Described as the next-generation racquet sport, speed badminton - speedminton - has reached Dunedin.
Kavanagh College has joined a list of New Zealand schools trying a sport which combines elements of badminton, tennis and squash.
The game does not require a net or court, which has made it appealing to school sports departments. Kavanagh has plans to add speedminton to its curriculum, following 20 other New Zealand schools.
The sport is played outdoors with a specially designed racquet and modified shuttlecock called a "speeder", which can reach speeds of up to 290kmh.
Players stand in squares, 12m apart, and the aim of the game is to hit the speeder into the opponent's square and rally until the speeder is unreturned.
Kavanagh College head of physical education Kurt Kennedy is enthusiastic about the new sport and said pupils had picked it up quickly.
Badminton New Zealand chief executive Nicki Martin said the sport had huge potential, and she was pleased to see Dunedin schools picking it up.
"Speed badminton provides a great opportunity to get more people interested in playing both the traditional game of badminton and a next-generation racquet game," Martin said.
Bringing the game to New Zealand is credited to former Hawkes Bay badminton representative Nikki Goodall, who first saw speedminton on a trip to Germany.
Badminton is one of the top 10 sports in secondary schools and has one of the fastest growth rates of all sports at this level.
There are more than 40,000 casual badminton players in New Zealand.
Speedminton
The facts
• No net or court required.
• Modified racquets and shuttlecocks.
• About 2 million players worldwide.
• Played in the US, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Namibia, Australia and now New Zealand.
