Cambridge City Council Sports Development Team are launching

Rush Hockey in Cambridge!

Everybody enjoys the thrill and social buzz of playing a team sport,

but modern life is such that very few of us can commit the time to join

a club. Now, Cambridge City Council are providing a speedy and exhilarating solution.

The new game of Rush Hockey is being launched in Cambridge by the Sports

Development Team in partnership with England Hockey.

The new hockey format is a fast-paced version of the game, played without goalkeepers and with

just four or five players per side. The ball is bigger and lighter, the rules are simpler and playing times are shorter – meaning that groups of varying ability can come together and enjoy all the fun of a competitive game that fits more easily into modern adult life.

“Players will experience the thrill of competitive play, team

camaraderie and physical activity whenever and wherever they want,” said

England Hockey Board Development Director, Holly Woodford.

The first session is on Thursday 17th May 2012, 8.15pm, at Cambridge

Regional College. The inaugural Rush Hockey League will follow an

initial 13 weeks of “Come & Play” sessions.

The “Come & Play” sessions are open to all, male or female, experienced or not, just turn up and play and we take care of the rest – including providing a stick if you need one!

To book your place or to find out about playing, call the Sports

Development Team on 01223 457000 or email sport@cambridge.gov.uk

For more information on Rush Hockey visit www.rushhockey.co.uk

Just to confirm I have spaces still on both courses and at the moment there are not sufficient candidates for the courses to run.

Active Norfolk are offering funding for both courses to candidates aged 16+ (although you need to be 18 to do the Level 2 course) and not in full time education are eligible for the funding regardless of where they live.   Contact ian.grange@activenorfolk.org if you are interested or telephone  01603 731568, Mobile 07785724967

Please send application forms onto anyone who may be interested.

Applications forms:

L1 Coaching Assistant Award Application Form Harleston Magpies

L2 Coach Award Information and Application Form 2012 – Harleston

The Cambridge Town and Gown 10k Run happens this Sunday 29 April and we are looking for Marshals, water station helpers, and people handing out goody bags at the end of the race.

If your club has a team who would like to get involved we can pay each individual £20 for a mornings work or make a donation to your club.

We will require you to be there from 8am – 12pm on Midsummer Common.

Please get in touch if you are interested.

Rachelle Cornel

Senior Special Events Coordinator

Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, 61 Southwark Street, London SE1 OHL

t: 020 7803 2856  m: 07808 400 969     e: r.cornel@muscular-dystrophy.org

Join us at www.facebook.com/musculardystrophycampaign or www.twitter.com/targetmd

U14 girls League results:

v Bishops Stortford – Lost 0 – 7

v Southgate – Lost 0 – 2

v Hertford – Lost 0 – 1

v Colchester – Won 2-1

v Saffron Walden – drew 0 – 0

As the first year of  11-aside competition for most of you this was a tough introduction against some strong clubs and the result against Saffron Walden was all the more pleasing as they finished runners-up in the Midlands Regional Cluster 1 Finals.

!7 players progressed to JAC level (county teams) and we wish them luck in their last matches this Sunday.

9 players have played in at least one Senior League match this year either for our 3^rd or 4^th XI which shows the club’s commitment to progress Juniors into the Senior teams when they are ready and able.

Junior Development Centres 2012

Details of how to apply for JDC assessment are in the process of being finalised as registration will be through an online system.  Clubs and schools will be asked to nominate players who they feel have reached an appropriate standard and are showing potential to progress to a higher level.  As a club we will tell you if we have nominated you and it would be helpful to know if your school has also nominated you so we can add this to our nomination form.  The information has not yet gone out so please do not pester your teachers yet.

Forthcoming Events

THE BIG DRIBBLE -Monday 30 April –  Parker’s Piece, Cambridge 4.45 – 6.15 pm. Exciting EHB initiative to get everyone involved in the longest dribble of a large hockey ball throughout various venues in England.  See the EHB website for more details: www.thebigdribble.com

OLYMPIC TEST EVENT- 2 – 6 May – Tickets sold out very early but you can watch via red button on BBC Sport.  Match programme attached.

INVESTEC LONDON CUP – 5 – 10 June – Tickets still available.

OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY – 7 July – Parker’s Piece. Cambridge

GET BACK INTO SESSIONS – starting in Cambridge soon.  Having watched your children play have any Ladies wished they could play again but never had the courage to start?  Come and try these sessions. E-mail me for more information.

Cambridge City U10 Girls Unbeaten at Regionals

The East Region U10 In2Hockey Finals took place at Harleston Magpies Hockey Club last Saturday which saw Cambridge City, who had qualified by winning the County Finals, go unbeaten and finish 3^rd, a fantastic achievement.

The qualifying teams were divided into two groups with Cambridge playing against Pelicans (Norfolk), Old Loughtonians (Essex), Tunbridge Wells (Kent), Sudbury (Suffolk) and Bishop’s Stortford (Hertfordshire).

Although Cambridge had the most of the possession and chances in their first match against Sudbury with Tilly Borrett and Helena Russell dominating the midfield, Cambridge just couldn’t score and the match ended 0-0. Cambridge played some wonderful hockey in the second match against Tunbridge with Olivia Clegg, Katie Curtis and Eve Meakin combining wonderfully well in attack and all were involved in the winning goal, scored by Katie, to set up a 1-0 victory.

Against Pelicans Cambridge again had much of the possession but two great saves by Rebecca Wager made sure of another 0-0 score line.  In perhaps their best performance of the day their next game saw them beat a strong Bishop’s Stortford team 1-0 with Sophie Smart and Lucy Ewbank playing superbly at the back, not only defensively but in setting up attacks.

The final game against Old Loughtonians was another great match with both teams having chances. Maddie Marriott and Sofia Traversone were instrumental in both defence and attack as both teams pressed for the all-important goal. Unfortunately Cambridge couldn’t break through so it ended up 0-0 again meaning Old Loughtonians topped the group on goal difference alone (just one goal!) and went through to the final. Cambridge had to settle for third place overall; still a magnificent achievement.

Canterbury topped the other group and went on to win the final with the East Region Hockey representative saying ‘Whilst Canterbury were worthy winners, Cambridge City played some of the best hockey in the tournament and were extremely unlucky not to make the final. Canterbury vs Cambridge would have been a great match’. Maybe next year…!

Photo attached: CCHC U10 Girls_Regionals 2012.jpg

People in photo: Back row (standing) from left to right:

Phil Clegg (coach), Lucy Ewbank, Maddie Marriott, Olivia Clegg, Eve Meakin, Rebecca Wager

Front row (seated) from left to right:

Sophie Smart, Helena Russell, Tilly Borrett, Sofia Traversone, Katie Curtis

Cambridge City U12 Girls Reach National Finals after Penalty Stroke Drama

Cambridge City have reached the National Finals of the U12 Girls Hockey Tournament for the first time after reaching the final of East Region Tournament. It is the first time a junior team from Cambridge City has reached the Nationals and it puts them in the top ten club teams in the country at their age level. They will play off for the National Title in Cannock on May 12^th.

The teams qualified for the East Round of the National Championships by reaching the final of the County Tournament. City, the County Champions, were placed in a tough group with Sudbury, Canterbury, Norwich City, Blueharts and Chelmsford, with the winners and runners up from the group qualifying for the semi-finals.

Cambridge got off to a flying start with a 5-1 victory over a young Chelmsford side with Adelaide Omitowoju starring up front with four very well taken goals. The fifth goal was scored by Georgia Martin after a wonderful flowing move down the right wing.

The next match against Norwich City was an entirely different affair. Norwich had been unbeaten all season before this match and started strongly. In a closely fought contest both sides had chances. With Norwich finding it difficult to get past Zoe Clark and Maddie Lea in defence, City’s midfield started to dominate. With good running from Georgia Levin on the left and Jenny Hill’s ability to beat a player on the right, the winning goal came from Georgia Martin surging through the centre of midfield. City running winners 1-0 in an excellent game of hockey that was an indication of the standard of opponents yet to come.

In their third game City came up against a strong Blueharts side. The efforts of the previous two games seemed to start to have an effect as, despite having the best of the possession with Laura Hill and Alex Gill playing strongly in midfield, City could not get the goal they needed. Blueharts also played some strong hockey and forced Sam Matthews into some fine saves but the pressure told and a fine move resulted in what was to be the Blueharts winner.

The girls then had to pick themselves up and play the pre-tournament favourites: Canterbury. Maybe because of their tired legs City started to make the ball do a lot more work which led to some excellent moves from one end of the pitch to the other with Maddie Lea and Jenny Hill working well together on the right and Annabel Quantrill doing brilliantly against a strong Canterbury right half. City’s character showed when, despite going a goal down, they carried on playing the better hockey and got a deserved equaliser through Adelaide Omitowoju. The 1-1 draw meant four teams could still qualify from the group with only one game to go, effectively making the match against Sudbury a quarter final.

After a decent break the girls came back and rose to the challenge wonderfully. They played some of the best hockey of the tournament and ran out comfortable 2-0 winners with Annabel Quantrill on the score sheet alongside the prolific Omitowoju. This victory not only saw Cambridge qualify for the semi-finals but also meant they topped their group.

Cambridge were drawn against a strong Ipswich side in the semi-final with both sides knowing victory would not only give them a place in the final but take them through to the National Finals in Cannock in May. In a tense start both teams found chances were hard to come by. Eventually Cambridge started to get the upper hand and got a couple of opportunities through short corners but Ipswich came back with chances of their own and City needed strong defence and goalkeeping to keep the scores level. The drama continued to the final whistle with chances at both ends but, with nether side being able to score, the final score was 0-0 meaning the drama of a penalty stroke shootout for a place in the Nationals!

In a best-of-three shootout, Cambridge stepped up to take the first stroke. Goalscorer extrordinaire Omitowoju stepped up confidently but was denied by a fine save from the Ipswich keeper. With Ipswich scoring their first stroke, Cambridge had a very large mountain to climb. Georgia Martin, magnificent in midfield all day, stepped up next and placed her flick into the corner superbly keeping Cambridge’s hopes alive. Ipswich’s next stroke was firmly struck but a superb save from Sam Matthews meant all was level and it was now effectively sudden death. Zoe Clark bravely stepped up to take Cambridge’s next flick and nonchalantly dispatched the ball to the corner of the goal to the Cambridge fans’ delight. The final Ipswich player stepped up and took a fine flick but, Matthews was not to be denied and made another superb save; cometh the hour, cometh the Sam! Penalties is not a good way to exit any competition (just ask any England footballer) so you have to feel for Ipswich but the Cambridge girls’ joy on realising they had reached the Nationals for the first time was fully fantastic to see.

The final was a strange affair with City playing Blueharts again. Both sides were unsurprisingly tired after their semi-final victories and just happy to be in the final. As might be expected there were chances at both ends but the exit of Omitowoju with a nasty thumb injury played in Bluehart’s favour and they ran out 1-0 winners. The final was played in an excellent spirit and, unusually after a final, both teams came off the pitch elated as both had qualified for the Nationals. Blueharts were worthy Tournament winners but the focus now moves to the National  Finals on May 12^th where the best ten U12 girls teams in the country, a line-up that includes Cambridge City for the first time, will battle it out to become National Champions.

Photo attached: CCHC U12s National qualifiers

Back row – standing (left to right):

Richard Hill, Laura Hill, Georgia Levin, Maddie Lea, Alex Gill, Zoe Clark, Phil Clegg

Front row – kneeling (left to right):

Jenny Hill, Georgia Martin, Sam Matthews, Annabel Quantrill, Adelaide Omitowoju

Cambridge City’s U14 boys completed the season in awesome style with a resounding win at the East finals held at Nowton Park Bury St Edmunds on Sunday.  Unbeaten since the team was formed in September 2010 City began with a local derby against Bury St Edmunds, they scored in the first five minutes, a goal which set the pace of the game which City dominated throughout, they should have been 4 up at half time but went in at 1 -0.  After the break Bury hit back but City responded quickly with another Gilmour goal and finally got into their stride finishing comfortable winners at 4 – 2.  Goals coming from Gilmour 3 and Field 1.

Old Loughtonians were next and having warmed up  City were impressive with play moving quickly around the pitch resulting in 2 goals from open play and 4 short corners which were skilfully converted to allow City to finish comprehensively 6 -1 winners.  Goals from Gilmour 4, Field 1 and Fairey 1.

Our final match of the day was against Horsham.  Gilmour started and attacked dribbling through a surprised Horsham to score without anyone else touching the ball this set the tone for the match and the strength and discipline of the team shone through as in their stride the boys sailed to a very impressive 11-0 with Gilmour, Field and Mitcham  on the scorecard.

Lead Coach Nick Thompson, former GB International said “This is only the second year we have had an U14 team and I am delighted for the boys and the Club that we have won the finals two years in succession.  Many of our players are competing in this competition for a second year and some will be eligible to compete again at U14 next year.  My congratulations go out to the team, a great performance and a superb end to our season.”

Team Back Row :Hugh Bishop Freddie Perkins Will King Ben Brown Euan Gilmour Edward Fairey Anthony Kattuman

Front Row: Will Harris Thomas Goldberg George Pitfield Charlie Field( Capt) Jonathan Lankfer Matthew Mitcham Ben Sale

Match 1 :      Bury St Edmunds v Cambridge City         10.30

Match 2 :      Horsham v Old Loughtonians                    11.20

Match 3 :      Cambridge City v Old Loughtonians         12.30

Match 4 :      Bury St Edmunds v Horsham                     13.20

Match 5 :      Cambridge City v Horsham                         14.30

Match 6 :      Bury St Edmunds v Old Loughtonians     15.20

The venue is Nowton Park, Nowton Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 2BT.

Look forward to seeing you there.