IT is one of the most popular sports in the world, and now plans are being made to launch the area's first volleyball club.Despite Great Yarmouth hosting a major event on the Volleyball England beach tour, there are no clubs currently based in the borough.

IT is one of the most popular sports in the world, and now plans are being made to launch the area's first volleyball club.

Despite Great Yarmouth hosting a major event on the Volleyball England beach tour, there are no clubs currently based in the borough.

That is about to change with the setting up of the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Volleyball Club.

The sport has enjoyed a boost locally when Oriel College and Lynn Grove High School started playing it.

To launch the club a high level exhibition match was held at Lynn Grove on Wednesday between national league side Stowmarket and UEA, the sixth-ranked student side in the country.

Volleyball has been played at Oriel since September when it was introduced by award-winning coach Dave Richards and members of the PE staff.

Richards, who teaches humanities at the college, is a winner of the Volleyball England Development Coach of the Year award.

He organised this week's match with John Ashmore, who coaches volleyball at Lynn Grove.

“The plan is initially to start with 11 to 16-year-olds and then if that is a success run sessions for adults and younger players,” said Richards.

“There is the big beach volleyball tournament at Yarmouth in the summer and we should get some spin off from that.

“There are about 20 to 30 students coming to sessions - it is something they have taken to quite well.

“It is a very good non-contact team sport that can be played by mixed age and sex groups.”

Volleyball vies with basketball for being the second most played sport in the world after football.

It is particularly popular in Eastern Europe, Italy, South America and the United States - where the women's game enjoys a high profile.

Anyone interested in joining the club should email richards.d85@googlemail.com