News for 20 March 2021
All the news for Saturday 20 March 2021
2021 Test matches UGA v KEN (M) - 20 March
Nairobi (KEN)
16:30 (GMT +3) UGA - KEN
2021 Test matches UGA v KEN (W) - 20 March
Nairobi (KEN)
14:30 (GMT +3) KEN - UGA
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FIH Match Centre
Kenya eye second win against Uganda in AFCON test matches
By Washington Onyango
The Kenyan team warms-up before action against Uganda at Sikh Union, Parklands during an Africa Cup of Nations Test match. March 18, 2021. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]
Kenya national women’s hockey team will be seeking to register a second consecutive win against Uganda in the Africa Cup of Nations Test match at Sikh Union Hockey stadium in Parklands, Nairobi today.
Kenya thrashed Uganda 11-0 in the first match played at the same ground on Thursday and coach Jackie Mwangi is upbeat of building on the win ahead of the second match.
Mwangi said she was impressed by the performance in the opening match despite being out for a year without action.
“We were very clinical in the opening match of the three test matches and am glad the girls adjusted within the shortest time to win the match,” she said.
“To win by such a big margin despite not playing for the past year is a great sign that the girls have been putting in good work individually despite the pandemic.”
Caroline Guchu and Flavian Mutiva celebrate a goal against Ugandan's at Sikh Union, Parklands on March 18, 2021. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]
The former Telkom star player said their plan now is to build on the win and go again today but warned the team not to underrate the Ugandans.
“It is still early to call since they are also a good side. I believe they will come out a different side compared to the first match but we will also be ready to adjust and ensure we win the matches,” Mwangi said.
In the men’s category, Kenya were held to a 1-1 draw by Uganda, failing to win against their rival neighbours for the first time in over two decades.
Kenya will however be out for blood in the second match as they seek to register their first win of the three test matches.
Africa Hockey Federation and the International Hockey Federation organised the Test matches after the cancellation of the North-Eastern region Africa Cup of Nation qualifiers.
The Standard Digital
SA Indoor Hockey Men named for Qualifier
The Africa Indoor Cup, the African Qualifier for the 2021 Indoor Hockey World Cup in Belgium, is set to take place in mid-April in Durban. The South African Indoor Hockey Men will be looking to defend the title that saw them compete in both the 2015 and 2018 Indoor World Cups. The team that will represent the country in the continental showpiece against Botswana and Namibia has now been announced.
Justin Domleo has been to two Indoor Hockey World Cups for South Africa and his experience will be called on in the big game moments. He is the most capped player in the squad and is joined by Jethro Eustice and Rusten Abrahams as players who have world cup experience in Ryan Hack’s first squad since his appointment as interim head coach.
There will be debut caps for Bongumusa Mngoma and Dan Sibbald, who has played outdoor for South Africa. While the likes of Dayaan and Mustapha Cassiem, Aiden Tun and Chad Futcher will look to continue their impressive starts to their international Indoor hockey careers after featuring in the series shutout against Switzerland. The team will once again be supported by Tops at Spar.
Anton van Loggenberg, the man who starred at the most recent indoor hockey IPT, will be the man tasked with stopping opposition attacks, a role he loves.
Ryan Hack, who coached the team at the 2015 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, was pleased with his squad.
“I am really excited to be a part of this new generation of indoor hockey players. They are undoubtedly some of the most talented players we have ever had in the system. We have a great blend of youngsters and experience in the squad, with really good balance in the key areas. I’m expecting some big things from this group of players and I know they will make the country proud. The future is definitely bright for South African Indoor Hockey!”
SA Hockey Men – Africa Indoor Cup 2021
Rusten Abrahams, Southerns
Mustapha Cassiem, Western Province
Dayaan Cassiem, Western Province
Justin Domleo, KZN Raiders
Jethro Eustice, KZN Raiders
Chad Futcher, Southerns
Lungani Gabela, KZN Raiders
Bongumusa Mngoma*, KZN Raiders
Steven Paulo, Northern Blues
Daniel Sibbald*, KZN Mynahs
Aiden Tun, Western Province
Anton van Loggenberg, Western Province
* denotes uncapped player.
The African Hockey Indoor Cup of Nations takes place in Durban from the 16-18 April 2021. With the current COVID Protocols in place it is unlikely that spectators will be allowed. Broadcasting details will be shared in due course.
SA Hockey Association media release
SA men's hockey coach on Tokyo Olympics medal hopes: 'It's not impossible'
Lynn Butler
Nicholas Spooner and Dyan Cassiem. Ashley Vlotman/Gallo images
South African men's hockey coach Garreth Ewing admits that winning an Olympic Games medal in Tokyo this year is "quite a stretch" but he believes that it is not impossible.
More Questions Than Answers
Ashley Morrison
“Leaders are not born. … They are made” is a theory that many will attest to. There are some who take the opposite approach, and believe that “leaders are born and cannot be made.”
Former Hockeyroos star Anna Flanagan alleges former staff member called her ‘a slut’
Former Hockeyroos star Anna Flanagan has alleged a former staff member of the Australian national team brashly called her “a s***”.
Anna Flanagan of Australia.Source:Getty Images
Former Hockeyroos star Anna Flanagan has alleged a former staff member of the Australian national team called her “a slut” after she shared a photo of herself on social media.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the 29-year-old detailed how she and female teammates were allegedly mistreated while representing their country.
The alleged incident happened early in Flanagan’s professional career after she posted an image of herself in the green and gold kit.
Flanagan claims a female staff member approached her the following day, shaming her for the photo.
“She told me I looked like a slut, because part of my sports bra was showing,” Flanagan told The Daily Telegraph.
“That was from a member of the coaching staff. That was just one of the many inappropriate comments that were said to me.
“There were so many other things and not just to me. Girls were constantly being told they were going to get kicked in the c***”
Former Hockeyroos star Anna Flanagan.Source:Instagram
Anna Flanagan.Source:Instagram
According to the report, Flanagan later complained about the incident to Hockey Australia but claims no action was taken.
Hockey Australia declined to comment when approached by NewsCorp on Friday evening.
The Canberra athlete represented Australia 171 times, winning gold medals at two Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014. She was named World Young Player of the Year in 2013.
The accusations come after Hockey Australia launched an independent inquiry into “toxic” and “bullying” culture within the women’s national program.
Hockey Australia released the review’s findings on Thursday, which “broadly found a dysfunctional culture within the program”.
There have been ongoing allegations of homophobic behaviour, bullying, and body shaming within the Hockeyroos set-up since late last year.
The review included input from current and former players dating back to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. More than 100 people, including Flanagan, participated in the review.
Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin resigned from his position on Wednesday evening, while assistant coach Steph Andrews and selector Sharon Buchanan have also left the program.
Two months earlier, high performance director Toni Cumpston quit after losing the confidence of the Hockey Australia Board.
Hockey Australia chief executive Matt Favier told AAP on Thursday: “There was nothing in the review that raised red flags around any suggestion of … homophobic sentiment towards players.
“Part of the reason that HA initiated the review in the first instance was the suggestion of bullying, and there was no case of any staff-to-player bullying.
“There is a suggestion that (between players) there were some incidents – the word bullying wouldn’t be the correct definition, but certainly some tensions between players from time to time.
“Perhaps intimidation might be closer to the truth. But it was reported as isolated incidents, not as any systemic matters.”
News.com.au
FIH to stage first world hockey5s event in Lausanne
By Liam Morgan
A world Hockey5s event is set to be held in Lausanne in September ©Getty Images
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced plans to host its first senior world hockey5s event in Lausanne in September.
The FIH has scheduled the competition for September 11 to 12, with further details set to be released soon.
Confirmation from the FIH Executive Board that it had rubber-stamped the event marks the latest boost for the hockey5s discipline, which featured at the 2014 and 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
The FIH Executive Board has also approved the creation of a Hockey5s World Tour, which it said would consist of events similar to the one planned for the Olympic Capital.
The FIH Executive Board approved an eight-year competition calendar ©Getty Images
Hockey's worldwide governing body in 2019 confirmed it would organise the first Hockey5s World Cup in 2023.
The bidding process for the inaugural tournament was launched in December and closed earlier this month.
The FIH has also announced the third season of its Hockey Pro League will run from October this year to June 2022.
It is part of an eight-year competition calendar approved by the Executive Board - the first four of which are set in stone, while the following cycle will be a "draft" and confirmed "on an annual basis".
The Hockey Pro League launched in 2019, before the second season was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Inside the Games
FIH continue to raise Hockey 5s profile as part of calendar strategy
By Rod Gilmour
FIH hope Hockey 5s will attract new audience PIC: Buenos Aires 2018
World hockey has confirmed its intention to hold a first senior Hockey 5s tournament – in its own backyard.
The FIH will showcase a weekend event on Sep 11 and 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland with further details on teams and format to be released shortly.
The event’s rubber-stamping from the FIH executive board this week is the latest indication that Hockey 5s is fast-becoming an integral part of the sport’s outlook.
In 2019, the FIH first created the idea of an FIH Hockey5s World Cup – the inaugural edition which is planned for 2023.
World hockey has also indicated that it will organise a Hockey5s World Tour, with the Lausanne event setting a template for taking the shortened format to cities across the globe to reach a new audience.
The Hockey 5s outdoors concept aligns with other major sports seeing success in a quicker, fast-paced environment such as cricket’s T20 and rugby sevens.
Hockey 5s will also be an integral part of the FIH’s new eight-year global hockey calander, which was also approved by the executive board this week.
“This is a major step and long-awaited document which shall help scheduling competitions in a coordinated manner worldwide, for the benefit of all hockey stakeholders,” a release stated.
The FIH added that events up until 2024 had been finalised while the subsequent cycle up until the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 will be confirmed on an annual basis – and at least four years in advance.
Meanwhile, the FIH Pro League match schedule for 2021/22 has also been confirmed. Matches will be played between October and June.
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The Hockey Paper
Hockey World Cup qualification opens up to more nations
France will be hoping to qualify for successive World Cups
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has backtracked on its qualification criteria for European nations ahead of the next men’s and women’s World Cups.
World hockey officials had originally outlined that the top six from this summer’s EuroHockey women and the top seven from the men’s event would book their tickets for the respective World Cups – a decision which was derided in some quarters.
However, the FIH has now ammended its process for both events.
For the men’s 2023 World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, the seven European teams will be made up of the top five berths from EuroHockey 2021 and two teams qualifying from the European World Cup Qualifying Tournament 2021.
The FIH said this event will comprise teams ranked 6-8 in the EuroHockey Championship 2021 and teams ranked 1-5 in the EuroHockey Championship II 2021.
This means that the likes of Scotland and Ireland men, relegated from the EuroHockey A Division, will have a chance to qualify. Ireland men’s coach Mark Tumilty had described the orginal criteria as a “complete and utter shambles”.
Meanwhile, for the women’s World Cup, held in Spain and the Netherlands, the four other competing teams from Europe will be made up of the top three teams from the upcoming Euros (not including the two World Cup hosts who qualify by right) and one team from a winner takes all qualifying tournament later this year.
This mini event will comprise the three lowest ranked teams at the Euros, as well as the teams ranked 1-5 in the EuroHockey Championship II 2021.
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The Hockey Paper
Stam and Amsterdam thrilled to finally take on EHL Women’s challenge
Lauren Stam is thrilled the long wait is almost over for AH&BC Amsterdam to finally battle to become the first EHL Women’s champion at Easter.
The competition is a long time in the making with the introduction of EHL Women announced back in October 2018. Amsterdam duly won the final edition of the EuroHockey Club Cup in 2019 and were looking forward to make the next step last Easter, hosting the new-look competition at their Wagener Stadium base.
But the Covid-19 pandemic pushed everything back, adding to the excitement for Stam and her teammates as they try recapture some of that 2019 mood . 
Lauren Stam, left, with Kimberly Thompson and Anne Veenendaal following their Hoofdklasse success in 2019. Pic: Willem Vernes/World Sport Pics
“It’s really exciting,” she told the EHL website. “We are really happy to play this year and looking forward to the FINAL4 games.
“2019 was such a great year, really happy memories. We were in a really good flow with our team. Everything fell into place. We worked really hard together and even when we didn’t play our best, we managed to win which is so important.
“The flow was really good, the trust in our staff, the improvements we were making that year. Even when we lost games, we kept believing.”
The club added the Hoofdklasse title that season into the bargain, marking it out as one of Stam’s most cherished memories since joining the club from nearby Xenios when she was 12-years-old.
Now 27, she has won gold in every international tournament – either underage or senior – she has played in, including the Under-16 and 18 Euros, the Junior and Senior World Cups, the 2017 and 2019 European Championships, the Champions Trophy and the Pro League when she scored the golden shoot-out.
But, on the club front, things are never quite so simple. The 2017 and 2018 Club Cups both ended in defeat at the semi-final stage to UHC Hamburg in shoot-outs while their rivalry with Den Bosch has been epic for a long time with victories going back and forth. 
In action against Oranje-Rood in 2019. Pic: World Sport Pics
And it is their Dutch rivals they will meet first in the FINAL4 on April 3 with over 15 current Dutch internationals between the respective squads. With such a close bond internationally, it makes for a strange rivalry.
“It is hard to describe,” Stam says. “We have become friends through the years with the national team but when we are on the field, everyone wants to win, but also wants to entertain.
“During the game, we are not friends but everyone has that feeling and respect for each other. There have definitely been some heated moments. But it’s always not personal; it’s just in the moment and we can laugh about it afterwards.”
Indeed, facing the likes of Frédérique Matla, Laura Nunnink, Lidewij Welten and Marloes Keetels is probably among the toughest opponents she will face anywhere in the world.
“I now know them so well as we are always playing with each and against other; they know what I am going to do and I know what they will do. It’s really challenging but I always look forward to these contests!”
Amsterdam did get the league bragging rights when the sides met earlier in 2021 thanks to a single Noor de Baat goal but Den Bosch currently have the edge in the league table by two points.
“We are in a good place right now but it is difficult to get the same feeling as 2019 [in the current environment], especially when you are not able to do all the same things outside the field that you are normally able to do. Those things improve your team development. We try to think of other possibilities but it will always be different.
“[For example], the girls who are not internationals were not able to play in November and December, it was quite a big change to be able to play one-on-one again.
“First, they could train in groups of four and then it became stricter; they could be in groups of two and then not within two metres of each other. It was quite a change in January, physically they had to adjust quickly to us [the internationals].
“We forgot sometimes they hadn’t trained as hard as we were able to. The girls worked really hard are now on the same level so all complements to them. It must be mentally hard for them to train like that.
“January was a good month to rebuild that trust; we did it well and I think we are in a good place. It was a good game against Den Bosch; unfortunately we lost to hdm but I see improvement in every training, everyone is really focused on the goals we want to achieve this year. I trust the development of the team is going well.”
Euro Hockey League media release
Whipping girls keep their minds on the mission
By Jugjet Singh
Mutiara Impian Juniors team manager Leo Vincey
Penang's Mutiara Impian Juniors are the whipping girls of the Women's Malaysia Hockey League (WMHL) and a laughing stock on social media.
The team were whipped 17-0 by Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) Ladies and 9-0 by Sabah in their opening matches.
Mutiara are likely to suffer a similar fate in their remaining matches against Young Tigress, UniTen and Blue Warriors.
But team manager Leo Vincey and his angels are unperturbed as they are in the sports bubble with two missions to complete.
"We were on the verge of pulling out when we lost 15 of our best players to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examinations.
"But we decided to stay on and let our Form Three and Form Four girls gain exposure in the MWHL.
"The second mission was to help keep some semblance in the MWHL as there are only six teams right now," said Vincey.
It has not always been this bad for the Penang outfit.
In 2019, a Women's Junior Hockey League (WJHL) report read: "WJHL's table toppers, MBPJ Black Widow, continued their unbeaten record after earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Mutiara Impian-MSSPP-PSHA at KLHA Stadium."
These were some of the players who Mutiara wanted to turn into gems this season, but the Covid-19 pandemic and the SPM and STPM examinations had other plans for them.
"The girls understand the situation and are not ashamed of losing by huge margins.
"We told them before the tournament that they can expect a hammering in matches. However, we also reminded them to keep their heads up and learn.
"My players are getting criticised on social media, but they understand that those who poke fun do not understand their situation," Vincey added.
Young Tigress are the other table-proppers, as they have also lost two matches but with lower margins than Mutiara.
Tigress are a Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) development squad, and it would be interesting to see the outcome when both clash today.
TODAY'S FIXTURES — WMHL: Blue Warriors v Sabah (6pm,Pitch I), UNITEN-KPT v UniKL Ladies (8pm, Pitch II), Young Tigress v Mutiara Juniors (8pm, Pitch I) — * matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
New Straits Times
III South American Youth Games Rosario 2022
The Organizing Committee of the III South American Youth Games Rosario 2022 announced that the event will take place between April 28th and May 8th next year (2022).
The Organization stated that these Youth Games are presented as a "unique opportunity to initiate the refoundation of South American sport. With the member countries of the South American Sports Organization (ODESUR), the Confederations as allies, and working together as an objective, the goal is to build new models of sporting events that will mark the beginning of a new era."
On April 13th, the Organizing Committee will meet virtually with the International Technical Delegate (ITD) to discuss the details of the hockey event.
Pan American Hockey Federation media release
Maryland field hockey’s youth shines in 5-0 win over Indiana
Shane Connuck
Defender Maura Verleg whips the ball forward during Maryland field hockey's 5-0 win over Indiana on March 19, 2021. (Julia Nikhinson/The Diamondback)
Bibi Donraadt headed to the backline to insert Maryland field hockey’s second penalty corner of Friday’s match late in the first quarter. She’d done so numerous times this season, but this was only her second time doing so on her homefield.
Typically, defender Riley Donnelly has been at the end of Donraadt’s corner deliveries. But this time, midfielder Belle Bressler set up the corner for freshman Maura Verleg.
And Verleg’s hard shot knocked off the back wall of the cage. Maryland heard its sparse home crowd cheering after a goal for the first time in over a year. It was Verleg’s first career goal and it helped spearhead the Terps’ 5-0 shutout of Indiana.
“It’s something we did differently than Indiana expected us to do,” Verleg said. “They expected Riley to drag or hit.”
Not only did Maryland score the most goals it has this season and win by its largest margin, but the Terps outshot the Hoosiers, 17-5, and coach Missy Meharg’s squad drew eight penalty corners to Indiana’s two.
Indiana (0-7) entered Friday winless, having only scored just one goal through its first six matches. On Thursday, Maryland (4-3) coach Missy Meharg emphasized the importance of respecting the Hoosiers, who are playing an entire schedule of away matches.
Maryland’s attack was strong early against an Indiana defense that came into Friday’s matchup allowing three goals per game. But just over three minutes in, it was the Hoosiers who drew the first penalty corner, and Mary Kate Kesler’s shot sailed wide left.
Several minutes after the Terps broke away, they drew their first corner. And as Indiana goalkeeper Shannon McNally stopped Taylor Mason’s blast midway through the first, the early stalemate continued.
“Indiana is much improved,” Meharg said. “They really put us under some fire at the beginning and held us at bay for a long time.”
Though Maryland was able to keep the ball moving from right to left for most of the opening period, the Hoosiers’ defense held it to just a pair of shots before Verleg’s score gave the Terps the upper hand.
Just after the second period began, Indiana began to test Terps goalkeeper Noelle Frost with a burst of offense. Still, the Terps continued to protect their cage.
Eight-and-a-half minutes into the second period, Maryland showed a new wrinkle to its penalty corner routine. Off the set, defender Riley Donnelly dragged a soft pass in the direction of the cage, where Donraadt hopped out from the backline. However, her shot couldn’t hit the target.
But moments later, the Terps connected again. This time, they rustled the net.
Donnelly’s shot missed, and Donraadt was positioned toward the left of McNally. As the ball ricocheted off the freshman goalkeeper’s leg, the junior flipped her team-high fourth goal of the season into the cage.
And not even a minute later, the surge continued. After freshman Anna Castaldo fired a backhanded blast toward the cage, forward Kyler Greenwalt was right there to shoot the loose ball past McNally and give the Terps a 3-0 advantage.
They kept the pressure going, drawing their second penalty stroke of the season with five seconds left in the first half. Donnelly slipped the ball past McNally, and Maryland carried its largest lead of the season into the intermission.
Maryland began to shake up its units in the second half. Midfielder Brooke DeBerdine inserted some penalty corners instead of Donraadt, and Meharg had some younger players, including Verleg and Castaldo, see increased action. Christina Calandra entered in the cage, giving Frost her first respite of the season.
“I’ve made some errors with some experiments,” Meharg said. “Today, I feel really good about the combinations … some of the players really got into areas of the field and combinations with teammates that they hadn’t gotten before.”
The Terps’ offense couldn’t find the cage in the second half after its explosive second quarter, but it still totaled five shots in the third period alone. As it attacked from left to right, it kept the ball on that side for the majority of the frame.
And when even a shot looked promising for Indiana, the Terps’ defense was there to turn the ball away.
With just under four minutes to play, Castaldo added her first career goal, firing a shot into the upper part of the cage, to cap off Maryland’s home opener — and its first match of the season under the lights — with a 5-0 shutout.
“There are so many things today that I forgot that we did, like just general rituals,” Meharg said. “The one thing COVID has given us is a different lens on what it is we do, and really, change is good.”
The Diamondback
Field Hockey Opens MAC Weekend Play With 2-1 Win Over Ohio
MUNCIE, Ind. - The cold weather and windy conditions didn't seem to faze the Cardinals today as Ball State (2-3, 2-1 MAC) took down the Ohio Bobcats (0-3, 0-2 MAC) by a score of 2-1 Friday afternoon in Mid-American Conference action at the Briner Sports Complex.
Today's win was a hard-fought battle between these two league schools, and it was a total team victory for the Cardinals, Ball State third-year head field hockey coach Stephanie Bernthal said.
For any coach it is rewarding to see your team put all the pieces together that they have been working on each and every day at practice. So today, Bernthal thought her team really came together with great execution. She was so proud of all the hard work and focus her team has shown this whole year. As the team continues to grow Bernthal thinks it's cool to see the Cardinals get better in each and every game.
That execution Bernthal was talking about came early today as veteran Rachel Pereira scored the first goal of the contest in the opening minutes of the first period off of the assist from both her teammates Jenna McKune and Emma Hilton. That goal was Pereira's first of the season and eighth of her career.
Ball State's offense wasn't the only thing that was being executed well this afternoon, it was also BSU's defense that was on point, as the Cardinals held the Bobcats scoreless in the first half to take a 1-0 edge over Ohio at intermission.
Ball State's Maureen Donegan registered her second goal of the season off of the dish from Paloma Gomez Rengifo at the start of the third period to push Ball State's lead to 2-0.
After that, both teams put the pressure on defensively against one another and although Ohio was able to sneak one passed the Cardinals' goalie Wietske Overdijkink with about 10 minutes remaining in the contest. But Ball State was resilient and managed to hold the Bobcats off from scoring the remainder of the contest to secure its victory.
The Cardinals have a lot to celebrate with this win but Bernthal said that her team knows they will have another tough game ahead of them tomorrow.
The Ball State field hockey team will close out its two-game Mid-American Conference series against Ohio Saturday at 1 p.m. ET in the Briner Sports Complex.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State field hockey team, please follow @BallStateSports, @CoahBERNbsu and @BallStateFH on Instagram and Twitter.
Based on guidance surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, general public attendance will not be permitted at the Briner Sports Complex this season.
Ball State Sports
Field Hockey Game Sunday Canceled
STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut field hockey team's game against No. 16 Saint Joseph's, scheduled for Sunday, March 21 has been canceled due to COVID-related issues within the Hawks' program.
The Huskies are back in action on Friday, March 26 when the team heads back to Hamden for another matchup against Quinnipiac. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
UConn Huskies
Equally amazing has its roots in history
While the hockey community strives to ensure that our sport is equally accessible to all, evidence suggests that hockey has been a sport that values equality throughout its history.
Back in 1846, UK magazine Punch published a cartoon that suggested that mixed hockey – a form of the sport where men and women play on the same team – was popular among a religious sect called Agapenome who were living in a community in Somerset, England.
From the 1880s, mixed hockey became popular among the wealthier households in the UK, with matches being arranged as part of a weekend of socialising at country estates. At the time, mixed hockey was discouraged by the hockey association.
At the start of the 20th century, mixed hockey’s popularity spread to the working classes communities up and down the UK. League and cup mixed hockey events were held across the country, with matches taking place on Wednesday afternoons, where there was traditionally a break from work, and Saturdays.
One of the hot beds of mixed hockey in England was the region known as the Midlands, with its industrial cities of Birmingham, Derby and Leicester. As the 20th century progressed, mixed hockey became increasingly popular in this area. The Leicestershire Mixed Hockey Association was formed in 1948, although there are pictures and match reports of mixed hockey fixtures between Leicestershire and other counties from the 1920s onwards. Leicestershire Mixed Hockey Association was the first mixed hockey association to be formed but it was joined by other English counties in the 50s and 60s. The sport was recognised officially in the 1970s, with the England Mixed Hockey Association being formed in 1977.
The first recognised international mixed hockey match took place between England and Wales in 1971.
Now mixed hockey is played across the world, with leagues, competitions and even an international tournament devoted to mixed hockey. While events have been necessarily halted during the pandemic, mixed hockey teams at all levels are eager for a return to action, with plenty of events planned for the future.
Generally, a mixed team will comprise five outfield male players, five outfield female players and a goalkeeper of either gender. The only real difference to non-mixed hockey is that, on penalty corner strike, the first shot must be taken by a female.
As we strive to ensure that our sport is equal in opportunity and access, it is worth recognising the work of early hockey pioneers who recognised hockey as a sport where both men and women could play hard, have fun and compete at the highest level.
FIH site