A Christchurch cornhole club is calling for new players as the backyard game continues growing into a competitive sport across New Zealand.

The Papanui Cornhole Club, known as The Papanui Wranglers, became what is understood to be the first New Zealand team to compete at an international cornhole event last year and now wants more Cantabrians to give the sport a go.

Cornhole involves players throwing resin filled bags at a slanted wooden board with a hole in it, scoring points against an opponent. The boards sit 27 feet apart, with players able to block the hole using their own bags, adding a strategic element to the game.

The sport has surged in popularity since the American Cornhole League was established in 2015, spreading through North America and internationally.

The Christchurch club began in 2022 when a group of friends started meeting for regular games. After trialling several venues, they secured a permanent base at The Papanui Club, which invited them to become an official section at the start of 2024.

In May 2025, nine members travelled to the ACL Australia Open #2 in Tweed Heads, marking the first time a New Zealand team had represented the country at the event.

The Wranglers returned home with two trophies.

Jeff Root placed second in the Tier One Singles competition, while Jeff and Jacob Root won the Tier Two Doubles title.

In November, four members travelled to Sydney for the NSW State Championship, where James Peck placed second in Tier One Singles and Joe Sefton won the Tier Two Singles competition.

This May, all nine Wranglers returned to Tweed Heads for what organisers described as the largest Australian event to date.

While the New Zealanders did not place this year, the club said it remained determined to keep building the sport locally.

Club member Joe Sefton said the long term goal was to raise New Zealand’s profile internationally.

“We want New Zealand on the map when the campaign to include cornhole in the Olympics is successful, we also want New Zealand to represent at the ACL Europe Open, alongside Australia, who are traveling to Croatia this year,” Sefton said.

The Papanui Cornhole Club meets on Wednesday evenings at the Bowls Pavilion on Sawyers Arms Road.

For those wanting to avoid travelling into Christchurch, a second group has recently launched in Selwyn.

Selwyn Cornhole, known as The Selwyn Sliders, meets on Monday evenings at the Lincoln Event Centre and is aimed at beginners learning the basics before moving into weekly competition games.

“It really is a sport for everyone and now is the perfect time to try cornhole for yourself,” Sefton said.