The North Queensland Rubies will become the first indigenous hockey team to compete internationally, when they contest the Singapore Sixes in March.
It is a world-class tournament that will pit the Rubies against former Australian internationals, top European clubs and the Malaysian national team.
Program manager Julie McNeil, coach Wes Ferns and team managers Ena Waianga and Dalassa Savage stand and watch the girls training with pride.
Because the squad represents the end product, or at least the developing end product of what McNeil and her small team are working towards within the Remote and Indigenous Hockey Program. Launched in partnership with Hockey Queensland and Hockey Australia last year, the program is designed to get more indigenous players in state and national squads.
And it’s working, with Cairns girls Carmon McPhee and Rebecca Fatnowna selected in the under-18 state squad and McPhee and Kiona Jones winning gold with the Australian under-21 Country team at the Oceania Cup in Fiji in early December.
Ice baths, nutritional advice and twice-daily training sessions have been the theme of the Rubies Cairns training camp, but things are not quite so conventional when the Remote Program heads to the communities, McNeil said.
“We set up a field in between the tee and green of the Karumba Golf Club one day so a carnival could go ahead,” she said.
“Another time we had to put markers around giant holes in the field dug by wild pigs the night before. But the kids didn’t care, we just avoided the holes. It was no big deal to them,’’ McNeil said.
There are no holes on the brand new water-based surface in Cairns, a surface set to host a round of the men’s National Hockey League later this year.
McPhee, who plays for local club Brothers along with Fatnowna, will captain the team in what is another chapter for her fast-growing hockey resume.
“I’m not sick of it yet,” she laughed, referring to her hectic year-round hockey schedule.
“I’m really looking forward to this experience, it’ll be good on a lot of levels for us.”
Coach Ferns watched on as the girls tested out the sticks they will use in the tournament, painted
by Cairns indigenous artist Kevin Edmonstone.
He knows his debutantes have their work cut out for them, but he said in a way the result was immaterial.
“We have a talented team for sure; there are some great players in there,” he said.
“But it’s all about the experience. The chance to travel to another country and play against players they never would
usually.
‘‘Even this training camp we are in the middle of; it’s a bit of a shock to the system in terms of how full-on and almost professional it is.”
While the Rubies are the pinnacle of their product, there is just as much satisfaction to be gained from the grassroots for Ferns and McNeil.
Visiting and maintaining contact with schools and communities from Mt Isa to Badu Island in the Torres Strait, the Remote and Indigenous hockey program had more than 3000 children playing hockey last year.
From that, three major tournaments were organised and attended by 45 teams. It was at that carnival that McNeil realised what was in the making.
“I think for a while, everyone was a little sceptical of it, but once they saw how it worked it was suddenly very, very popular,” she said.
“It had gone from nothing, to this massive tournament and everyone wanted to be part of it. Some children flew by light plane to compete; others had to get driven seven hours to get there.
“We are getting our voice heard.”
That is a fact recognised by the Queensland Government’s funding for the tournament and the allowance for the placement of another development officer this year.
That will ensure the 3000 that played hockey last year will be back again, and with any luck they will bring some friends.
Not only did they agree, but the named the Peninsula representative captain.
