Territory Stingers licence turned down by Hockey One
A major sporting body is exploring options abroad after their application to join Australia’s premier hockey competition as an expansion side was turned down. Read the reaction.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Territory Stingers’ bid to become a Hockey One League expansion club in 2025 has been turned down, despite strong backing.
The Darwin-based club has pushed heavily to join the premier competition after being part of the Australian Hockey League, which was dissolved in 2019.
However, due to a number of constraints including financial viability their bid has been turned down, with a second Melbourne-based team the likely expansion target.
The Stingers had support from the NT government and commercial partners with a bid that highlighted the region’s rich and diverse hockey history and heritage.
It has also produced some of Australia’s most well-known players including current stars Jeremy Hayward and Brooke Peris.
However, the significant government funding commitment, travel costs for other teams, league production costs in Darwin and the size of HNT’s player base were raised as concerns by the comp.
Hockey NT chief executive Jason Butcher said the Territory sporting body was profoundly disappointed by the outcome.
He also said it raised important considerations about the league’s capacity and vision for the sport’s penultimate competition in Australia.
“While we are obviously extremely disappointed, we also believe it presents a unique opportunity,” he said.
“The feedback suggests that the Hockey One League currently faces its own challenges, and this setback allows us to explore potentially more exciting options for our growth in the short term.
“Our bid was backed by significant government, corporate and community support, underscoring our region’s commitment to hockey and our ability to contribute meaningfully.
“Fundamentally, we are who we are and live where we live, these are both things we are extremely proud of and have served us and Australian Hockey well for decades.
“We are determined to find our own path and not be beholden to Hockey One’s views of Territory Hockey.”
Hockey NT confirmed it would continue to pursue its right to participate in Hockey Australia’s National Premier Hockey Competition
The body is already proactively seeking opportunities to ensure its athletes continue to play at higher levels, with some discussions already under way with international associations.
“We are determined to shape our own future,” Butcher said.
“With our current exclusion from this pathway, our immediate focus is on creating new opportunities for our community, we can’t control the wind, but we can adjust our sails.”
Hockey One said the expansion was something the league had been exploring since 2020, and though it had pushed back the NT’s license bid was not opposed to exploring them entering.
“At this point the NT’s Stingers team will not be moving to the next stage of the process due to a number of constraints that exist for both the League and the Stingers currently,” a spokesperson said.
“However, as Hockey One continues to build, we would be more than interested in exploring a team from the NT when it is more financially viable for the League to do so.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Territory Stingers licence turned down by Hockey One
‘Bitumen bleed’ causes chaos on Red Centre road
‘Bitumen bleed’ is being labelled as the reason why buses can’t travel on one of the Red Centre capital’s main roads – with the government silent on how much is being spent to fix it.
Sickening: Paramedic bashed in Alice Springs as assault numbers soar
New laws to protect frontline workers have been announced just hours after a paramedic was bashed as she arrived home from work. Read what’s planned.