New home for student hockey club

VARSITY College Hockey Club (VCHC) has officially been confirmed a stand-alone club.

The club has been included in the women’s and men’s Super League premier divisions, guaranteed for two years from 2014.

Since this announcement, VCHC has also been granted playing rights at Riverside Sports and will use this venue as its home ground for practices and home matches, with all its members and officials being subject to the rules and conditions of Riverside Sports.

VCHC is constituted as a student Hockey Club and places severe restrictions on non-student members being able to play for VCHC. Though it is the policy of Riverside Sports Club that no other ‘Open’ hockey club will be allowed to have home venue playing and practice status on the Riverside Sports property, this policy was reviewed after consultation with Riverside Hockey Club (RHC), the current home team’ of Riverside Sports.

In a spirit of hockey cooperation RHC, has welcomed its future rivals in sharing its home turf. The well-established local hockey club also played a meaningful part in supporting VCHC’s inclusion into the KZN Hockey Association.

VCHC is specifically a student based club catering primarily for students between the ages of 18 to 25 years of age. Varsity College full time students and school pupils who are registered to attend Varsity College in 2014, and who are currently members of RHC, will be freely released to be members of and play for VCHC as long as there is a formal request from VCHC and the student player concerned, to the Riverside Hockey Club for clearance.

Players who migrate from RHC to VCHC while furthering their academic careers, and firstly following the necessary transfer protocol, will always be welcome back at RHC. According to RHC representatives, it is hoped that graduating VCHC players will re-join RHC after their academic careers are over.

Wayne Phillip, chairman of Riverside Hockey Club, said: “This achievement is surely unique in South African hockey and yet another reason why Riverside Sports is the venue of choice for hockey players countrywide.”

For more information about Riverside Sports Club and how to join any of the many sporting clubs that the centre is home to, visit: www.riversidesports.co.za