Sitting volleyball is a Paralympic team sport where players compete while sitting on the court — serving, spiking, and blocking across a lowered net on a reduced-size court. It is a full Paralympic sport and an accessible disability team sport suitable for a range of physical impairments. Volleyball NZ and Paralympics NZ govern sitting volleyball in New Zealand. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Volleyball NZ governs sitting volleyball:
- National competition and development
- Paralympic pathway
Paralympics New Zealand oversees Paralympic sport investment:
- High performance programme
- National team development
Contact Volleyball NZ and Paralympics NZ for Sport NZ investment access.
Paralympics NZ funds sitting volleyball:
- National programme investment
- Paralympic pathway
Sport NZ funds sitting volleyball through Volleyball NZ and Paralympics NZ:
- Para-sport development investment
- Community participation
RSTs fund community sitting volleyball.
RSTs fund sitting volleyball clubs:
- Equipment grants for nets, balls, and court equipment
- Disability sport inclusion programmes
- Junior development
Key RSTs:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland disability sport
- Sport Wellington: Wellington sitting volleyball
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch disability sport community
CCS Disability Action and related disability organisations:
- Equipment and inclusion grants for disability sport
- Community access for people with physical disability
Gaming trusts fund sitting volleyball clubs:
- Four Winds Foundation: Disability sport and community organisations
- Grassroots Trust: Community sport and recreation
- Pub Charity: Equipment and programme grants
- Lion Foundation: Community sport
Gaming trust applications for sitting volleyball:
- Sitting volleyball net (height 1.05m men / 0.80m women) — $200–$600
- Volleyball balls
- Court tape and markings
- Team kit
Sitting volleyball requires minimal specialist equipment:
- Sitting volleyball net: Purpose-made lower net — $200–$600
- Volleyball balls: $30–$80 each
- Court tape: Smaller court markings (10m × 6m per team)
- Knee pads: For court movement
The low equipment cost makes sitting volleyball one of the most accessible disability sports to start.
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People:
- Disability sport participation support
- Community access for people with physical disability
Sitting volleyball's inclusive nature:
- Anyone can play: Able-bodied players can participate equally
- Schools PE: Used in physical education for disability inclusion
- Mixed teams: Disability and non-disability participants together
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Players by disability type, age, and gender
- Equipment: Net, balls, court — affordable and justified per programme
- Paralympic pathway: Connection to national competition
- Disability inclusion: Accessible programme for various physical impairments
- Integration: Inclusion of able-bodied players in programmes
- Community access: Open programme participation
- Organisation governance: Affiliation to Volleyball NZ and Paralympics NZ
Tahua's grants management platform helps sitting volleyball clubs manage grant applications across Paralympics NZ, Sport NZ, disability funders, and gaming trusts, tracking participation, disability inclusion, and Paralympic pathway outcomes.