All-Female League Success
Posted July 23, 2024
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IHNZ News
Event Overview
A unique event took place in New Plymouth over the weekend of July 20-21. 2024. The IHNZ inaugural All-Female Inline Hockey League was hosted by Ravens Inline Hockey marking a significant milestone in the promotion of women’s inline hockey in New Zealand.
The event celebrated the athleticism, dedication, and unity of female athletes across various clubs around the country and proved to be a resounding success, attracting participants and spectators across all age groups.
Participation and Demographics
The event saw an impressive turnout, with 11 teams participating over the two-day weekend with participants ranged from young girls 10 & Under to seasoned players in their 40s, showcasing the wide appeal and inclusive nature of the event. Thirteen clubs were represented from across New Zealand.
Key Highlights
- Live Streaming: The local club used their own streaming capability adding in specialised equipment to improve the overall viewer involvement.
- All Grades: Opportunity for all club female players to participate either for their own club or in cross-club teams (where players from 2 or more clubs were combined).
- MVP Awards: One award per grade, nominated by their peers and presented based on performance, leadership and teamwork.
- 2024 Inaugural League MVP Awards went to: Jemma Yarrall (Junior Women), Mia Bliss (Intermediate Women) and Jill Griffin (Senior Women) - Congratulations
Support
This event likely wouldn’t be happening without the strong support of the New Plymouth Rollersports Club and the NP Ravens, who supported the event via a heavy subsidy of the rink for the weekend to support female participation.
As always, a big group of people contributed to making this event a success. A huge thanks to Tara Fox, coordinator of the league, with Krys Beardman, Paul Matthews and Willy Harvey for helping with heaps of organisation behind the scenes; plus all the team coaches and managers.
The event fostered a strong sense of community and empowerment among women. This included excellent opportunities for junior referees to officiate alongside senior referees as a mentoring opportunity. Thanks also go to Cam Rock for coordinating the refs. Very special mention to Anna Hansford for her photography and sharing her files from the weekend.
And a big thanks for the welcome help from Hamish Barnes, a young 12-year-old with a sister in one of the teams, who became expert on the score-clock and acted as the DJ during the game breaks for almost every game over the weekend. Also, thanks for camera and commentator support from Ben, Richard and Todd.
Feedback and Future Plans
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Many expressed their excitement for future editions of the event and their hope for more opportunities to showcase female inline hockey.
Plans are already in place for the second league round to be held in Wellington at the Kilbirnie rink at the end of August. It is hoped to expand the league in 2025 with a focus on increasing the number of participating teams and players.
If you haven’t already registered for the Wellington round, it’s not too late! But it will be soon. Look out for the “late registration” link going out this week.
Conclusion
The inaugural All-Female Inline Hockey League successfully aimed at breaking new ground in the promotion of women’s participation. The league highlighted the talent, dedication, and spirit of female players of all ages. This event not only celebrated their individual skills and achievements but also presented an event that proved to be an exciting spectator event with some thrilling and skilled games.
The event’s success is a testament to the growing recognition and support for women’s inline hockey, and it promises to be a cornerstone in the ongoing journey towards gender equality within the sport.