Shepparton has again been selected as a host city for next year’s Junior State Hockey Championships.
The last time Shepparton hosted the event was in 2021 alongside Bendigo, and the two cities will again share the load in next year’s edition.
Shepparton’s role in hosting the state titles will involve a five-day bonanza of hockey as the timeline is shortened by a day for the under-14 and under-16 age groups.
Hockey 5s for the under-12 boys and girls will kick off the week’s action across Wednesday, July 3 and Thursday, July 4, before the under-14 and under-16 girls take the pitches from Friday, July 5 to Sunday, July 7.
Meanwhile, Bendigo will host the under-14 and under-16 boys contingent over the same weekend, before welcoming the under-18 boys and girls to the region from Saturday, September 21 to Monday, September 23.
This week’s announcement comes as a much-needed piece of good news for hockey in the Goulburn Valley, as the GVHA continues to battle ongoing staffing and structure concerns at club level ahead of its annual general meeting on November 27.
In a statement released by Hockey Victoria, outgoing GVHA president Cam Druitt acknowledged as much.
“The GVHA sees the return of the championships not only as an economic boost to the region, but also as an opportunity to advance hockey in the region and provide an enjoyable social environment for our members and visitors at a time when we are being challenged,” Druitt said.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali expressed his gratitude for the decision, citing recent infrastructure upgrades that would make Shepparton an ideal destination.
“Without the investment into the $21 million redevelopment of the Shepparton Sports City precinct, our region would not be in a position to bring these amazing events such as this,” Sali said.
“We thank Hockey Victoria for choosing our region.”