Mount Maunganui's Main Beach continues to prove a happy hunting ground for volleyballers Sam O'Dea and Mike Watson, who are raising vital funds for a trip to the beach volleyball world championships.

The duo traded volleyballs and nets for bin bags and gloves over the weekend, getting stuck in and collecting more than 30 bags of rubbish and recycling.

Mike Watson and Sam O'Dea after their beach clean-up at Mount Maunganui's main beach. Photos: Supplied.

Alongside with Sam and Mike, more than 30 volunteers each filled a bag full of rubbish and recycling picked up between Mount Main Beach and Tay Street on Saturday.

Hosted by the pair, the beach clean-up initiative helped raise funds for their jam-packed international season, including a spot at the beach volleyball world championships hosted in the Netherlands from June 26 to July 6.

Local environmental consulting company Ryder Consulting sponsored the event, and all rubbish was sorted into recycling and trash and picked up by Tauranga City Council.

Around $3000 was raised from the event.

'The idea was to get local businesses to sponsor a bag and we would collect it on behalf of the business,” says O'Dea.

'It was a simple concept and it worked really well,” adds Watson.

The pair says fundraising is crucial to cover travel and accommodation costs for the upcoming international season and this seemed a great way to give back to the beach that they have enjoyed so much success on.

The duo leave for Perth this week and will travel on to Asia, returning home in one month to prepare for the world championships in the Netherlands in June.