WARRINGTON residents looking for an exciting sport after Covid-19 restrictions ease are being urged to try handball as part of a national campaign.

England Handball, whose headquarters are at The Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington, are looking to drive awareness of the sport and encourage more people to participate in their #ReclaimTheCourt campaign.

It has been 14 months since all indoor sport was paused due to the coronavirus pandemic, which forced registered handball clubs across England – including Warrington Wolves Handball Club – to stop training and all competitive games indefinitely.

Before the pandemic, handball's popularity in schools as part of the curriculum were helping to drive high levels of interest and participation.

The game is hugely popular throughout Europe and the rest of the world, with millions of players and global competitions.

Handball is also an Olympic sport and teams from around the world will compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.

Holly Lam-Moores represented Warrington for Team GB in the women's handball tournament at London 2012.

John Pearce, who also represented Team GB in handball that year and is the national competitions and events manager at England Handball, said: “Our #ReclaimTheCourt campaign is about connecting more people with handball than ever before and getting back the momentum we’d built up before Covid-19.

“Lockdown has meant lots of people across the country haven’t had the chance to play any kind of sport, so we’re encouraging them to step onto a handball court – whether it’s for the first time or the 500th – and get involved in a sport that is fast-paced, high-scoring and exciting to be involved in.

“Playing handball is also a brilliant way to stay active with the physical and mental benefits that sport can offer. Handball is a hugely diverse sport too with men, women and children all playing, and in England we have players from more than 55 different countries registered at clubs up and down the country.”

In line with the Government’s roadmap, the green light was given to outdoor training for all ages on March 29.

Players under the age of 18 were permitted to return to indoor training and competition on April 12, and those rules are set to be extended to all ages from Monday, May 17.

“Lockdown has been really tough for everybody and across the world of sport. I think people are desperate to get back playing the games they love," said Pearce.

“For the handball community, we’re counting down the days until May 17 and keeping everything crossed that the Government’s roadmap stays on track.

“It will be an emotional day when we get back onto the court and through #ReclaimTheCourt, we’re celebrating the journey and aiming to bring as many people with us as possible.”

To find out more about handball in England and the range of clubs available throughout the country, visit englandhandball.com