Hockey One
The Sultana Bran Hockey One is a field hockey competition organised by Hockey Australia, which replaced the Australian Hockey League.[1][2][3][4]
 | |
| Formerly | Australian Hockey League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Field hockey |
| Founded | 2019 |
| No. of teams | 7 |
| Country | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
| Continent | Oceania (OHF) |
| Most recent champion(s) |  NSW Pride (M) NSW Pride (W) |
| Most titles | NSW Pride (3 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | 7plus |
| Official website | hockeyone.com.au |
The competition serves as Australia's premier domestic hockey league, helping unearth future talent for selection to the Australian national teams; the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos.[5]
NSW Pride are currently the most successful team with three out of four titles, with both the men's and women's sides winning the 2022 titles.
History
The Sultana Bran Hockey One was founded on 17 April 2019. The tournament was formed following an overhaul of the Australian Hockey League, and replaced the tournament to serve as Australia's premier hockey competition.[5]
Following a series of rule innovations during the 2018 men's and women's AHL tournaments, Hockey Australia made the decision to disband the premier competition, making way for the new domestic league.[6]
On 23 September 2019, Hockey Australia confirmed that the new league had secured a major partnership with Kellogg's, with naming rights also afforded to the company, forming the Sultana Bran Hockey One.[7] The following day it was confirmed that Westfund Health Insurance had been named as a supporting partner.[8]
COVID-19 pandemic
Following a successful first season of the Sultana Bran Hockey One in 2019, the second edition was anticipated for commencement in late 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league's second season was postponed until 2021.[9] The decision was made by the Hockey One board on 24 March 2020 following consultations with Hockey Australia and the seven member associations in the league, all of which being unable to financially support the program later in the year.[10]
The postponement was not only made to benefit associations financially, but also on account of restrictions put into place by the Government of Australia, which prohibited mass-gatherings and sporting events.[11] The league went on to postpone the second season to October 2022, owing to divergent state border restrictions in place across the country in late 2021.[12]
Format
Seven teams will compete in a round-robin tournament with home and away matches, played from late September to mid November, with the top four teams advancing to the finals round at a pre-determined location.[13]
Teams
The seven teams to compete in the Sultana Bran Hockey One come from Australia's states and territories, with the Northern Territory being the only team absent.[14]
Men's tournament
Summaries
| Year | Hosts | Gold Medal Match | Third and Fourth | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | 3rd place | Score | 4th place | ||||
| 2019 | Melbourne, Victoria | NSW Pride |
8–3 |  Brisbane Blaze |
 Tassie Tigers |
Round-robin | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} HC Melbourne | ||
| 2022 | Bendigo, Victoria | NSW Pride |
2–0 |  Perth Thundersticks |
Brisbane Blaze |
6–2 |  Canberra Chill | ||
| 2023 | TBD | ||||||||
Statistics
| Men's Statistics | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player of the League | Highest Goalscorer(s) | Player of the Final | |||||
| 2019 | Eddie Ockenden (Tigers) | Blake Govers (Pride) | Flynn Ogilvie (Pride) | |||||
| 2022 | Andrew Charter (Chill) | Joel Rintala (Blaze) | Ky Willott (Pride) | |||||
Team Appearances
| Team | 2019 | 2022 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra Chill |
5th | 4th | 2 |
| NSW Pride |
1st | 1st | 2 |
| Brisbane Blaze |
2nd | 3rd | 2 |
 Adelaide Fire |
7th | 7th | 2 |
| Tassie Tigers |
3rd | 5th | 2 |
| HC Melbourne |
4th | 6th | 2 |
| Perth Thundersticks |
6th | 2nd | 2 |
| Total | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Women's tournament
Summaries
| Year | Final Host | Gold Medal Match | Third and Fourth | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | 3rd place | Score | 4th place | ||||
| 2019 | Melbourne | Brisbane Blaze |
1–1 (3–2 pen.) |
HC Melbourne |
Adelaide Fire |
Round-robin | Canberra Chill | ||
| 2022 | Bendigo | NSW Pride |
2–2 (3–1 pen.) |
Brisbane Blaze |
Perth Thundersticks |
3–0 | HC Melbourne | ||
| 2023 | Canberra | ||||||||
Statistics
| Women's Statistics | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player of the League | Highest Goalscorer(s) | Player of the Final | |||||
| 2019 | Shihori Oikawa (Chill) | 4 Players (see list) | Ambrosia Malone (Blaze) | |||||
| 2022 | Amy Lawton (Melbourne) | Grace Stewart (Pride) | Mariah Williams (Pride) | |||||
Team Appearances
| Team | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra Chill |
4th | 5th | Q | 3 |
| NSW Pride |
6th | 1st | Q | 3 |
| Brisbane Blaze |
1st | 2nd | Q | 3 |
| Adelaide Fire |
3rd | 6th | Q | 3 |
| Tassie Tigers |
7th | 7th | Q | 3 |
| HC Melbourne |
2nd | 4th | Q | 3 |
| Perth Thundersticks |
5th | 3rd | Q | 3 |
| Total | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Media coverage
To promote the sport and engage fans, every match of the 2022 Hockey One League will be broadcast live across Australia. All matches will be broadcast live on Kayo Sports and in addition, all Thursday night double headers will be lives streamed on FOX Sports.[15] Both Kayo and FOX Sports will broadcast the finals series, held over a weekend in Bendigo on the 19th and 20th of November, 2022.[16]
See also
References
- "Hockey One - REAL HOCKEY. REIMAGINED". hockeyone.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- Helmers, Caden (17 April 2019). "Chill factor: Hockey league revamped". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- "Heraldsun.com.au | Subscribe to the Herald Sun for exclusive stories". www.heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- "Couriermail.com.au | Subscribe to The Courier Mail for exclusive stories". www.couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- "A New Era Begins - Hockey One Is Here!". Hockey Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- "'Fully revised' Australian Hockey League delayed until 2019". The Melville Times. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- "Sultana Bran announced as naming rights partner for Hockey One League". Hockey Australia. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- "WESTFUND HEALTH INSURANCE JOINS NEW HOCKEY ONE LEAGUE AS SUPPORTING PARTNER". Ministry of Sport. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- "Hockey One campaigns for South Coast stick duo postponed until 2021". southcoastregister.com.au. South Coast Register. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- "Sultana Bran Hockey One 2020 Season postponed". hockeyone.com.au. Hockey One. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- "Limits on public gatherings for coronavirus (COVID-19)". health.gov.a. Government of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- "Sultana Bran Hockey One League Season 2 update". 20 October 2021.
- "Hockey One - Whats the Format?". hockeyone.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- "NEW LEAGUE AND TV DEAL FOR HOCKEY". thewomensgame.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- "2022 Season starts Thursday with blockbuster | Hockey One". hockeyone.com.au. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- "Bendigo to host Sultana Bran Hockey One League 2022 Finals Series | Hockey One". hockeyone.com.au. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.