The Whitsun Tournament (Dutch Open Outdoor Volleyballchampionships) was first staged in 1957 as a regional volleyball tournament. In all the subsequent years, more than 45 years by now, it has developed into a professionally organised event known all over the continents of the world.
Taking a closer look at this international appeal of the tournament we see the following winners from the recent past: Ulbra Diadora, Belo Horizonte and Frangosul from Brasil, Fuji from Japan and Automobilist St.Petersburg from Russia in the Division of Honour Men, Aurora Riga from Latvia, Odintsovo from Russia and Nippon Denso from Japan in the Division of Honour Ladies.
So the Dutch Open Outdoor Volleyball-championships is not just any friendly outdoor tournament. This event enjoys great name and fame in all corners of the world as a sort of Grand Slam tournament for club-teams on grass fields. Asia, South America and Europe send their best delegations to the 'holy grass of Sint Anthonis', which exercises an almost magic appeal on the teams.
Every year from Whitsun Saturday to Whitsun Monday the Dutch Open Outdoor Volleyballchampionships are played in the sportspark on the Peter Zuidstraat. The tournament on Whitsun Sunday and Monday can be entered by national and international teams from the division of honour, and from the first and second division.
On Saturday there is a youth-tournament, which is getting more and more popular.
Prize money

The tournament will pay out a considerable amount of prize money.
The organising committee will grant 700 euro to the best men's team as well as to the best ladies team in the Division of Honour.
And again there will be an independent committee of wise men and women who will follow all players these two days in order to determine who are going to be crowned best male and best female players of the Tournament. Each of them will receive a 250 euro bonus.