volleyball club in Barry for 20 years, Volleyball Wales was born. Carl persevered and looked to the future of the club, even while having to build his own equipment and secure a spot on the public beach before the extraordinary tidal forces in Barry washed it away. After a 10-year search, a disused bowling green at the top of Victoria Park in Cardiff opened up in 2015, and Carl and Mike seized the opportunity to convert this green into an artificial Beach Volleyball centre, now known as Cardiff Beach Volleyball Club (CBVC). Now, after 11 years of expansion, sweat and tears, the Club is hosting its first international event, welcoming teams from five countries for the competition. CBVC has hosted and is hosting several nationwide events such as 3* and 4* tournaments including the Welsh Open occurring in two weeks (August 15-16) which is one of the most popular tournaments in the United Kingdom and something Carl organises personally with his staff team.

“This Under-17s event is a fantastic starting point for all the team members and a chance for Wales to put itself on the map in terms of international Volleyball, especially since the CEV and FIVB now officially recognise VB Wales. With this tournament, the club is presenting what it can do to offer a top-quality streamed and hosted event and tell the international beach scene that Wales is here and as a proud Welshman I want to show the world that Volleyball is an amazing sport for the Welsh people – not only to play and participate but also to watch and enjoy,” Harwood says. 

Plans for the club and the organisation are to take it out of its dormancy and relight the fire of Volleyball in Wales. With the booming popularity of Volleyball globally and in Cardiff, CBVC and VB Wales  hope to take the nation by storm with their high-level, dedicated, passionate love for the sport and its people and players.

Samuel Evans, Wales Beach Coach and CBVC member, is another force playing a major role in this revival. Evans has been playing Volleyball for almost five years. Inspired by his mother and trained by Carl Harwood in Beach Volleyball, Sam has significantly improved his skill level and is now coaching the Welsh U17 boys team after only four years of experience. The Glantaff High local is adamant that CBVC can make it in the big leagues and has no doubt that with the rate at which Volleyball is growing nationwide, there is no reason that CBVC should not be a hub for Beach Volleyball for the country more than it already is. Sam has loved this opportunity to coach an extraordinarily energetic and enthusiastic talented team of boys and has been preparing for weeks for the tournament. He loves how CBVC enables young people to develop their sporting skills and is happy to be a part of such a welcoming, talented, experienced team of players in this setup. Regarding this upcoming international tournament, Sam plans to work further with Carl Harwood to help develop the junior setup, allowing others to get the same and better opportunities than he did. He looks forward to this home tournament with his team.

For the SCA event, the club has set up 3 playing courts with 1 centre court. Camera coverage includes the whole area, along with beauty shots. Streaming capabilities are high level and professional with a wide range of overlays and a commentator for almost all matches. The site has used every inch at its disposal, lining the courts with logos and promotional material for event organisers and hosts including CEV, EuroVolley.tv, Volleyball Wales and Cardiff Beach Volleyball Club. The venue offers areas for spectating and for players to rest at their leisure. Refreshments, including hot and cold drinks, indoor areas, and more are available for guests, players and teams to use. 
Match coverage will be streamed on the CBVC YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@cardiffbeachvolleyball3418), photos of teams, players, players in action, coaches, venue, etc. will be taken on the day prior to the event and on the competition days. Coverage of the final matches and ceremonies will occur on site using a PA system, meeting all requirements for this type of tournament.

Overall, the tournament highly exceeds the media and streaming expectations typically applied to a first-round qualifier, but CBVC ensures it goes beyond the call of duty to provide the best possible experience for guests and the CEV to showcase its capabilities.