Eight volleyball teams will arrive in Moncton in September.
One of them will book a trip to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The NORCECA Men’s Continental Volleyball Championships will be at the Avenir Centre from Sept. 11 to 19.
“Sport is part of the fabric of our city, and welcoming an event of this calibre is an exciting moment for Moncton to shine,” said Deputy Mayor Paulette Thériault. “We look forward to welcoming visitors to our city and sharing the energy, hospitality and passion that shape who we are as a community.”
The tournament is expected to bring national teams from Canada, the United States, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Suriname to New Brunswick.
The United States, who took bronze at Paris 2024, are already guaranteed a berth as the host nation in 2028. But they’ll still have plenty to play for, as the event has three berths at the 2027 World Championships in Poland on the line.
Volleyball Canada director of international events Alan Ahac said Moncton is a fantastic city to host such an event.
“First of all, Canada had to bid to acquire the event from all the countries in the confederation,” he said. “Then within Canada we had an open competition and there were a number of cities coast to coast who provided proposals to get the event.”
Ahac said Canada has hosted the event previously, though this will be the first time it’s held east of Winnipeg.
Norval McConnell, co-chair of the local organizing committee, said it should be a great event for the city.
“Volleyball is growing leaps and bounds,” he said. “I mean, the number of kids playing volleyball is over-doubled in the last five years, particularly since COVID.”
He said Moncton presents a good destination with all the hotels and the Avenir Centre right next door to each other.
Ahac said there are plans to bring students to the Avenir Centre to watch daytime matches, and development clinics will be held throughout the event.
“We’ll have local athletes that will have an opportunity to actually come and have skill development sessions with our national team coaches and players,” he said.
There will also be development opportunities for coaches and officials.
To top it all off, a fanfest area will be set up outside the Avenir Centre.
The provincial government is contributing $499,000 through the Regional Development Corporation, while the federal government is chipping in $493,078 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Tickets go on sale March 10 at the Avenir Centre box office and online. Fans can join the venue’s mailing list for early access to full event packages here.
