West Wilts Hockey Club’s ladies section saddled up for a memorable weekend at a summer hockey festival in Swindon featuring 26 teams from across the region.
Held over two days during a scorching summer weekend, the tournament featured 14 ladies’ teams and 12 men’s teams, with players embracing this year’s rodeo theme. Alongside the hockey action, the weekend included fancy dress, line dancing and an opportunity for players to come together to watch England’s football match on Saturday evening.
West Wilts, based in Warminster, fielded two ladies’ teams – the Bandana Bandits and the Deadeye Deputies – with a total squad of 18 players ranging in age from 18 to over 50.
Each team played six matches on Saturday and three more on Sunday. Following a strong opening day, the Deadeye Deputies finished second in their group to qualify for Sunday’s elite Cup competition, while the Bandana Bandits secured fifth place and progressed into the Plate competition.
Over the course of the weekend, the two teams provided plenty of attacking entertainment. The Bandana Bandits scored an impressive 12 goals across their nine matches, while the Deadeye Deputies netted 10 times. The Deputies also faced the drama of two penalty shoot-outs after drawing their final two matches.
Sunday proved to be a successful conclusion for both teams. The Bandana Bandits produced an outstanding series of performances to claim the Plate trophy, while the Deadeye Deputies battled strongly against the tournament’s top sides to finish fifth in the Cup competition.
Bandana Bandits captain Carol Finn-Jones said, “It was a fantastic weekend from start to finish. The hockey was competitive, the atmosphere was brilliant and everyone really embraced the rodeo theme. Winning the Plate was the perfect way to end the weekend and it’s a testament to the effort, determination and team spirit shown by every player across the two days. The best part was seeing players of all ages coming together and enjoying such a great weekend of hockey.”
Deadeye Deputies captain Kyra Brake added: “We’re incredibly proud of how the team performed. To finish second in our group on Saturday and earn a place in the Cup competition was a great achievement, and finishing seventh overall against some very strong opposition was something we were delighted with. We scored some great goals, experienced the excitement of two penalty shoot-outs and, most importantly, had a fantastic weekend representing West Wilts Hockey Club.”
For more information about West Wilts Hockey Club, please visit www.westwiltshockeyclub.co.uk or our secretary
