THE ROAD BACK TO HOCKEY ONE

THE ROAD BACK TO HOCKEY ONE

The road back to Hockey One has taken a major step forward, with Hockey Australia and Hockey One formally committing to work with Hockey NT on a roadmap towards the objective of returning the Territory Stingers to Australia’s premier domestic hockey competition.

Hockey NT has received formal written confirmation from the Boards of Hockey Australia and Hockey One of their commitment to work alongside Hockey NT on the pathway forward.

The commitment represents a major milestone in rebuilding the Territory’s pathway to the highest level of Australian hockey and another important step in the resurgence of the Territory Stingers.

The Territory Stingers last competed in the former Australian Hockey League in 2018, ending an era in which the Northern Territory had been represented in a tier-one national league competition.

Since then, Hockey NT has worked to restore the Stingers and rebuild the opportunities and pathways that connect Territory hockey with the highest levels of the game.

The Stingers have established themselves in the Malaysian Hockey League, giving Territory athletes sustained access to high-level competition and a stronger connection into the region. Through the Northern Gateway Initiative, partnerships across Indonesia, New Zealand and Western Australia are continuing to grow, creating new opportunities for competition, development, exchange and collaboration. Together, those partnerships are building the capacity, scale and reach of Territory hockey and creating broader opportunities both nationally and across the region.

But the pathway back to Australia’s premier domestic competition has remained unfinished.

The objective throughout has been to restore aspiration and opportunity for Territory hockey and create a sustainable pathway towards the highest levels of the game.

That work has now led to an important national commitment.

For the first time since the Stingers left the national competition, there is now a formal pathway being developed with Hockey Australia and Hockey One towards the objective of their return.

The Boards of Hockey Australia and Hockey One have acknowledged the Territory’s proud hockey history, its significant First Nations hockey legacy and the enduring contribution Territory athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and communities have made to Australian hockey.

That legacy is reflected at the highest level of the game. Territory hockey has produced an Olympian at every Summer Olympic Games from Atlanta 1996 through to Paris 2024, an extraordinary run spanning four decades.

They have also recognised the opportunity Northern Australia presents for the future growth of the sport and Hockey NT’s aspiration for the Territory Stingers to return to Australia’s premier domestic hockey competition.

Hockey One Executive Manager Sash Herceg said the Northern Territory had an important role to play in the future of Australian hockey.

“The Northern Territory has a proud and important place in Australian hockey, and the Northern Gateway vision presents a genuine opportunity to grow the game across Northern Australia. With the right investment in infrastructure, participation, pathways and community engagement, the Territory can become an even stronger contributor to the future of our sport.”

“The Territory Stingers have a proud history in elite national competition, and we recognise the significance of Hockey NT’s ambition to bring that presence back through Hockey One.”

The roadmap will sit within Hockey NT’s broader Northern Gateway vision, linking participation, pathways, partnerships and the long-term growth of Territory hockey. Central to that vision is ensuring the Territory has the infrastructure required to support a growing hockey community and attract and host national and international competition.

Hockey NT CEO Jason Butcher said the milestone represented an important shift in rebuilding the Territory’s pathway.

“Four years ago there was no obvious pathway back, so we started creating opportunities, building new partnerships and finding different ways to reconnect the Territory with high-level hockey.

“The Stingers rebuild has always been part of a broader ambition: to restore aspiration, create opportunity, strengthen our hockey community, build the relevance and sustainability of the game in the Territory, and reclaim a genuine pathway to the highest level of Australian hockey.

“Ultimately, this is about making sure the next generation of Territory players can see what is possible and have genuine opportunities to pursue it.

“We know there is still significant work ahead and that we have to earn our place, but we now have Hockey Australia and Hockey One formally working with us on the pathway forward.

“That is an important moment for the Stingers and for Territory hockey. We now have a clear direction forward, and our job is to keep creating the opportunities, capability and momentum to get there.”

Hockey NT also acknowledged the Northern Territory Government and the organisation’s commercial partners for their support throughout the rebuilding of the Stingers program, including the Territory’s participation in the Malaysian Hockey League.

The next phase is to keep building: our capability, our infrastructure, our partnerships and the pathway that can take Territory hockey back to the national stage.

Turning aspiration into opportunity.

The road back is now real.