Continued Uniform Rebrand

As part of Southern River Hockey Club’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the club is continuing the rollout of our brand new uniform range. So far, the transition has gone really well, but we ask all members to continue working with us throughout the process as managing a full club-wide uniform change can be challenging.

Please continue coordinating with Nat and Marli regarding your new uniforms, and where possible, please collect your items on Thursdays once you have been notified they are available. With the launch of the new range, many items are currently selling before they even arrive. Due to supplier minimum order quantities, we base orders on purchases made through the online club store. Because of this, we encourage all members to avoid waiting for the club to hold spare stock and instead place orders directly through the store so we can process and deliver items as quickly as possible.

Sportsway & LiveHockey Camera Launch

The new Sportway AI camera system is now officially installed and operational at Toro Engineering Stadium, with its first successful weekend of use already completed. Members can now watch all games played at Toro Stadium, as well as matches hosted at other Sportway venues including:

• PHS 1
• PHS 2
• Hale
• Melville
• Aquinas
• Whitfords

All matches can be viewed through LiveHockey for a subscription fee of $11 per month or $88 annually.

The new system also brings significant benefits to the club beyond livestreaming. Southern River HC will now have access to advanced analytics subscriptions through Sportway, allowing our Women’s and Men’s 1s and 2s programs to utilise:

• Match tracking
• Game analytics
• Video review for training purposes
• Live game viewing for coaches during matches

This will be a major step forward in helping improve player development and coaching resources across the club.

Events & Club Culture

As part of our 20th anniversary year, Rachel has been working extremely hard behind the scenes to organise a fantastic lineup of events for members throughout the season. One of the biggest announcements is that this year’s Wind Up venue has already been secured and will be held away from the clubrooms, helping make the celebration even more special.

Successful Start to the Year

The year has already seen several successful events that have helped create a fantastic atmosphere around the club.

Myalup Pre-Season Camp

The annual Myalup pre-season camp celebrated its 20th anniversary alongside the club this year, with the event officially selling out. The two-night camp down in Myalup was filled with fitness sessions, games, and plenty of club bonding, helping set the tone for the season ahead. A huge thank you goes to Janson for organising the camp, Rob and Tenasse for running the cocktail bar, and all members who helped transport equipment and contribute throughout the weekend.

Umpiring Workshop

The club also held its first umpiring workshop in partnership with Hockey WA. The morning saw a strong group of club umpires attend the clubrooms and actively engage throughout the workshop sessions.

The workshop covered:

• All aspects of umpiring
• Accreditation pathways
• Hockey WA rule interpretations
• Match management and decision making

Importantly, the session helped provide clarity around current rule interpretations, allowing our umpires to officiate with more confidence throughout the season. The workshop was a major success and is something the club plans to continue running in the future.

Flip Flop Cup

The Flip Flop Cup proved to be a great success, especially considering it was initially designed as a proof of concept to explore ways of improving the traditional summer competition format.

The feedback and atmosphere were extremely positive, and it is something the club plans to continue developing into the future.

Clubhouse Cup

The Clubhouse Cup was another standout event, delivering a fantastic night of team and club bonding.

The event featured:

• 16 teams
• 32 players
• A strong crowd of spectators

Overall, it was a brilliant night that showcased the culture and community spirit within the club.

Sundowner Success

Our first sundowner event of the season was also a success despite fixture scheduling changes that moved games to Sunday.

Thank you to everyone who attended, stayed around the clubrooms, and enjoyed the live music and atmosphere.

Upcoming Events

Rachel is currently hard at work finalising several major upcoming events including:

• Sponsor Day
• Quiz Night

Sponsor Day – 16th May

With Sponsor Day planned for the 16th of May, we would love to see as many members as possible attend and remain at the club after their games as a strong show of support for the businesses supporting Southern River HC.

Riley and Aidan have worked incredibly hard to secure 15 sponsors for the club this year, which has already provided massive benefits across multiple areas of the club. We encourage all members to show that support back to our sponsors and help make the day a success for everyone involved.

Imports

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped, or offered to help, with our Men’s 1s imports this season.

A special thank you goes to the Metros Div 4 players for openly discussing ways they could assist and support the program. We would also like to give a massive thank you to Pennie Stewart and Cindy Heath for housing the imports until a permanent place was found, as well as Steph Kelly for generously providing them with a car to help them get around.

This year is a massive one for the Men’s 1s program, and all of the support shown by members and volunteers has been greatly appreciated.

Bar & Kitchen Helpers

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has been helping in the kitchen and behind the bar throughout the season. Your support never goes unnoticed and is a massive part of keeping the club running smoothly each weekend.

A big thank you also goes to the teams that are actively completing their allocated kitchen duties and helping contribute to the overall club environment.

The club is still currently seeking additional help with both the bar and the new coffee machine. We are looking for members who are keen and willing to obtain their RSA and Approved Manager qualifications, with the club willing to cover the cost of these courses for the right volunteers.

The club is also seeking volunteers interested in helping operate the new coffee machine, with training available for anyone willing to learn.

Thank You

Thank you to all players, volunteers, coaches, sponsors, committee members, and supporters for helping make the club’s 20th anniversary season such a positive and exciting year so far.

Go Southern River HC!