One weekend, 179 indoor hockey games

Rotorua Crew hockey player Dominque Chandler in action during a previous Rotorua United Women's Indoor Hockey Tournament. Photo/File

This weekend Rotorua hosts an indoor hockey tournament which has proven popular for more than half a century.

The 52nd United Women's Indoor Hockey Tournament, which runs from tomorrowuntil Sunday at the Sportsdrome, will be as well-attended as ever with 73 teams set to compete.

The seven-a-side tournament started as a women's competition but has since been expanded to include a men's and mixed division.

Organiser Jennie Taylor said many teams from around New Zealand treated the tournament as an end-of-year function.

"Indoor hockey's not really played in New Zealand. We're about the only area that actually has an indoor tournament.

"We've gradually expanded throughout the years and this year we have a new men's B grade, it used to be just one grade. We have A and B for the mixed as well and in the women's we have A, B, C and D grades," Taylor said.

She said people kept coming back to the tournament because it was a fun, social occasion, although it was also competitive.

"I think they just love it. This would be the second highest attendance we've had. Even though it's a fun weekend, it's still very competitive and people want to win. There are clubs like Roskill Eden [of Auckland] who have been coming for about 30 years.

"It's faster, that's why the games are only 10 minutes long, and because we have 179 games to get through in one weekend."

Starting at 1pm tomorrow,teams will play a two-day round robin before the top sides play finals on Sunday.

"We're going to tire them out this year, they asked for more games. Some teams will play six games - seven if they make the final. It's amazing how tired you get after 10 minutes," Taylor said.