By Rory McKee
SOME of the best talent in women’s inline hockey will come together for a showcase tournament in Bangor this weekend.
Hosted at the Eddie Irvine Complex, home of the Bangor Chiefs, the Emerald Cup will run across two days on Saturday and Sunday, February 21-22, with more than 70 players from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and the Czech Republic expected to take to the rink in what organisers say is a major celebration of the women’s game.
Now in its second year, the tournament has grown significantly and reflects the rising profile and participation levels in female inline hockey. It will feature both senior and junior competitions, providing a platform for established internationals, emerging junior prospects and local athletes to compete at a high standard in front of home support.
Amie McCabe, Director of Female Operations at Inline Hockey Ireland, said the expansion of the competition is a positive sign for the sport. “We are really excited. This will be our second year and the tournament has doubled in size,” she said. “I’m very proud and thankful to everyone who has helped put it all together to support our girls in sport. If it’s half as fun as last year, we are in for a real treat.”
Senior teams competing this year include the Unicorns, Czech side Slezan Opava, Team GB, the Flying Ducks, the Sirens, Drama Llamas and Team Ireland’s U19s. In the junior section, the Flying Ducks will be joined by Kilkenny Storm, the Bangor Chiefs and Team GB.
Play gets underway at 8.30am on Saturday with a full schedule of round-robin fixtures across both senior and junior divisions, culminating in decisive placement matches before the finals day on Sunday. Finals day will feature the Junior 4th/3rd place match, the Junior Gold Medal match, the Senior 3rd place play-off and the Senior Gold Medal Final, before the weekend concludes with an awards ceremony at 5.15pm.
Admission is free, and spectators are welcome throughout the weekend as Bangor once again plays host to a growing celebration of female sporting talent.
For more details about the Emerald Cup, visit @inlinehockeyireland on Facebook.
