When New Zealand's borders reopen, players will be looking for gateball clubs to join. At the moment the only other option in Aotearoa is in Christchurch.
Gateball can be played with one to five people in a team. It is played on a smaller court than croquet and there are three gates and one stick. Each game lasts 30 minutes, with the winning team the one with the most points.
"It's an exciting game. There's a lot of talking and yelling, unlike croquet, which is subdued and quiet."
The communication comes from the captain instructing players where to send balls and from the referee declaring what just happened.
Unlike croquet, players can put their foot on their ball to perform a "spark", sending their opponent's ball away.
Players have solar-powered watches to keep the score and just 10 seconds to play each stroke.
+ INFO For more information about gateball, call Dennis Bulloch on 027 222 5024 or email djbulloch@hotmail.com.