Shortly before 1pm on Saturday 7 March Sydney University Hockey Club's men's team took to the field to play Melbourne University. This game marked 100 years of competition between the clubs. Then, some 90 minutes later, the Women's teams took to the field: their game marked 98 years of competition between the women's teams from the clubs.
It is the longest running team sporting competition in Australia where men and women play in the same colours, under the same rules, and with equal billing. These teams are also amongst the best in their respective States.
The Men's match was won 4-1 by SUHC. It was a slightly ragged affair as both teams were still in pre-season form. The players also struggled to come to terms with the slowness of the newly laid Olympic turf. SU had numerous early short corners but they were unconverted. That changed when E-tag resorted to his older, lighter stick for drag-flicking and scored a goal straight away. Brendan O'Connor was very impressive in attack, and would have been unstoppable if the new turf hadn't caused a few slips. Scott Laird claimed to be jet-lagged and underprepared after a few months in Africa, but his new Kenyan middle-distance speed meant he looked as fit as the rest. Khevvy was hoping for another hat-trick, but MU was not having any of that and he was closely marked for most of the game. Phil Grey and Scott Heappey were also in good form.
The Women won 3-0 and looked in contol all the game. Emma Scriven was a constant threat to the MU goalie, and KP and others created a number of good attacking moves down the sidleines that meant she was never far from the ball. Cara Simpson showed Laird-like speed and was a real asset. Jess Blake had already played a game when she filled in for MU against UTS, and still showed enormous strength and commitment. And when Soph Brownhill wasn't being thumped in the knee by the ball she was playing well and creating opportunities.
SUHC has therefore won the Centenary Cup for 2009. This Cup has been donated by Mebourne Uni and is to be awarded each year to the club with the highest aggregate score from the Mens and Womens games. In 2009, its inaugural year, the Centenary Cup was presented to SU President Khevyn Williams by Jane Fitzherbert of MUHC.
The matches between MU and SU were a great hit-out this year and we intend to make the Centenary Cup games part of our pre-season regime from now on.
Sydney University Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Vice Chancellor Bob Kotic was invited to present Centenary medals to each of the men and women from SU and MU who played in the matches. He also presented them to the umpires and to the Clarke boys from the Junior club, who did a great job as ballboys. Many thanks to Bob and Lily Kotic for coming to the games and for undertaking these formalities with such good humour. It cannot be easy to remain cheerful and engaged when so many grown people are on their knees pleading for help in securing a home turf! It was much appreciated. Thanks too to Rob Smithies and Michelle Nancarrow from SUSF, who showed good support for the Club on this important occasion.
Fred Etter from SUSF volounteered to spend the day photographing the games, and took some great photos of the players in action. Many thanks, Fred. Click here on Fred Etter's Centenary Games photos to see them, and contact us at webmaster@suhc.asn.au to find out how to buy copies of these shots.
In the other games the Men beat UTS 2-0, and the Women drew with UTS 1-1.
The Club was honoured to have two players from the early 1930s as special guests for the Centenary Games. Malcolm Stening (now 96) and Ruthven Blackburn (now 97) played together from 1930 and vividly remember travelling by train to Melbourne for the 1934 MUHC game. Malcolm went on to represent Australia, and told the Men's team of some of his great hockey memories, including playing hockey on an aircraft carrier. We can only be grateful he did not go over the sideline, as others did. Ruthven staggered us all by his speed even now: do not challenge him to a stairclimb!
We were also honoured to have many of the great players from the late 1950s in the crowd, including several from the team that played MUHC in 1959. These included Bruce Pryor, Richard Barnard (c), Bill Barclay, Roger Pegrum, Don Kerr, John Copland, Bruce Collins and Bill Crowley. Other club greats there included Ken Mayman (Captain of the Australian Over 75 veterans team), Janice Jacobs, Lisa Clarke, Michael Irby and Paul Barrett. It was also good to have Jenny Pryor there - she has probably attended more SUHC games and functions over the years than any other non-player, including even Anne Simmons. It is a curious twist to note that both Malcolm Stening and Ruthven Blackburn became pre-eminent medical scholars, and taught many many of the players from the late 1950s at SU.
Finally, thanks to Anne Simmons, Jess Blake, Khevyn Williams, Chloe Hardwick Jones and Andy Andy Elton for organising the day, to Cameron Whittaker and Brian Fitzpatrick for helping as chauffeurs and to Jane Fitzherbert from MUHC, who organised the MUHC contingent. Events like this do not happen without a huge effort from a small band of dedicated people, and your efforts were greatly appreciated. Many thanks as well to UTS for some tough games and for helping making the day a worthwhile one for us and for MUHC, and to Jess, Stefan Hese, Ian Lo and others who volounteered their services as umpires.



