Titles retained and claimed as National Competitions come to a thrilling conclusion in Swansea

The weekend of Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May provided a wealth of fantastic hockey as Swansea Bay Sports Park played host to the Hoci Cymru National Finals. 

It was a weekend laden with brilliant moments and battles as national titles were retained and claimed by fresh hands.  

One such title was the Women’s Championship. Penarth Ladies suffered heartache last year, losing the final 2-1 to Cardiff & Met, but overturned the disappointment to get their hands on the crown this time out with a resounding 4-0 win over Howardian.  

The victory secured the team’s undefeated status throughout the whole season, having not even dropped a single point on the way to the league title as well as the Women’s Championship.  

On the Men’s / Open side, the Championship returned to Cardiff & Met who, having finished in the top eight of the league for the first time and secured a European win over Easter, continued thier momentum into the National Finals by securing the title with a 12-0 victory over Whitchurch.  

The Championship winners on both sides will now look forward to representing Wales in Europe next season! 

The Women’s Trophy also saw a new victor, as Bangor City put last year’s 4-3 final defeat to Eirias to bed with a brilliant showing to win 8-1 against Pwllheli. 

There were two new finalists in the Women’s Challenge final this year, as Ruthin and Dysynni 2 came head to head; Ruthin would claim the title with a 5-1 win.  

Cardiff & Met were represented across all the Men’s / Open finals, with the club’s fourth team facing Gwent in the Trophy final. Cardiff & Met 3 lifted the Trophy last year, but the club couldn’t retain the crown as Gwent came out on top in a 5-3 cracker.  

In last year’s Men’s / Open Challenge, Dysynni suffered a gut-wrenching 3-2 defeat to Aber Uni, but came back stronger this time around to get their hands on the title, beating Cardiff & Met 6 3-0.  

In the youth finals, there was plenty of drama at a sun-soaked Swansea Bay Sports Park for a captivated crowd to enjoy.  

The Boys / Open U18 saw a repeat of last year’s final and, while it was a less open game than Swansea’s 5-4 win over Eirias, the result stayed the same as Swansea prevailed with a 3-1 victory.  

The same teams were involved in last year’s U18 Girls final, but this year the competition was guaranteed a fresh champion with two new finalists. Cardiff & Met would go onto claim the U18 Girls title, with a strong 4-0 win over fellow Cardiff outfit Whitchurch. 

The two teams would also meet in the U16 Girls final, in a game that had backsides consistently out of seats throughout. An enthralling match-up ended all square at 3-3 as Whitchurch and Cardiff & Met couldn’t be separated. In the end, the spoils went to Cardiff & Met courtesy of a dramatic 6-5 penalty shootout win.  

On the U16 Boys / Open side, Whitchurch did manage to get their hands on silverware, overcoming the challenge of Northop Hall with a 4-1 win. The result means the club retains the title for another year. 

In the U14 Boys / Open event, Whitchurch also came back from a runner-up finish last time out to claim the winner’s medal this year. Three wins from three on National Finals weekend ensured that. 

Cardiff & Met’s U14 Girls managed just one point in last year’s National Finals, but would improve drastically to claim seven this year. After drawing 2-2 with Whitchurch in the first game, the Girls went on to beat Pwllheli and Northop Hall 3-1 and 4-1 respectively to claim the title.  

Whitchurch’s U12 Girls matched their perfect record at last year’s National Finals to go three from three in Swansea this time around. Wins over Cardiff & Met, Pwllheli and Eirias made sure of their title retention.  

On the Boys / Open side, there was a new champion as Swansea came out on top on home soil. Having not been involved on National Finals weekend last year, Swansea’s U12 Boys came out and beat all of their opponents on the day, scoring 15 in the process. 

“Well done to all the teams who played their part, not just on National Finals weekend but over the course of the season, as well,” stated Hoci Cymru’s National Events & People Development Manager, Amanda Roberts. 

“This year’s competitions have produced some amazing moments, provided by those on the field and made possible by the dedicated volunteers, such as WHUA umpires and officials, who make each game possible – thank you!” 

We would also like thank our partners at Veo, who supported in the livestreaming of all the action over National Finals weekend, Bearhug, who provided a fantastic presence at Swansea Bay Sports Park throughout, Swansea Bay Sports Park, for hosting us so well yet again, and Irfon Bennet, who captured all the memorable moments once more! 

Finally, congratulations to this year’s national champions, who should all be very proud of their achievements!