Four years ago – after three previous attempts that never got beyond meeting rooms – it was still just an idea. Today, the BeNe Conference is a fixed feature on the volleyball calendar. The top clubs of Belgium and the Netherlands cross swords in a competition that aims to be more than sporting rivalry alone: it is a project for visibility, professionalisation and growth. One of the architects behind that evolution is Wijnand Geerdink.

In the Netherlands, he is seen as one of the driving forces behind the modern club game. As chair of the Coöperatie Eredivisie Volleybal Nederland and managing director of Orion Stars Doetinchem, he helped push through this cross‑border league, despite doubts, financial risks and organisational resistance. For Geerdink, the BeNe Conference is not an experiment or a temporary cross‑over, but a necessary step forward. In the Netherlands he is a key figure; in Belgium he is still relatively unknown. Time to change that.

Geerdink speaks with the calm of someone who knows how fragile sports projects can be, but also with the energy of a builder. He is not a distant boardroom figure; he stands in the middle of the action, between clubs, sponsors and fans. His vision is simple: volleyball must be visible, tangible, an event – not only in the hall, but also beyond. As the second edition of the BeNe Conference gets underway, he looks back and, above all, ahead.

Wijnand, for the Belgian audience: who are you in volleyball?

Wijnand Geerdink: “First of all, I’m a club man. Orion Stars in Doetinchem is my home base; I’m general manager and owner there. On top of that, I’m chair of the Dutch Eredivisie clubs’ cooperative – a structure similar to your Volley League. Nevobo runs the competition, but we represent the clubs. From that role, I became involved in the BeNe Conference. Not as a politician, but as someone who felt we had to move. Dutch club volleyball needed visibility, fresh impulses and international stimuli. Belgium faced the same questions. Then you have to find each other.”

You were there from the start. Was the BeNe Conference clearly defined from day one?

“The three earlier attempts always crashed on doubts, money or politics. Four years ago, we said: we’ll pull the old plans out of the drawer and start again. Luc Haegemans and I literally said: we’re going to do this, whether it’s perfectly prepared or not. That may sound a bit reckless, but sometimes you have to cut the knot, otherwise you just keep talking.”

When did you feel: this is going to become something structural?

“I never saw it as an ‘experiment’. For me, this was not a test project. We said: we’ll build for three years. Not test, build. In those three years you’re allowed to make mistakes, to adjust, to grow. But the starting point is: it continues to exist unless it is clearly failing. The first edition created a lot of enthusiasm. First in the domestic leagues, because in both Belgium and the Netherlands the fight for the top four went right to the last matchday. This season that’s again the case. And then the clubs started to get to know each other. Fans discovered new match‑ups, and volleyball gained new stories. That alone is already added value.”

Sporting‑wise, the final standings were dominated by Belgian teams. Is Belgium still stronger?

“I think so, especially when you look at Roeselare. I was there recently at the Reo Arena for Roeselare – Galatasaray in the Champions League, at the invitation of Marie De Clerck. They’re one step above. We don’t have a player like Basil Dermaux, for example. But in the Netherlands we have become stronger in terms of depth; although our number three and four will still find it very hard.”

Let’s run through the Dutch teams, starting with Orion Stars, your flagship.

“Four years ago we said: we want to become a reference club. Honestly, our benchmark was Maaseik. How do they organise top‑level volleyball? What can we copy? We’ve grown very quickly in the Netherlands, not because we are rich, but because we work structurally. With players like Wouter ter Maat and Gijs Jorna we have a lot of experience, and with someone like Liam McCluskey – who Belgian fans know very well – plus Hiago Crins and Tobias Kjaer, we’ve added clear quality. We don’t have a super talent like Dermaux, but you don’t build a team on stars alone – stability is crucial.”

You’ve said you want Orion Stars to reach the Champions League final phase again. Is that realistic?

“Why not? But then we need to raise our budget. At the moment, we’re at roughly 750,000 euros for the men’s first team, but our short‑term goal is to reach one million.”

Financially, that’s still below the Belgian top clubs, who work with significantly higher budgets.

“True, we still have work to do financially. But structurally and organisationally we’re in a good place, and that’s also the feedback I get from Belgian top‑club boards. And look, it’s not impossible to perform in Europe with a relatively modest budget. Roeselare recently beat Galatasaray, whose budget is about double theirs.”

How is Lycurgus Groningen doing now, after losing its main sponsor?

“It was a blow for Dutch volleyball, but they found new partners, made a fresh start and are back on their feet, also thanks to support from the city of Groningen. Their budget may now be only about a third of what it was – and even then it wasn’t balanced – but they now have healthier ambitions at around 500,000 to 600,000 euros. I respect that massively. They’re a real collective with a strong block‑defence, discipline and organisation. It may not be the most spectacular volleyball, but it’s clever volleyball.”
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Draisma Dynamo Apeldoorn, third in the regular season, seems to be in transition?

“Correct. Just like Achel, they’re dealing with a departing head coach, Redbad Strikwerda, who’s off to Huizen. That changes the dynamic. Maybe the fire has dipped a bit, but they still have talented outside hitters. Budget‑wise, they’re just under Lycurgus.”

And then there’s SSS Simplex Barneveld, a debutant now reaching a first‑ever Cup final. What does that tell you?

“That the overall level is broadening. They have a full‑time coach, targeted foreign reinforcements, an experienced setter and a strong opposite. They’re not yet at Orion or Roeselare level, but they bring energy – and that’s hugely important.”
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Sportingly and financially, there’s still a gap. Is the BeNe Conference meant to be the lever to close it?

“Yes, absolutely, and also culturally. We already see that players are more inclined to stay in the Netherlands. That’s directly linked to the BeNe Conference. The average level hasn’t skyrocketed yet, but the attractiveness has. And that’s the first step.”

Last season everything was new, and that freshness alone seemed to prove the need for a cross‑border league. How do you look back now?

“I think we can be genuinely happy with that first edition. Everything was new, so there was automatic buzz. That made it exciting – for us as well. For the second edition, that ‘new’ effect is naturally smaller, but the foundation has been laid. Clubs and people across both volleyball cultures have got to know each other, and that has set something in motion.”

What do you still need to really take the next step?

“At some point we’ll need a joint governing body, so we can also coordinate on image, commercial partnerships and marketing. We don’t yet have packed arenas everywhere or massive sponsorship deals, so there’s plenty of work to do. But there is energy, ambition and a shared sense that this project has potential. Sportingly, it’s very interesting for Dutch clubs. And Belgian clubs appreciate how we treat volleyball as an event: entertainment, presentation, fan experience… we really try to make it a show. That cross‑pollination works both ways and is probably the biggest win of year one. I don’t think we’ll suddenly see ten upsets this season. But the message is simple: come and watch, because in volleyball you never know what will happen. That’s what makes it so beautiful.”

Dilemmas

A clean 3–0 win or a 3–2 thriller everyone keeps talking about?
“3–2 thriller. As an administrator I should say 3–0, but as a volleyball fan I want people to go home saying: I was there.”

Volleyball as a tactical chess game or pure physical power?
“Pure power. Tactics matter, but people come to see balls hammered three metres inside the court.”

A roaring, exploding arena or clinical control in a silent hall?
“A roaring arena. Without fans there is no top sport – you’re just playing a training match.”

A perfectly executed system or one moment of genius from a star?
“The system wins titles, the moment of genius sells tickets. You need both, but if I have to choose: give me that one crazy action that blows the roof off.”

Coach’s brain dictating everything or players’ instinct deciding the outcome?
“The coach’s brain until 20–20. After that it’s up to the players. That’s when you want to see character.”

Invest in foreign stars or build long‑term on homegrown talent?
“Homegrown talent, always. Foreign stars are fun, but a league really lives when fans recognise their own players.”

A wide‑open league full of upsets or a closed top with absolute quality?
“A broad, dangerous league. You want every match to carry risk. Unpredictability makes a league exciting.”

Text: KH – Photo: Wijnand Geerdink