British Armed Forces take to ice

SHEFFIELD, UK – The British Armed Forces will take to the ice this week for the 9^th Annual Inter Service Championship at Ice Sheffield.

Army Blades last years winners (trishthompsonphotography.com)

Competition is likely to be fierce as the Army Blades, Navy Destroyers and Royal Air Force Aces lace up their skates for three days of hockey action. Contrary to popular belief the RAF have never attempted the flying V, the Army don’t wear camouflage on ice and the Navy don’t ask for a wet cut from the zamboni driver before games.

The championship was originally dominated by the Navy in its first three years before the RAF took up the reigns with four consecutive wins. Recently it has been the Army that has triumphed and they enter this year’s tournament as two time consecutive champions and a force to be reckoned with.

During the daytime at Ice Sheffield the Tri-Service Tournament will take place featuring the various stations of each force, but in the evening the select players come together to battle it out for the overall crown and showpiece fixtures.

Navy v RAF (trishthompsonphotography.com)

UK hockey fans may recognise some of the names featuring as Cardiff’s Lee Duance and Solent’s Jamie Fitzpatrick represent the Navy, whilst former Streatham player Jamie McIlroy, former Nottingham junior Adam Rosbottom and Dundee lad Craig Johnstone play for the RAF.

The team to beat however are of course the Army, and their captain Mark Morrison admits it will be a challenge to make it three in a row:

“It was good to win the tournament last year, it’s an extremely competitive week and a lot of hockey gets played so to win the tournament is a great achievement”

“We are extremely confident this year, and hopefully will be able to make it three in a row”

As for their main challengers Morrison believes he knows what to expect:

“As long as the RAF put as much effort into their training camps as they did into their promotional videos together, the RAF will probably be our main contenders”

One man who loves a television interview is RAF forward Jamie McIlroy. The former Slough and Streatham man was on the losing side last year but is looking forward to putting things right.

“To me personally, the tournament means a lot. I’ve been lucky enough to Captain the RAF to four Inter Service titles and will be looking to take that title back from the Army this year”

“We’re under no illusion of the task in hand, but with some new additions and two years of building a new core to the team, I think we’re in a really good place and the lines have been clicking well”

“Hockey’s the same wherever you play it, whether that be in this country, overseas, in the forces or for a civilian club. It brings everyone together and typifies the way the Armed Forces operates as a whole by working as a team”

“Wherever I’ve played the characters and roles have been the same, only the faces change”

The RAF and the Navy will face off on Tuesday 2 June at 7.30pm, and the loser will play the Army the following evening at the same time. The winner of the first game will then play the Army on Thursday at.. you guessed it, 7.30pm.

So if you are in Yorkshire this week and you want to see some free ice hockey action featuring some of our most committed personnel, then head down to Ice Sheffield and enjoy.

The Day 1 schedule of the Tri-Service Tournament is below.