RN Hockey Association (RNHA)

Royal Navy Hockey

As far as records can tell us, the Royal Navy Hockey Association began formally in the 1908/1909 season culminating in the first recorded Inter Services Army/Navy match at Dulwich in 1909 which was won by the Army 7-2.

Accordingly for want of a more specific date, the formal founding year of the Royal Navy Hockey Association is treated as 1909.

In 1920, the Hockey Association expressed a wish for the three Services to Form a Division under the title "Combined Services," with all the rights of a Division and this has been concurred in.

Today in 2006, 97 seasons on from the First Inter Services match, the Royal Navy fields Outdoor Representative teams for Senior Men, Ladies (since 1948), U23 Men (since 1973) and Veteran's Men and for Senior Men, Women and U23 Men at Indoor Hockey (since 1974).

Hockey in the Royal Navy today is thriving despite increasing commitments all over the world. Units, Ships and Establishments feed Commands and Corps and Regiments and the Inter Commands/Corps competitions act as single Service Trials.

Most Hockey players in the Armed Services are current paid up members of one or more Civilian Clubs (or may have temporarily dormant links whilst absent on duty).

As Armed Forces personnel do not remain in the Services forever, in many a Hockey Club or representative team in the land there's a Service or ex-Service person working busily away bringing a bit of good old-fashioned Service order and discipline to proceedings whether in playing, admin, coaching, umpiring or other officialdom.

At single Service level, Royal Navy Hockey is keen to participate and pull its weight within the Combined Services Division and as a County within England Hockey. Our starting point - there is nothing the Royal Navy cannot do!..