Headis – High energy new sport about to hit Sydney
PT News Service At 5:51 pm 0 Comment Print
Headis is a game that has rapidly become popular in Europe and is now spreading to many other countries. It will land in Australia in February with a visit from René Wegner who invented the game in 2006 when he was a student in Germany.
René Wegner will be available for interview or for a photo opportunity throughout his stay in Sydney from 16 to 24 February. René is enthusiastic, charismatic and very comfortable conversing in English.
René Wegner and another top player will visit Sydney to play demonstration games and invite bystanders to ‘have a go’ during O’Week at the University of New South Wales and at various ’pop-up’ locations around Sydney.
Headis is a mix of table tennis and heading the ball soccer-style. The rules are similar to table tennis except that players ‘head’ the ball rather than use a bat. It is played on a regular table tennis table with a stable metal net and a special 15 cm diameter, 50 kg soft rubber ball.
Headis was invented by René Wegner when he was a sports student in Saarbrücken, Germany. On an occasion when the local soccer pitch was already in use Wegner and his friends decided to play with a soccerball on a nearby table tennis table using only their heads. He went on to develop this concept and a marketing plan which he implemented to make the game he called ‘Headis’ to spread quickly.
Played by two players, Headis combines the tactical elements of table tennis with the high energy legwork of tennis and soccer-like ball-heading skills. It is easy to learn but challenging to play. A key element of the success of Headis is the fun atmosphere in which it is played and the camaraderie amongst the players, particularly at the all-important ‘after-party’ when play is done.
Due to the energy and enthusiasm of René Wagner and its growing army of followers Headis, has grown quickly wherever it has taken hold. It is now estimated there are more than 80,000 players in countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
Headis is particularly popular with university students and it is included in the sports programs of many universities (20 in Germany alone). Players from 12 countries competed in the 2017 World Championship in Kaiserslautern in Germany.
The rapid growth of Headis resulted in René Wegner receiving an ISPO new brand Award which was followed by extensive TV coverage and invitations to visit the USA and China to demonstrate what Headis is all about and to provide training.
Rene Wegner’s visit to Sydney is being supported by local newcomers to the game who are keen to see it spread and become popular in Australia too.
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