Ice hockey is not at the same level of popularity in South Africa as in most countries in the northern hemisphere, but when it comes to the intensity of the game on the ice, there is not really a big difference.

This is the opinion of Nick Beukes, the head coach of the Forest Rats Ice Hockey Club, which is based at The Ice Rink in the Forest Hill City centre in Centurion, where the 2024 South African Junior Inter-provisional ice hockey tournament will be held from 16 to 23 June.

Beukes should know, because as a player, coach and spectator of this sport, he has already travelled the world over the past 38 years, while he was in action at different levels – including for the national men’s team of South Africa.

The Forest Rats are one of three local ice hockey clubs in Pretoria that are associated with the Gauteng Ice Hockey Association. The other two are both based at the ice rink of The Grove Mall in the east of Pretoria. They are the Pretoria Ice Hawks Hockey Club and the Pretoria Capitals Ice Hockey club.

These three clubs, together with the Sabers Ice Hockey Club from Kempton Park, as well as the Wolves Ice Hockey Club and the Vipers Ice Hockey Club (both from Northgate) are the six clubs from which the Gauteng Ice Hockey Association’s representative teams are selected.

This year, the Gauteng Ice Hockey Association is responsible for the presentation of the South African Junior Inter-provisional ice hockey tournament, in which teams in four different age groups will participate. This is an annual event alternating between Forest Hill Ice Rink in Gauteng and The Ice Station in Cape Town.

The sport is currently mainly practiced in Gauteng and the Western Cape on such a scale that leagues can be organized, but some clubs also exist in other provinces. Therefore, the tournament will mainly consist of matches between teams from Gauteng, Western Province and an invitational team consisting of other clubs from KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.

The tournament will feature teams competing for the top spot in South African Junior Ice Hockey. Mixed teams (boys & girls) in the age groups u.12’s and u.14’s will be in action, as well as u.16’s boys, u.18 boys, u.18 girls and u.20 boys.

This tournament takes place during the school holidays and the Gauteng Ice Hockey Association appeals to the public to support their provincial junior teams. Entry is free during the tournament and the Forest Hill City centre in Centurion is quite easily accessible via the N14 Krugersdorp highway.

The action will kick off from Sunday 16 June to Wednesday 19 June at 06:00 in the morning already with two matches that will be completed in the morning session. Except for Wednesday 19 June, Friday 21 June and Saturday 22 June, there will also be a match every day at 17:00.

For any further enquiries, call Nick Beukes on 066-252-7392 or email him at nick@ratsicehockey.co.za

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