
Ringette in Canada began in 1963 when it was first conceptualized by
Sam Jacks
Samuel Perry Jacks (April 23, 1915 – May 14, 1975) more commonly known as, "Sam Jacks," was a Canadian soldier in World War II, inventor, military and civic recreation director, sports coach, creator of the Canadian sport of ringette for girls a ...
of
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing. It developed as a railroad centre and its airport was an important military locatio ...
, in
West Ferris. The sport of
ringette
Ringette is a winter team sport played on an ice rink using ice hockey skates, straight sticks with drag-tips, and a blue, rubber, pneumatic ring designed for use on ice surfaces. While the sport was originally created exclusively for female c ...
is played in all 10 Canadian provinces and the Northwest Territories and involves an average of over 31,000 registered players every year.
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
is the location of ringette's origin where it is also recognized as a national heritage sport. The sport is governed nationally by
Ringette Canada.
Canadian provinces and territories have their own individual governing bodies in their respective jurisdictions.
In Canada, ringette serves as an important example of how girls and women can help take control of their own sports development rather than being treated as mere substitutes for, or an alternative to male-dominated sports, or as only important in their adjacency to male athletes who compete in the same sport. Ringette was created due to
broomball
Broomball is a both a recreational and organized competitive winter sport, winter and ball sport played on ice or snow. It is played either indoors or outdoors, depending on the climate and location. It is most popularly played in Canada and the ...
and female ice hockey programs failing to attract the interest of girls and complaints that sports programs tended to be "too male-oriented".
The idea that ringette was developed as a result of girls and women being prohibited from playing ice hockey is a common but untrue myth that is widely spread by Canadian media, as well as by a number of sports organizations and people. However, it is an established fact that the first ringette team in history was a group of girls who played ice hockey in high school in
Espanola, Ontario
Espanola (2021 population census 5,185) is a town in Northern Ontario, Canada, in the Sudbury District. It is situated on the Spanish River, approximately west of downtown Sudbury, and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17.
...
, Canada in 1963,
and
women began playing ice hockey in Canada in the late 1800s. By the 1800s, women were also playing
bandy
Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two team sport, teams wearing Ice skates#Bandy skates, ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.
The playin ...
in a number of European nations, but the sport, which had its organized beginnings in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, did not successfully develop in North America and ultimately evolved into what is now known as ice hockey.
Two other related myths assert that ringette was either a patriarchal ploy by men to "force" girls and women to cease playing ice hockey, or that ringette was created as a safer alternative to hockey for girls. No evidence for these myths exist and are misandrist conspiracy theories. Female ice hockey engages in intense inter-sport politics when recruiting on-ice talent for female ice hockey from the ringette talent pool as a result of ringette's existence and success in Canada, a success rate which has generated discontent in some female ice hockey and feminist sports circles. The female Canadian ice hockey establishment, feminist academics, and the entire country of Canada's feminist sports culture have all periodically expressed open antagonism for ringette as a result of its unusual success with the premise being that ringette is inferior to female hockey because it does not involve a narrative which involves a struggle against men or a desire to be more like them. These groups typically support gender theory ideologies that push narratives of male oppression, which do not apply well to ringette because it is an autonomous female sport which has a different history, different goals, and different ambitions which typically do not conflict with male interests and vice versa.
From the beginning, ringette was unconventional in its approach, having been created exclusively for girls rather than following the traditional approach whereby a separate female equivalent is developed from a sport already popular among the male population. The first basic rules were drafted by Sam Jacks, but its first official rules were drafted in Espanola, Ontario, by
Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy between 1964 and 1965.
The first ringette team in history was a group of Canadian girls from Espanola, Ontario who had played female high school ice hockey. The team experimented with the rules being developed by Mirl McCarthy and helped him further his goals by giving him feedback.
Ringette is played by Canadians from the youth level to the adult level with competition ranging from recreational to elite high performance competitions. In Canada players compete locally,
provincially,
nationally and
internationally in European tournaments and the
World Ringette Championships
The World Ringette Championships (WRC) is the premier international competition in ringette and is governed by the International Ringette Federation (IRF). Unlike most international competitions, all of the WRC's elite athletes are female rather ...
, as well as at the
university and college level and the
semi-professional level. Ringette is also a sport in the
Canada Winter Games, a multi-sport competition for amateur Canadian athletes. 1979 marked the first time a Canadian ringette team traveled overseas to Europe (Finland).
National governing body
The national governing body for the sport of ringette in Canada is
Ringette Canada based in
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
and is also responsible for the promotion the sport nationally. Ringette Canada is a member of the
International Ringette Federation (IRF). Ringette Canada's national hall of fame, the
Ringette Canada Hall of Fame, was established in 1988.
Ringette Canada Hall of Fame
Ringette Canada established the
Ringette Canada Hall of Fame (RCHoF) in 1988.
The RCHoF includes six categories: Founder, Builder, Official, Team, Coach, and Athlete. A number of
Canadian national ringette teams have been inducted over the course of its existence, as well as players, builders, coaches, and officials.
Provincial and territorial associations
Canada's provincial and territorial ringette associations are listed in the table below.
Competitive structure
Levels of competition in Canada are based on age group and skill, and range from recreational to competitive. Elite level competition includes
university and college ringette, the
National Ringette League
The National Ringette League (NRL) ''()'' is the premier league for the sport of ringette in North America and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18 and up. The NRL is not a women's variant of a more well-known men's leag ...
, and the
Canada national ringette team
, -
!align=center style=background:pink , Seniors
, -
(''Alberta'')
(''Ontario'')
(''Quebec'')
(''Canada West'')
(''Canada East'')
(''Canada East'')
(''Canada West'')
, -
, -
!align=center style=background:pink , Juniors
, -
(' ...
.
Levels of competition in Canadian ringette include: Recreational, C, B, BB, A, and AA and AAA, with AA being the highest level at which league competition occurs. AAA ringette is typically specific to particular regions who feel another category is necessary to clarify their league or tournament play. For example: AAA teams out of Quebec have played AA teams out of Alberta at various tournaments, including the
Canadian Ringette Championships.
Elite development
La Relève
La Relève is a development program in Canada's ringette community. It aims to identify and cultivate young talented players in the sport of ringette. La Relève provides additional training and mentorship opportunities for selected athletes who have shown potential at the U16 level.
The program typically includes regional and national camps where players receive specialized coaching and skill development sessions. It also provides exposure to high-level competition, allowing players to showcase their abilities and gain valuable experience.
La Relève in ringette is part of a broader effort to support the growth and advancement of the sport in Canada. It plays a critical role in identifying and nurturing talented young players, ultimately contributing to the development of the next generation of elite ringette athletes.
National ringette teams
Canada selects two
national ringette teams for international competition:
Team Canada Junior and
Team Canada Senior. The roster for Team Canada's modern-day makeup for its senior national team includes athletes who either play or have played in Canada's semi-professional
National Ringette League
The National Ringette League (NRL) ''()'' is the premier league for the sport of ringette in North America and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18 and up. The NRL is not a women's variant of a more well-known men's leag ...
. Both teams compete in the
World Ringette Championships
The World Ringette Championships (WRC) is the premier international competition in ringette and is governed by the International Ringette Federation (IRF). Unlike most international competitions, all of the WRC's elite athletes are female rather ...
(WRC).
The first all-Canadian national ringette consisted of adult and young adult ringette players and was established in
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
and competed in the third World Ringette Championships, though Canada's first international appearance in ringette took place at the first World Ringette Championships in
Gloucester, Ontario, at the
1990 World Ringette Championships. At the first World Ringette Championships, five teams from five separate Canadian provinces were represented: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. A sixth Canadian team, Team Gloucester, also competed having been selected to participate due to the fact that Gloucester served as the international tournaments host city. Canada has competed at every World Ringette Championships since, though a new division for junior players was eventually created in the early part of the 21st century beginning in 2009.
Canada's first all-Canadian junior national team was established for the
2013 World Ringette Championships. Previously, Canada's junior elite ringette players had competed in the
World Junior Ringette Championships which first occurred in
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
and then
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
before the junior program was merged with the World Ringette Championships itself, resulting a new junior division. For the 2009 and 2012 world junior competitions, Canada sent two different junior teams to represent Canada at the world tournament, Team Canada East and Team Canada West.
Semi-professional league

The
National Ringette League
The National Ringette League (NRL) ''()'' is the premier league for the sport of ringette in North America and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18 and up. The NRL is not a women's variant of a more well-known men's leag ...
(also indicated by the initials NRL) is Canada's premier, semi-professional showcase league for the sport of ringette and was introduced during the 2004–2005 ringette season. It is Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18+.
The final competition for the National Ringette League is held annually at the
Canadian Ringette Championships. The winning team in the NRL division is awarded the
Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup
Ringette is a winter team sport played on an ice rink using ice hockey skates, straight sticks with drag-tips, and a blue, rubber, pneumatic ring designed for use on ice surfaces. While the sport was originally created exclusively for female c ...
named after the late
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...
,
Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé (; ; April 26, 1922 – January 26, 1993) was a Canadian politician, journalist and stateswoman who served as the 23rd governor general of Canada from 1984 to 1990 and as the 29th Speaker of the House of Commons (Canada), ...
. Initially coined the ''Jeanne Sauvé Cup'' and initiated in December 1984, it was first presented at the 1985 Canadian Ringette Championships in
Dollard des Ormeaux,
Québec
Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...
. Now called the ''
Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup
Ringette is a winter team sport played on an ice rink using ice hockey skates, straight sticks with drag-tips, and a blue, rubber, pneumatic ring designed for use on ice surfaces. While the sport was originally created exclusively for female c ...
'' the trophy is awarded to the best team in the National Ringette League. Canada's
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian comedian, television personality, Political satire, political satirist, and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' ...
visited the National Ringette League's
Cambridge Turbos in 2009 to shoot an episode about ringette in Canada.
Teams
2022–23
In 2022–23, the league entered its 18th season with thirteen teams competing:
*
BC Thunder
*
Edmonton Black Gold Rush
*
Edmonton WAM!
*
Calgary RATH
*
Saskatchewan Heat
*
Manitoba Herd
*
Nepean Ravens
*
Waterloo Wildfire
*
Cambridge Turbos
*
Gatineau Fusion
*
Montreal Mission
*
Rive-Sud Révolution
*
Atlantic Attack
Registration levels
Ringette is played in all 10 Canadian provinces and the Northwest Territories and involves an average of 50,000 participants a year. In the 2017–18 Canadian ringette season, 31,168 players were registered to play ringette in Canada, the highest known participation rate for a season.
Players participated on nearly 2,000 teams in eight age categories across the country. The largest increases were observed in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
which began in 2019 had a negative impact on registration rates.
In Canada in 1979 there was an estimated 4,500 girls playing ringette across the country,
but by 1983 (20 years after ringette was created) there were over 14,500, marking an increase in participation of roughly 10,000 Canadian girls. That same year the number of players registered in the
female category of ice hockey in Canada, which was almost a century old, was a mere 5,379, less than 40% of ringette's numbers. A small decrease in the number of ringette athletes after 1998 has been attributed at least partially to women's ice hockey being recognized officially as an Olympic sport that same season,
but is largely considered due to the decision by major governing body's for the women's hockey game to exclude
body checking.
Body checking was removed from the women's ice hockey program by the
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; ; ) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 84 member countries.
The IIHF maintains the IIHF World Ranking based on international ice hockey to ...
after the
1990 IIHF Women's World Championship
The 1990 IIHF Women's World Championships was an international women's ice hockey competition held at Civic Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (now renamed TD Place Arena) from March 19 to 25, in 1990. This was the first IIHF-sanctioned interna ...
. Despite the inclusion of women's ice hockey in the Olympics, there remains a striking absence of recognition towards the fact that female players had historically employed body checking as an element of their game. After women's hockey's introduction to the Olympic Games, it quickly gained popularity; however, within a decade of its inaugural year in the Olympics, ringette saw a resurgence of registrations in Canada.
Brief decline and comeback
Between 1979 and 1983, roughly 10,000 new Canadian players registered to play ringette.
Between 1985 and 1987 the sport continued to experience a notable increase in player registrations in Canada growing from roughly 20,000 registered players in 1985 to over 27,000 in 1987, a substantial increase within less than a five-year period. While the 1996–1997 ringette season saw a peak record of 27,058 registrations nationwide, a slight drop occurred in registration rates during the following season in 1997–98 whereby 25,951 players were recorded to have registered in Canada. However, rates began climbing again after the 2002–03 season and by the 2007–08 season, 27,197 players had registered, breaking the sport's highest recorded registration rate in Canada which had been set a decade before in 1996–97. By 2017–18 Canada recorded a record breaking 31,168 registered players, the highest number of players ever recorded in the nation's history.
Recorded registrations
The number of ringette registrations in Canada from 1979 to 2022 is as follows:
University and college ringette
Ringette players in Canada can play the sport at the university level and, in some provinces, at the college level as well. University teams mostly compete in the Open-A division and also participate in the
University Challenge Cup (UCC), which is a nation-wide event.
The organizing body for the post-secondary level is known as the
Canadian University & College Ringette Association, which is abbreviated "CUCRA".
The organization was previously known by its initial name, "Canadian University Ringette" (CUR). CUCRA is not affiliated with
U Sports
U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body for universities in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country and four regional conferences: Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Résea ...
, Canada's national governing body for university sport, or
Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics (OUA; ) is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, ...
(OUA) as of yet but aims to become so in the future.
Although U Sports does not recognize ringette, each institution has its own relationship to the ringette program connected to its particular campus. Some permit the ringette program to use the team nickname and use the varsity uniforms, while others have no affiliation with the ringette program at all.
The number of university ringette teams in Canada can vary from season to season, as teams may come and go due to factors such as funding, player recruitment, and other considerations. It is important to note that these teams may change over time, and there may be additional universities that participate in local or regional tournaments and events. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, several competitions for CUCRA's college and university ringette athletes were cancelled. Some teams did not reconvene post
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
.
The first tournament took place at the
University of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg, UW, or U of W) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It offers undergraduate programs in art, business, economics, education, science and applied health as well as graduate progra ...
in 1999. Other Canadian universities previously known to have had teams include
Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ontario),
Mount Royal University (Calgary),
Simon Fraser University (British Columbia), and the
Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec).
Canadian university and college teams
University Challenge Cup
The University Challenge Cup (UCC) is an annual competition in Canada which groups together ringette teams from various Canadian universities in two conferences and is organized by the
Canadian University & College Ringette Association, (abbreviated "CUCRA"). The first competition took place at the
University of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg, UW, or U of W) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It offers undergraduate programs in art, business, economics, education, science and applied health as well as graduate progra ...
in 1999. The competition typically involves in excess of 350 players, coaches, referees and tournament staff.
The
University of Calgary
{{Infobox university
, name = University of Calgary
, image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
, former ...
, (
Calgary Dinos
The Calgary Dinos are the athletic teams that represent the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. They were known as the "Dinosaurs" but usually referred to as the "Dinos" until 1999, when the name was officially shortened. Some of its venues ...
in
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...
) have won the most Tier 1 national titles to date since the UCC's inaugural year in 1999. Both the
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...
(
Western Mustangs
The Western Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent University of Western Ontario, Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. The school's athletic program supports 46 Varsity team, varsity teams. Their mascot is a Mustang named J.W. a ...
in
London, Ontario
London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...
) and
McMaster University
McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...
(
McMaster Marauders
The McMaster Marauders are the athletic teams that represent McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Athletics at McMaster is currently managed by the university's student affairs, under their athletics & recreation d ...
in
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...
) are tied for the most titles won in Tier 2 competition, a division which was formed in 2009.
Ontario University Ringette Provincials
In the province of
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, a University division is hosted by
Ringette Ontario at the Ontario Provincial Ringette Championships where University ringette teams compete for the
Dave Bennett University Cup. Some Ontario ringette tournaments also host University pools.
National competitions
Canadian Ringette Championships
Canada's elite ringette players compete at the end of every ringette season in the
Championnats Canadien d'Ringuette/Canadian Ringette Championships, commonly called "the Nationals", which also includes the final competition for the
National Ringette League
The National Ringette League (NRL) ''()'' is the premier league for the sport of ringette in North America and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18 and up. The NRL is not a women's variant of a more well-known men's leag ...
(NRL). The Canadian Ringette Championships, typically held each April, took place for the first time in 1979 in
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
. This tournament was created to determine the Canadian champions in the categories of Under-16 years, Under-19 years and Open (replaced by the
National Ringette League
The National Ringette League (NRL) ''()'' is the premier league for the sport of ringette in North America and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18 and up. The NRL is not a women's variant of a more well-known men's leag ...
since 2008).
Canada Winter Games
While ringette was invented in 1963, the first
Canada Games, a multi-sport event, was held four years later in 1967 in
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
. Ringette did not become a part of the
Canada Winter Games programme until 1991.
Former
Ringette Canada President,
Betty Shields, is considered to have been, "instrumental in ringette’s entry to the Canada Winter Games". The ringette program takes part during one of the two weeks of the Canada Winter Games. Competition usually begins on Mondays followed by the semi-final on Friday evening with the National final taking place on Saturdays. The best ringette athletes from 10 Canadian provinces are selected to compete on their representative provincial teams.
The Canada Winter Games are considered an important national event in Canada and is considered to be a key event in the development of Canada's young athletes. The competition involves the best young Canadian athletes competing in their age groups. The entire event is of two weeks in duration and is held every four years.
Provincial competitions
Provincial championships
Annual province-wide championship competitions are organized in a number of Canadian provinces for various skill levels and age groups.
Provincial Winter Games
In Canada a number of provinces organize province-wide, winter-based,
multi-sport
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) Nation state, nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport ev ...
competitions either annually or biannually. These events are typically referred to as provincial "Winter Games". However, ringette is not included in every provincial winter games program and it depends on which province is involved.
Other competitions
Several Canadian cities and regions also have their own annual competitions.
Eastern Canadian Ringette Championships
The
Eastern Canadian Ringette Championships (ECRC) is an annual competition organized strictly for ringette teams from the eastern part of Canada. The competition involves teams from
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
,
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
,
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
and
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
. The first event was held in 2002. Since 2002, teams from the participating provinces compete in the following four divisions: U14AA, U16A, U19A and 18+ A.
Western Canadian Ringette Championships
The Western Canadian Ringette Championships (WCRC) is an annual competition organized strictly for ringette teams from the western part of Canada, however, it is not organized by
Ringette Canada. The tournament's inaugural year was in 2003. Typically held at the end of March, the competition involves teams from
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
,
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
and
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
competing in U14, U16, U19 and 18+ divisions of competition.
Each of the four Western Canadian Provinces is eligible to send one provincial team to compete in each age division. The Host is able to enter a host team at U16, U19 and 18+ to create a five team division. U14 is a 10-team division made up of two teams from each province and two wildcard draws.
Largest Canadian tournament
The largest ringette tournament in Canada is the annual Esso Golden Ring Tournament in
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...
which takes place in the month of January.
Nova Scotia
The City of Lakes Tournament (COLT) in
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth ( ) (Scottish Gaelic, Scottish-Gaelic: Baile nan Loch) is a Urban area, built-up community of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has 101 ...
, is the province's largest ringette tournament.
Cross-sport participation
Bandy
Several of Canada's national level ringette players have also played
bandy
Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two team sport, teams wearing Ice skates#Bandy skates, ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.
The playin ...
for the
Canadian women's national bandy team. Both the women's and men's
Canadian national bandy teams are based out of
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
.
Several of Canada's women's national bandy players also played in the
National Ringette League
The National Ringette League (NRL) ''()'' is the premier league for the sport of ringette in North America and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18 and up. The NRL is not a women's variant of a more well-known men's leag ...
and on
Canada's National Ringette Team. The bandy team has included top level ringette players like Ainsley Ferguson, Carrie Nash,
Shelly Hruska, Amy Clarkson, and Lindsay Burns. Their best results are 4th at the
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, and
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
Women's Bandy World Championships. Canada's first goal scored in the nations history of organized women's bandy was by Lindsay Burns, a former member of
Canada's national ringette team.
Male players
In Canada male players are uncommon since numerous other winter team sports options for them exist such as
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
,
bandy
Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two team sport, teams wearing Ice skates#Bandy skates, ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.
The playin ...
, and
broomball
Broomball is a both a recreational and organized competitive winter sport, winter and ball sport played on ice or snow. It is played either indoors or outdoors, depending on the climate and location. It is most popularly played in Canada and the ...
. Boys are restricted to competing at the "B" level or lower in many ringette organizations since the sport is meant to highlight, cater to, and increase participation among females. Male players compete at the AA level in limited areas where the sport is played. Boys have participated in Under-9 (U9) or Under-6 (U6) divisions in some Canadian provinces. While ringette is mainly played by females, 700 male players are currently involved in the sport across the country.
Olympic ringette team
Currently the sport of ringette is not recognized by the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
(IOC) and therefore is not a part of the
Winter Olympic programme.
The sport has a relatively narrow profile and is played predominately in four nations: Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States.
The
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
has a rule that no new sport will be allowed into the Olympics unless it is organized for and played by both females and males at the international level.
Ringette is played predominantly by female athletes and the IOC has higher requirements for male participation. The charter stipulates that ringette be played extensively in seventy-five countries by men on four different continents and played by women in no less than forty countries and on three different continents. Outreach efforts by officials in Canada and Finland to have the sport recognized by the IOC have not been successful thusfar.
Further reading
* Collins, Kenneth Stewart (2004). The Ring Starts Here: An Illustrated History of Ringette.
* Hall, Margaret Ann (2016). The Girl and the Game: A History of Women's Sport in Canada. University of Toronto Press.
* Hall, Margaret Ann; Pfister, Gertrud. Honoring the Legacy: Fifty Years of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women.
References
External links
International Ringette Federation*
Ringette Canada*
Ringette Finland*
Team USA Ringette*
Sweden Ringette Association
*
Ringette Slovakia*
Czech Ringette*
Archives , Ringette Manitoba
*
Ringette Calgary History*
*
Turku Ringette History*
Ringette , Story Archives , University of Calgary Athletics
{{Commons category, Ringette
Women's team sports
History of women's sports
Rivalry in women's sports
Semi-professional sports leagues
Sport in North Bay, Ontario
Games and sports introduced in 1963
Variations of hockey
Women's national sports teams of Canada