2021 Regional Challenge Announcement

Hockey NSW is excited to announce the return of the Regional Challenge in 2021, which for the first time ever will be heading to the great country town of Tamworth.

Acting as a conclusive event for the Centre of Development program and signalling the start of a new hockey season, the three-day long weekend carnival will be held from Friday 26th – Sunday 28th February at the Tamworth Regional Hockey Centre.

Staying true to its name, nearly 3000 visitors - including 1000 players, 2000 spectators, 100 volunteer coaches and 50 developing officials - from right across NSW will head to heartland of hockey in the New England region to take part in the largest event on Hockey NSW’s calendar.

The main priority for Hockey NSW will be to ensure that the event is run in a completely COVID-safe manner, based on the NSW Health guidelines and any Public Health Orders in place at the time of the event.

To ensure that venue limits and social distancing can be maintained, Hockey NSW will be implementing a new staggered draw system which will enable us to control the amount of people in the complex at a time. Click here to see an example of a provisional draw.  

In line with the current COVID Safety Plan at the venue, all participants and spectators will be required to check in upon entry for contract tracing purposes. Additional safety and hygiene procedures will also be in place for the duration of the event.

Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation, plans for the Regional Challenge may still change at short notice, however Hockey NSW will immediately inform participants should this occur. We hope that by the time of the event, current restrictions may have been eased slightly which will allow for more people to attend each session.

The Regional Challenge will be the first major event held at the complex since a $9.6 million upgrade was completed earlier this year. The upgrade included the installation of a third pitch, a new amenity block and the re-surfacing of the two existing pitches. The Regional Challenge will showcase the upgraded facility, which was jointly funded by the NSW State Government, Tamworth Regional Council and Tamworth Hockey Association.

Hockey NSW CEO David Thompson is looking forward to the opportunity to bring this great event to a new town in 2021.

“The Regional Challenge is a highlight on the Hockey NSW calendar and a very popular event for both junior athletes and their parents,” said Thompson.

“We’ve taken the Regional Challenge to many great locations previously, but I’m thrilled that we will be heading to Tamworth for the first-time next February. The event brings in more than $2 million to the local economy while we’re in town and I’m sure after a tough 2020, we will bring plenty of excitement and passion to Tamworth.”

“Thanks to the major investment from the NSW Government and local council, Tamworth now has a world-class hockey facility that can host major events such as these. I’m excited to see the complex safely packed full of junior athletes from across NSW in February.”

With the event growing in popularity every year, it would not run as smoothly as it does without the support of event partners. The Powerhouse Rydges Tamworth have come on board as the event’s Accommodation and Volunteer Officials Partner. As well as McDonalds, who continue their support as the Umpire Partner.

Large events like this are also not possible without the support of the hockey community, so we would like to sincerely thank Tamworth Hockey Association and their team of volunteers who will work tirelessly over the next few months to ensure the complex is ready to go for the event. Along with Hockey NSW staff, they will also be on hand during the entire event to make sure everything runs smoothly. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our hockey community and without them, events like the Regional Challenge would simply not happen.

Hockey NSW would also like to thank Tamworth Regional Council for their support of the Regional Challenge and hockey in the region. With over 1200 members, Tamworth is one of our largest and most passionate regional hockey centres. The continued support and investment in hockey from Tamworth Regional Council has allowed hundreds of athletes to go on and represent their State and Australia at the highest representative levels.