The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) today announced the Volleyball Nations League, which is set to begin in 2018. The league will replace the exiting World League and World Grand Prix, and aim making it one of the most important events in the history of the sport.
The Volleyball Nations League – a joint project between the FIVB, IMG and 21 national federations – will present volleyball in a way that has never been experienced before, building on the innovative sports presentation on display at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In both the men’s and women’s leagues, 12 core teams and 4 challenger teams will battle to become Volleyball Nations League champion by playing in a round robin format. With a total of 130 matches throughout the league season, every team will play a minimum of 15 matches and each core nation will host at least one pool, bringing the action closer to fans around the world.
In the men’s event, Brazil, Italy, the USA, China, Serbia, France, Argentina, Iran, Poland, Germany, Japan and Russia make up the core teams, while Australia, South Korea, Canada and Bulgaria are the four designated challenger teams.
For the women’s competition, Brazil, Italy, the USA, China, Serbia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Turkey, South Korea, Germany, Japan and Russia comprise the 12 core nations. Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Poland and Belgium have also been selected as challenger teams.
For the very first time, the FIVB, in collaboration with IMG, will take complete control of content production, by the innovation and digital broadcasting, spectators at home will witness new and diverse angles, showcasing the world class athleticism of each nation’s best players.
More information on the logo, sponsors and venues will be unveiled in the near future. InstaVolley will keep following, stay tuned!
