Virgin Active Padel Club launches in partnership with The Racket and Ball Club

Melrose Arch will be home to one of the Virgin Active Padel Clubs being launched as the sport quickly ramps up in popularity locally.

October 8, 2022

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Padel players show how the sport is played.

The latest and fastest growing sport globally, Padel, is capturing the attention of all kinds of people across the world as an easy-to-try, play and enjoy activity.

The racket sport now has over 25 million players in over 90 countries and is quickly ramping up in popularity among South Africans. Leading fitness and wellness brand, Virgin Active on October 3 officially announced the launch of Virgin Active Padel Club in partnership with The Racket and Ball Club, (R and BC) with the flagship club located at Melrose Arch.

The announcement showcased Virgin Active’s agility in the fitness and wellness space, putting its muscle behind this fast-growing sport while giving South Africans easy access to premium indoor facilities in key locations that promote living healthy, active lifestyles.

ALSO READ: Padel: A perfect lifestyle sport

“Not only is Padel now the talk of the sports world and being embraced by people of all ages, and activity levels, it is an easy, simple, and fun sport that anyone can enjoy – a testament to its meteoric rise in popularity,” said Dean Kowarski, Virgin Active Group CEO. “Our ethos that wellness and living an active lifestyle is something that any person can embrace, is why this partnership with R and BC just makes sense.”

Padel, which is played on an enclosed court roughly one-third the size of a tennis court; requires that it is played in pairs, promoting buddy-like accountability, social interaction, and creating a more entrenched sense of being part of a community.

A padel racket designed to allow for easy swings.

The construction of padel courts and corresponding pro shops is currently underway, both at Virgin Active clubs and stand-alone locations. These will be operated and managed by the R&BC, with the rollout of arenas comprising four padel courts at flagship Virgin Active Padel Clubs and many more to come in the next 12 months.

Justin Divaris, co-founder of The Racket and Ball Club echoed, “Our partnership with Virgin Active will enable us to offer the best Padel experience nationwide to our existing customers, while enticing the extensive Virgin Active member base to try something new in-club or at a standalone venue.”

Details: Visit Virgin Active for more information on its padel offering.
Racket and Ball Club