Underwater Hockey - an introductory overview
The art of getting the puck past the other team and into the goal whilst holding one’s breath
Underwater Hockey is a simple game made up of teams of 6 players (with up to 4 substitutes). The aim is to get the puck into the goal at the other end of the court using a stick, mask, snorkel, and fins played at the bottom of a pool.
Underwater Hockey was invented in the 1950s in the UK as a way for North Sea divers to keep fit over the northern winter. It has come a long way since its inception. Underwater Hockey is now played equally across the world by men and women of all ages using the latest equipment – plastic sticks and carbon fibre fins.
Four referees referee games – three are in the water watching the game played beneath the surface, and the fourth is on the side of the pool controlling the game. A buzzer heard both under and on top of the water starts and stops a game.
Underwater Hockey in New Zealand
Underwater Hockey consists of clubs and schools across the country, from Warkworth in the North to Invercargill in the South. These clubs play weekly at the local pools and cater to all ages and playing abilities, from learners to elite players. For details of your local Underwater Hockey club and more information about where and when they play, see our website at UWHNZ - Club Details.
One of the highlights for clubs is the inter-club tournaments held every year as the clubs compete against each other in their respective grades for the winners’ bragging rights. These tournaments also have a social aspect where the players get together to rekindle friend- ships from across the country and swap their playing stories.
For the serious players, we have our Inter-zone tournaments for our elite players (held in March / April) and our Under 18 tournament (held in October).
Our school’s programme in New Zealand is the envy of all other countries worldwide. It provides a great introduction to the sport and opportunities for school players to compete at dedicated school tournaments, including our Schools Nationals, the world’s largest annual underwater hockey tournament, where 40 school teams compete for the honour of the top school in their respective grades.
In Wellington and Auckland, there are dedicated school leagues that play during the school winter terms.
New Zealand Underwater Hockey on the World Stage
The sport is contested internationally in Men’s and Women’s grades across four divisions Elite, Masters, Under 24s and Under 19s, with world championships in the Elite and Masters held every four years (qualifying tournaments two years prior) and every two years for the Under 24 and Under 19 grades. In the interim, there are lots of international games played worldwide.
New Zealand will defend our Elite titles in July 2023 in the Gold Coast, Australia and our Age Group titles in Turkey in July 2024.
Come and give it a go!
New Zealand is the top country on the international stage. We are World champions in the following divisions:
- Men’s Elite
- Women’s Elite
- Under 24 Women’s
Club Tournaments
- South Island Champs – Christchurch - May
- North Island Champs – Tauranga - June
- Club Nationals – Tauranga - October
Want to know more?
As the sport continues to develop, we are now live-streaming games for the major tournaments both here and worldwide.
The New Zealand games are viewable at UWHNZ - YouTube.
More Information on Underwater Hockey in New Zealand – www.underwaterhockeynz.com
Where to get gear - [url=https://www. hydrouwh.com]www. hydrouwh.com[/url]
Underwater Hockey is one of those sports where you get hooked and fall in love when you start playing. There is great camaraderie amongst the players, and it is a wonderful way to keep fit for all water sports.