The Volleyball library

The Home Nations of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland came together to play under the British Volleyball Federation's administration as Great Britain (GB), in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games. They are permitted by the international governing body for volleyball, the FIVB, to play in international competition as GB until after the Olympics.

The GB Women's indoor team were based in Sheffield, training daily and playing in match series and tournaments around the world. They trained under Canadian Coach, Lorne Sawula until March 2009 and now with GB Head Coach, Audrey Cooper. Funding was withdrawn from the GB Women's Team in August 2010 but they will be at the 2012 Olympics. Sixteen of the players play with European Clubs and one in USA.

The GB Men were based in Amstelveen playing in The Netherlands' Pro-A League for Club Martinus during the 2007-2008 season. They continue to work with Head Coach, Netherlands' Harry Brokking, assisted by ex Sheffield's Joel Banks. Eighteen members of the squad play for professional clubs in Europe in the league season. They continue to be funded.

The GB Beach Teams are based in Bath with Head Coach Imornefe (Morph) Bowes and Assistant Coach Mo Glover. The top teams travel the world competing in both FIVB and European Federation (CEV) beach events from April to October. The GB Men's Beach Teams also had funding withdrawn in August 2010, they continue to compete. The two GB Women's teams excited the crowds at the FIVB International Test event Horseguards Parade in August 2011 where Dampney/Mullins were placed 5th and Boulton/Johns came 4th.

Early in 2010, administration for the GB Sitting Teams moved from the BVF to Volleyball England and the GB Men now train under the former England Men's Coach, Ian Legrand, Assistant Coach Ashley Trodden and Team Manager Gordon Day.
The GB Women's Sitting Team, formed in November 2010 are coached by Head Coach, Steve Jones, Assistant Coach Karen Hung with Team Manager, Gordon Neale. The GB Men have a place at the Paralympics and the GB Women will hear in February 2012. The GB Teams and the sitting volleyball clubs with Volleyball England are flourishing.

International Teams USA, Brazil and Japan women currently hold 1, 2 and 3 positions in thewomen's world ranking with the top European team, Italy, ranked 4. In the men's game, Brazil heads the world with Russia and Italy in second and third ranking. Brazil women took Olympic gold in Beijing; their men have dominated all the World competitions but took silver in 2008. Four European women's and five men's teams are ranked in the top 10 in their respective tables.

Brazil leads the Beach game and head the ranking in both the men's and women's beach World Tour at the end of 2011. USA, however, took both the 2008 Olympic gold medals with Walsh-May Treanor taking the women's title while the men's gold went to Rogers-Dalhausser. China worked hard to make their mark on the beach game in the eight years leading up to the Beijing Games and were rewarded with both the silver and bronze medals in the women's competition.

The Sitting men's game has been dominated by Iran, Bosnia Herzogovina and Egypt but Russia eased Egypt out of the bronze medal position at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. China continues to dominate the women's game while USA took silver in Beijing and at the World Championships in 2010. Ukraine took the Beijing bronze and recently won European Championship gold.

Images from the International game can be found throughout the galleries.