Wanganui City College will play a major role in this season's junior hockey competition: providing the extra pitches when Gonville Domain is unavailable.
In recent seasons, junior matches unable to be played at Gonville were sent to the Wanganui Collegiate School fields.
However, Hockey Wanganui operations manager Kylie Penn said the astroturf courts at City College on the corner of Wilson and Ingestre St could accommodate five games on junior-size pitches at a time.
"We cater for 20 teams at Gonville Domain every Wednesday afternoon starting at 3.30pm and another 22 at City College satellite fields starting at 3.40pm," Penn said yesterday.
"We also host the Active Post Small Sticks competition through a three-year contract we have signed with Wanganui primary schools. City College is a great venue to showcase the sport with the fields so visible from the road.
"Hockey is a steadily growing sport, probably in part on the back of success by the Black Sticks' national men and women's teams."
City College principal Peter Kaua said the school was more than happy to act as the satellite venue for junior Wanganui hockey.
"We are more than happy to help out - it's all about the community for us. We can divide the court up into five junior-size pitches and with staggered game times that takes pressure off the main ground at Gonville."