Hockey Australia launches milestone Parliamentary Friends of Hockey Group
Published Thu 04 Jul 2024
Hockey Australia Board Member Brent Clark presents signed photos of the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras to Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Federal Shadow Minister for Sport.
Sport funding, new directions for sports diplomacy and the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are top of the agenda for the new Parliamentary Friends of Hockey in Australia group (PFG), launched in Canberra on Thursday.
The newly formed bi-partisan group was officially launched at Parliament House on Thursday morning.
The group is co-chaired by the Hon Madeleine King MP, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and Mr Phillip Thompson OAM MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence, Defence Industry and Defence Personnel, both from the proud hockey states of Western Australia and Queensland.
Symbolically, the representation extending from the far west coast to the east coast reflects and supports the widespread nature of hockey in Australia, as the sport is enjoyed by people of all ages in all states and territories across the country.
Presented with personalised and framed Hockeyroos and Kookaburras shirts by Hockey Australia Director Brent Clark, the occasion also marked two weeks to go until the Australian Men’s and Women’s national hockey teams fly out to the Paris Olympic Games.
Hockey Australia CEO David Pryles said he is thrilled to launch the group, just days after the 16-strong men’s and women’s teams, which will contest the Olympic Games was announced.
“Hockey Australia is incredibly grateful to our Co-Chairs, Minister Madeleine King and Mr Phillip Thompson for their support and recognising that hockey is a truly national sport. The formation of this friendship group is a tremendous milestone occasion for our sport.
“Our Hockeyroos and Kookaburras come from all parts of the country.
“Through the friendship group, Hockey Australia aims to strengthen the connection of hockey with all federal parliamentarians.
“But notably, the data supports what may become a contested view that our Co-Chairs take the shared title of the Federal Parliament’s foremost hockey tragics.”
Co-chair Minister Madeleine King said hockey is an inclusive team sport for people of all ages and in all walks of life.
“It’s a sport I have played for 40 years, I’m looking forward to doing what I can to promote this great game in Parliament.
“Hockey has a successful history in Australia and the Parliamentary Friends of Hockey group will bring people from every political party together to support its development and celebrate its success.
"We all know Queensland is better than W.A. in every respect, and hockey’s just another example,” Minister Phillip Thompson said.
“We’ve bred more Hockeyroos and Kookaburras, and 14 of them have come from Townsville and North Queensland.
“I’m excited to get involved in promoting this great game among my colleagues here in Parliament."
Total number of Hockeyroos and Kookaburras from Western Australia:
Hockeyroos: 103
Kookaburras: 79
Total: 182
Total number of Hockeyroos and Kookaburras from Queensland:
Hockeyroos: 94
Kookaburras: 94
Total: 188
Marginal win to Queensland.
PFG Co-Chair, Mr Phillip Thompson MP as the Member for Herbert can most certainly claim bragging rights for the powerhouse level of Hockeyroos and Kookaburras representation from his hometown of Townsville and the North Queensland region.
Hockeyroos and Kookaburras from Townsville/NQ alone:
• Merv Crossman - Tokyo (1964), Rome (1960)
• Barry Malcolm - Rome (1960)
• Jim Mason - Munich (1972), Mexico (1968)
• Robyn Boniface - selected for Moscow (1980)
• Kay Lehmann - Hockeyroos and Member of the Hockey Australia Hall of Fame
• Renita Garard - Atlanta (2004), Sydney (2000 – Gold Medallist)
• Baedon Choppy - Atlanta (1996)
• Stephen Colledge - Kookaburra
• Teneal Attard - Beijing (2008), London (2012)
• Janita Ogilvie - Hockeyroo
• Robbie Hammond - Athens (2004 - Gold Medallist), Beijing (2008)
• Nathan Burgers - London (2012)
• Stephanie Kershaw - Tokyo (2020) and selected for Paris
• Joel Rintala, 2024 Kookaburras squad member
Click below to see Kookaburras & Hockeyroos Squads for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, 26 July - 11 August
