Nations Cup huge success

The Blackball Nations Cup 2026 is proving to be an astounding achievement for Gibraltar as host. Similar to last summer’s Netball World Youth Cup—albeit with a very different ambience due to the nature of both sports—Gibraltar is once again showing it can host major events.

With over 1,000 players from across 18 nations, including Gibraltar, many accompanied by family and friends, as well as their respective managers and officials, the ten-day event is already generating a much-needed boost to Gibraltar’s sports-led tourism industry. With hotels full, players enjoying shopping experiences, visits to bars and restaurants, and Rock tours between matches, Gibraltar is once again experiencing what it is like to host long-stay visitors—one of the main attractions of staging such events.

The Nations Cup looks set to remain a key fixture. With an initial three-year agreement to host the event, alongside a possible extension of a further two years or more, the importance of starting on the right foot has been clear.

The efforts, largely from volunteers within the Gibraltar Pool Association, have ensured that the event has the feel and look of a world-class tournament. Professional lighting, big screen displays, and state-of-the-art tables—forty-eight in total—are complemented by a well-run fixture schedule that accommodates all the varied categories, from Under-15 through to Under-18s, seniors, masters, grand masters, ladies, singles, doubles, and even learning and physical disability categories. Organisers have been working twelve-hour shifts, supported by commentators guiding players to their tables.

There has been little animosity between teams and much camaraderie. Gibraltar players have been seen sitting alongside Spain players as they face each other on numerous occasions during the week-long senior events.

Sessions have been split to allow the different categories their own time, ensuring an appropriate ambience for players.

The presence of close to a thousand players and their support base is evident across Gibraltar. From early morning, with sessions starting at 9am at the Europa Sports Complex, droves of players migrating from hotels to shuttle services or bus terminals have become a common sight.

Kitted out in their national shirts, groups can be seen mixing with the local community as they make their way through the city centre between sessions and rest periods.

There has been little of the beer-swigging culture many had previously associated with the sport. The main bar, in fact, has been receiving more orders during the daytime than the beer stand, highlighting how the sport has shifted away from its past image—while still retaining a strong, social and friendly community spirit.

The event has also been receiving wide coverage through its official online presence, with daily livestreams of matches alongside a continuous feed of scores and results. Gibraltar, in turn, is benefiting from increased exposure—particularly at a time when delays in the implementation of an agreement with the EU had raised some concerns for travelling teams from outside the bloc.

In much the same way as the Netball World Youth Cup, international football matches, and recent hockey European competitions, the event is further establishing Gibraltar’s reputation for delivering as a host.

With many lessons learned from previous events, Gibraltar has ensured there is little doubt about its ability to provide a world-class platform from which to welcome its guests.

From far-flung visitors from Australia, Mexico, and Mauritius to close neighbours from Spain and Catalonia, all are being welcomed by both the community—and, so far, by the sun itself, which has hung high in clear blue skies for much of the week so far.
Images courtesy C Correa Photography. More images will be appearing both online and in the coming days in the print editions.