LONDON, UK – The Quiney surname has long been synonymous with the history of one of the UK’s oldest hockey teams and so it continues, now that former Elite League and EPL defenseman Rupe Quiney has settled back where it all began with Streatham in South London.
It’s almost seven years since the now 29 year old packed his kit and headed off to Wales to play at the top tier of British hockey for the Cardiff Devils, a hockey journey that subsequently saw him ice in Telford, Guildford and Milton Keynes. An EPL league winner’s medal, two cups and a play-off championship followed before a return back home in SW16 last summer.
“I had to do it” explains Quiney when asked about his journey away from the capital.
“I was incredibly lucky to play over in Canada as I came out of junior hockey and when I got back to the UK I wanted to test myself at as high a level as I could.
“The whole journey has been amazing, being able to see how different clubs operate, how coaches work and the sessions they put on. Obviously the main highlights being able to skate with and against some incredible hockey players.”
A phone call from then Streatham Coach and Elite League enforcer Jeremy Cornish brought him back last season where he helped the RedHawks to a 6th place finish in the National Ice Hockey League South.
Often sat watching in the stands last year was his father Pete, who is a genuine Streatham legend and the club’s all-time highest appearance maker with 337 games under his belt, mostly in the 1980’s.
Father and son played different positions on the ice, with Pete the clinical and hardworking forward, and Rupe a physical defenseman. In that sense it’s unlikely he will ever emulate his father’s point tally of 168 goals and 128 assists, however feedback is never far away if Quiney junior does manage to get deep into the offensive zone.
“Of course he does” laughs Quiney when asked if senior chips in with any post-match analysis.
“He was a shooter back in the day so the defensive game he’ll not really mention unless I make a glaring mistake.
Senior Quiney in his pomp
“But if I’m rushing the puck or get a shot off too quickly he’ll chip in with some advice as he was great at it. He’ll just say something like “quick snapshot top corner” and look at you like it’s as simple as that, which for him it obviously was”
As a 13 year old Quiney first saw his father in action in the old Streatham rink, as the then Redskins made a return to league hockey action in 2003 after a ten year hiatus due to rink issues. By then Quiney senior was in his forties and his prime years behind him, but watching the game gave junior the motivation to make the team.
“It was a big moment when the Redskins came back” explains Rupe.
“It was the first senior game in the rink for about ten years, they were playing Oxford City Stars and we’d been playing a junior game on the road. We got back for the second period and the rink was full of people and the atmosphere was amazing. It was so good to see, as I’d only seen hockey there as a junior with the rink empty, so it was a real eye opener.
“By that time Dad was in his forties and had dusted off his old Cooper gloves with the big cuffs. I remember thinking how fast it all looked.”
A few years later Rupe himself was skating out with the Redskins, albeit as a bit part player at first. The step up into league hockey opened his eyes to playing in front of a paying crowd, just like the one he’d watched at that first Redskins game.
“I started off slowly to be honest as I was combining it with junior hockey” admits Quiney when asked about his first memories of senior hockey.
“One memory that really sticks out is a game in Invicta in Gillingham when we needed a result at the end of the season. The Dynamos rarely lost in those days and the rink was full. The atmosphere was pretty hostile even in warm-up with fans everywhere.
“We managed a rare 2-1 win at the time and the atmosphere just got ramped up as the game ebbed and flowed. I remember looking around and thinking this was what it’s all about.”
Earlier this summer Quiney received a call from new Streatham player coach Adam Carr offering him the role as Alternate Captain alongside Adam Wood and Captain Michael Farn. It was a move that went down well not only with Rupe but also RedHawks fans, Carr pointing to Quiney’s passion for the club and authority in the room as rationale for the appointment.
Hopes high in SW16
Despite an average age of 24 the current RedHawks team have bags of experience with number having played at a higher level and represented GB at junior level at some point. Between them, the playing squad have numerous medals from both domestic and international competitions, but with no less than nine new arrivals, gelling them together will be the test.
In to an already decent roster has come the highly rated Ivan Antonov, Ryan Watt and Ben Paynter from Bracknell Bees, feisty Danny Ingoldsby and Brandon Miles from Basingstoke Bison and Invicta Dynamos respectively, not to mention former Whitley Warrior Andy Cook, Solent Devil Rhys McCormick and new Finnish forward Jonathan Wallius.
“Well, when Adam asked me I was excited as it’s a massive compliment” admits Quiney about getting the ‘A’.
“For a guy with his experience to ask me to have that role tells me what he thinks of me and obviously being from Streatham, I’ve come a full circle so now in the later days of my career to be handed a leadership role is special.
“The make-up of the team is now different to what it was when I started playing with the Redskins, everyone was from Streatham and hadn’t played much elsewhere. We grew up playing together and I was essentially playing with friends – which was great.
“Now the team has a diverse mix of players that’s has a lot of experience. This is really important in game situations, when you need players who know what it takes to win and have experience of doing so. Things like scoring goals at the right time and good decision making all comes from being in that position in the past.
“Training looked a bit rusty at first, but you can see straight away we have a lot of solid players who can contribute at all ends of the ice and be physical too. This season will be a big test and we are quite confident we have a strong squad.”
As a personal trainer with his own company Bodysmart Personal Training in Guildford, Quiney should be better prepared than most for the upcoming season fitness wise. There is a school of thought in the game that there is nothing like on-ice training to get players ready for the new season, but Quiney is adamant that while off-ice summer conditioning and training may not show straight away, it does have a positive impact across a campaign.
“I would agree that in terms of rustiness you always feel bad when you first get back on the ice” when asked if being a PT gave him an advantage.
“But the better you prepare in the summer, the quicker you get into it. If you work on strength and spend time in the gym the second and third training sessions feel much better than the first.
“Then once the rust is off you start to really see the benefits. I’ve worked on my strength over the summer to try and keep myself injury free. I’m only two skates in, but feel a lot better already.”
Streatham fans will be hoping the hard work pays off and that Quiney and his team mates deliver a successful season in South London. A league opener against Slough Jets on the 15th September will be the first indicator of that potential.
Contact the author davidcarr_2@hotmail.com
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