Le hockey féminin en Australie

General Information

The first national women's ice hockey final was held in Sydney, Australia in February 1995. Interest in the sport is growing, and organizers are convinced of the viability of national competition. A development league started last year (1994-1995), and it consists of under-14, under-16, under-18, and under-21 women's teams. Girls as young as 11 and 12 years of age are taking over the ice, and they are developing well. With women's ice hockey being accepted as an Olympic sport, publicity officer, Carol Freeman, believes it is only going to get better in Australia.

Australia is not so icy!

[September 11, 1995]

Here is some first-hand information from an Australian internet user, and soon to be hockey player! :-)

Well, I live in the city of Canberra (population of approximately 300 000) which is about 300km south of Sydney. Things are usually quite progressive here, but ice hockey has kinda missed the boat, it seems! There is one ice rink here, and apparently a women's ice hockey team as well. I am starting a 20-week intensive skills course in hockey this Tuesday with about 15 others - it is part of an "Active Girls and Women" program being partly funded by the Government to encourage females to get out and try something different. So if this is happening here, I can only assume that there are bigger and better things happening in the other state capitals re. ice hockey and women. I don't know whether there are any teams up to international standard or not. I guess I'll find out as I go along, so if I discover anything exciting, I'll tell you.

• The Sanyo Mumma Bears of Canberra have been disbanded (apparently a couple of years ago). The Canberra women's ice hockey teamed was originally formed by a group of figure skaters. Women's ice hockey was only restarted in Canberra this year when the Warriors ice hockey team was formed. 1995 was their first season.
  
  
• A new women's team has been formed in Adelaide (South Australia), and they are coming to play the Warriors for the first time next Saturday 14th October 1995 (I will be there as a spectator and will take some photos for scanning).
  
  
• The Warriors often travel up to Sydney and vice versa to play against other women's teams. Sydney is only 2 1/2 hours drive away anyway.

More Australian Hockey Information!

Here is some information that was by Bob Hudson (bhudson@extro.ucc.su.oz.au) who has two daughters that play ice hockey in Australia. Thanks for the info Bob, and please keep it coming!

Date: Feb 7th, 1996

An Australian update on behalf of Rani and Pira Hudson of the Canterbury Eagles team, Sydney Australia. 1995 was a boom season for women's hockey, and proud parents of younger players regularly cheered themselves hoarse. Premiers 1995 were Canterbury Falcons. Sydney also has Warringah Bombers, Macquarie bears and Blacktown Flyers. Player registrations are underway (Feb 1996) and there may be more teams this year. Canberra is expected to take the brace step and commute to Sydney to play in the comp - giving us at least 6 teams. Adelaide and Brisbane both also have women's teams - Adelaide visited Sydney last year to gain competition experience. A few Canadian women (exchange students, etc.) have been enthusiastically welcomed to the women's league here. Many of the better players in this new area of hockey for women have had fathers or brothers playing, and younger girls play with their age group teams in atoms and so on. The women's teams in Australia are open age limit, but players from 12 or 13 are quite common.

Some of the Australian players have been to hockey camps in Vancouver during the northern summer - more are keen to go, and would appreciate any information about addresses, fees, times, etc. of Canadian hockey camps - due to transport problems (18 hours flight to Vancouver) our women players have mostly gone to the Canadian west coast. The Australian women's league should soon be a potential contender in the Asia Pacific competition - but transport costs are a big problem. We'll have to start bludgeoning the airlines for some sponsorship!
Bob Hudson, Sydney Australia.

Date: Jul 2nd, 1996

Message from a hockey parent in Australia: did you know we have women's hockey teams here? Sydney already has several US or Canadian women playing- so does Canberra. The season runs midyear, in the Australian winter. If you are planning working/studying/or an extended visit in Australia your hockey skills will be greatly appreciated. I'd be happy to provide further details. My 2 daughters play for Canterbury Eagles AA in Sydney- I wish I'd discovered the game when I was their age! We have men's teams playing here as well, but after the Australian team lost to Israel (11-1 or something equally dreadful) in the Championnats mondiaux prelims, I think it's quite fair to look at the women's league in Australia as being the one with potential. We would like to see the women's game in Australia get to world/olympic contention- step 1 is to get into the Asian league against China, Japan, Korea etc.
Bob Hudson, Sydney Australia.

List of Teams Within Australia

• Canberra Warriors, Canberra
• Canterbury Eagles, Sydney
• Canterbury Falcons, Sydney
• Warringah Bombers, Sydney
• Macquarie Bears, Sydney
• Blacktown Flyers, Sydney
• Adelaide
• Brisbane

Please send any corrections or additions to this list.

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URL:  http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~andria/french/Australia.html