A new network of community Hockey Leagues is announced, with the simple aim: let’s bring the sport to a new audience and let’s get everyone fit!

The leagues (so far slated to be in three places, Evesham, Sheffield and Warwick, with many more to follow)  will be playing to a brand new set of rules, with five players and no goalkeeper and as organiser Martine Verweij explained, the idea was to involve the whole community: “The 18 months of inactivity has taken a toll on everyone,” she said. “What we want to do is make the sport of hockey as accessible as we can to everyone.”

To help with this, the leagues will have equipment available to make sure even the most enthusiastic of amateurs can enjoy the match thanks to their “don’t have a stick? We’ll give you one” pledge.

Martine – a skilled hockey player herself with experience of playing in countries throughout Europe – explained the ethos for this was bound up in the company’s DNA: “Our entire thought process is to open sport up to everyone, whether you’ve played before or whether you just want to try our message is simple: let’s get fit together.”

The winners and runners up will be entered into a prize draw, with a break away for the team the top prize.

Hockey Leagues is a new company backed by the world’s largest provider of community sport, Leisure Leagues, a not for profit organisation which has received accolades from the UN, top politicians, and major sporting figures like Ronaldinho and Usain Bolt or their work with communities across the globe.

Martine added that the community aspect of what they did was integral, commenting: “Many people get left behind in sport, we give them a home, but of course, there is a multi-divisional format to ensure that even a top team playing for training purposes – or even as a bonding exercise – can get a competitive game.

Discipline in the league is ensured, too, as top referee , Mark Clattenburg is a Leisure Leagues ambassador.

Umpires are asked to register here if they want the chance to take charge and really make a difference.

To join the hockey revolution, click here: https://www.hockeyleagues.co.uk/