Ringette

Ringette

A young girl playing Ringette
Characteristics
Mixed gender	female
Presence
Olympic	No
Paralympic	No

Ringette is a team sport with two variations, one indoor and one outdoor version. The winter sport is played on an ice rink. One indoor court version is called gym ringette.^[1]

The game objective is to outscore the opposing team. Created in Canada, the sport is played on an ice surface, primarily by women and girls, and requires the use of ice skates. The sport uses a blue rubber pneumatic ring and all players, with the exception of goaltenders, use a straight stick. One of the sport's most recognizable and defining features is the fact that it does not involve the use of intentional body contact as a strategic component. Despite its primary popularity among female participants, the sport is officially mixed.

History

Ringette is a winter season team sport played on an ice rink using ice skates. From its beginnings in 1963 in Northern Ontario, participation in the sport has increased in Canada, and spread to the United States of America, Finland, Sweden and France. In Canada an annual national level competition is held called the Canadian Ringette Championships and the sport is also included in the Canada Winter Games.

Ringette was invented in 1963 by the Northern Ontario Recreation Directors Association (NORDA), led by the two founders of ringette, Sam Jacks, from West Ferris, Ontario, director of Parks and Recreation for the city of North Bay, Ontario and Mirl "Red" McCarthy, recreation director for the town of Espanola, Ontario. The title of birthplace of ringette is shared by both North Bay, Ontario, and Espanola, Ontario, where the first game was played in the fall of 1963 under the direction of McCarthy.

The NORDA organization was critical in the early years of the sport's spread, and was a regional organization composed of members from a large area that included the Ontario communities of North Bay, Espanola, Deep River, Elliot Lake, Huntsville, Sturgeon Falls, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Onaping and Phelps, as well as Témiscaming, Québec.

NORDA recognized that the available winter programs, broomball and female hockey both failed to attract and maintain female participants and a result embarked on a new initiative to create either a court or rink sport for girls. It was at the time (and still is) a novel approach to the problem of female participation in sport, as it was typical to adopt directives which aimed to increase female participation by adopting an already established and popular male sport, and then recruiting interest, a directive that had already clearly failed. It was also becoming increasingly acceptable to assume that men were responsible for the lack of participation of females in sport despite evidence to the contrary. Ringette's inventors and success challenged this anti-male notion by carving out a brand new sport that was geared towards girls deliberately and from the very start, rather than simply adopting another popular male sport and recruiting. The new sport, which easily could have failed due to taking a highly unconventional approach to increasing female participation, was very well received and quickly gained popularity and traction among youth and also was eventually well received in Finland after its introduction in the country.

Gender politics

During the early 1990s, the Minnesota State High School League lobbied the Minnesota Department of Education, and found itself in a position to project itself as the authoritative voice on girls sports interests.^[2] The survey was made in relation to Title IX gender quotas rather than educational initiatives based on physical activity and health. The survey was conducted, designed and distributed in order to promote ice hockey, rather than promote the sports of ringette and bandy in conjunction with ice hockey, both non-contact team sports which were played in the state at that point in time. Promoting ice hockey, a well known sport most popular among males, was pursued due to Olympic hopes. The goal of multi-disciplinary growth and participation by girls in sport, preferred by those in sports medicine due to the increasing incidence of overuse-injuries among athletes, was ignored. Similarly, the survey made no mention of the high cost burden that would be incurred by parents due to the sports high cost requirement for participation beyond entry level programs. The survey methodology has never been made publicly available.

Naming the sport

The first time the name "ringette" is mentioned was at the NORDA meetings held on January 20 and 21, 1963 in Sudbury. Sam Jacks advised the group that "he had been working on a new girls' court game". Jacks had first considered an inside floor game for females, presumably based on his previous success with floor hockey.

At their September 15 and 16, 1963 meeting at North Bay's RCAF base, Sam Jacks informed the group that he would "like to have NORDA receive credit as a body for the birth of this game." Each one of the sports directors left this meeting agreeing to develop the game in their own community and report their findings at the next NORDA meeting in early 1964.

First game

Under the guidance of Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy, the first game of ringette was held between Espanola high school girls at the Espanola Arena in the fall of 1963. He wrote up a set of rules and created a ring for this occasion, still on display inside the Espanola arena.

In 1963-1964, McCarthy's original ringette rules became experimental in the following Northern Ontario and Quebec communities:

• Espanola, Ontario Arena
• Onaping, Ontario Playground
• Sudbury, Ontario Kingsway Playground
• Sudbury Grace Playground
• Sudbury Adamsdale Playground
• Sudbury Barrydowne Playground
• Sault Ste. Marie,Ontario
• Témiscaming, Québec Arena

McCarthy presented a written list of rules which he had developed, combined with comments and observations to NORDA at their meeting at Moose Lake Lodge in Onaping, on January 19 and 20, 1964.

First league

In 1964-1965, Sudbury, Ontario formed the first ever ringette league, comprising four teams. Diana Heit, assistant program director of Sudbury Parks and Recreation department, helped the teams with schedules, rules and coaching.

First invitational tournament

On March 5, 1966, the first invitational tournament, the Northern Ontario and Quebec championships, was held in Temiscaming, Quebec. The tournament took place with five teams participating: North Bay Police Playground, Sudbury Rose Marie Playground, Sudbury East End Playground, Temiscaming Reds, and Temiscaming Whites. The tournament was won by the Temiscaming Reds team. This historic tournament created many firsts for the game of ringette:

1. The first ringette tournament.
2. The first interprovincial tournament.
3. The first tournament in Quebec.
4. The first tournament for the Canadian and World Championship.
5. The first indoor tournament.
6. The first tournament on artificial ice.
7. The first crests ever created and awarded for the sport.^[3]

Introduction to North Bay

Ringette was introduced in North Bay on January 21, 1965 at the Kiwanis Playground with teams from Kiwanis and Police zones participating. The game ended in a 5-5 overtime tie. Attempts were being made to form a four team league.^[4] Growth in ringette came slowly to North Bay as ice time was seldom available. It was not until 1971-72 that West Ferris, Ontario, today part of North Bay, had a four-team league operating.

Introduction to Quebec

Ringette was introduced to the province of Québec by Bob Reid, director of recreation for Témiscaming, secretary and chairman of NORDA.

Further developments

By 1965-66, NORDA decided that they had carried the game about as far as it could go. The Society of Directors of Municipal Recreation of Ontario (SDMRO) was chosen to develop and organize it further on a larger scale.

By 1973, an agreement was worked out between SDMRO and the Ontario Ringette Association (ORA) where the copyright to the Official Ringette Rules would be held by the ORA. Finally, in 1983 in agreement with the ORA, these rights were acquired by Ringette Canada.

The legacy of Samuel and Agnes Jacks

The West Ferris Arena, today called the West Ferris Centennial Community Centre, was built in 1967, four years after the birth and invention of the sport in 1963. The arena, surrounding ballfields and tennis courts, is together called the Sam Jacks Recreational Complex.

After Sam Jacks died in May 1975, his wife Agnes promoted the game and acted as an ambassador for the sport until her own death in April 2005. She was awarded the Order of Canada.

The legacy of Mirl "Red" McCarthy

• Ringette Canada Hall of Fame - Founder (1988)
• Sudbury Sport Hall of Fame (2007)
• Mirl "Red" McCarthy Memorial Trophy - awarded to top Coach in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
• Athletic complex in Espanola named the "Red McCarthy Memorial Athletic Fields".
• Ringette is one of four sports featured on the "Canadian Inventions: Sports" series issued by Canada Post stamps on August 10, 2009.[4]

Basic rules of play

Players

Only six players on each team are permitted on the ice at one time, one centre, two forwards, two defenders, and a goaltender.

Playing short-handed

A team plays short-handed (is down one or two players) when a player receives a penalty and must sit for a defined interval in the penalty box. Regardless of the number of players in the penalty box, at least three skaters must be present on the ice at all times. No players are added to the ice until there is only one left in the box (i.e., add the fourth skater to the ice).

Pulling the goalie

A team may pull the goalie off the ice and one more player may go in the offensive or defensive end. If the goalie is pulled and the play returns to that team's defensive end, one skater may become an acting goaltender. Once she enters the crease, she is bound by the same rules as a regular goaltender.

Free pass

The game begins with the visiting team receiving control of the ring on the defending half of the center circle. One player from the visiting team must pass the ring to another player within five seconds, without leaving the half circle or crossing the centre line, or else possession is lost and granted to the home team.

Blue lines

Players are not permitted to carry the ring over the two blue lines; they can advance the ring over the line only by passing it to another player. The ring must be touched by any other player first, but does not need to be under control before the passer take possession again (e.g., the passer bounces the ring off a player's skate and then picks it up). If a player touches the ring consecutively on both sides of the blue line their team loses possession and the opposing team is given a free pass. If the ring goes over both blue lines, the team that passed it may not touch it until the opposing team does or attempts to get the ring.

If a goaltender throws the ring across the blue line, a delayed violation is signalled. The goaltender may use their stick to pass the ring over the blue line.

Free Play Line (aka Ringette Line)

The red line at the top of the defensive circles is called the Free Play Line. It marks the restricted area of each team's attacking/defending zones. Only three players from each team, plus the defending goaltender, are permitted into the restricted areas.

Exceptions include:

• The defending team must have one player out of the free play area. If a team has two penalized players, only two players in addition to the goaltender may be in the zone.
• If a team has pulled their goaltender, an additional player is allowed into the attacking or defending zone. The goaltender must be completely off the ice before the additional player is permitted to enter. Once the goalie is pulled, any of the players from that team may enter the goaltender's crease and play as goalie – but cannot carry the ring out of the crease.

If the violation is non-intentional, the team in violation will lose possession of the ring and have it granted to the non-offending team. If the violation is deemed intentional, a delay of game penalty is assessed (rare). If an intentional violation occurs in the last two minutes of the game, a penalty shot is awarded instead. The Extended Zone Line is also known as the "ringette line".

Crease

The crease is essentially an invisible wall from ice to ceiling located in front of the goal mouth and defined by a red semi circle on the ice. Goaltenders are the only players permitted in the crease. If a member of the team with ring possession violates the crease with a stick, skate, arm, etc., the play is stopped and the goalie receives the ring. If any member of the non-possession team violates the crease, their team cannot touch the ring for five seconds (counted by the referee), or possession of the ring is given to the other team.

When the ring enters the crease, the goaltender then has five seconds to throw, pass with stick, deflect, or push the ring out to another player. If the goalie does not pass it within five seconds, the ring is awarded to the other team for a free pass from one of the defensive free play circles. The goalie may use the stick to touch the ring outside the crease, and can also pass through the crease, but may not pull it into the crease unless she pulls it all the way through and out with one motion. Otherwise, this results in a loss of possession, and a penalty if she has already been given a warning. The goalie may not pick up or cover the ring with her glove outside the crease. The goalie can push the ring with a hand when outside the crease, as can any other player.

The team in possession of the ring has 30 seconds to shoot, it is not always played this way with the younger girls (Active start, and U10), or it gives up possession to the other team. The shot clock is reset when possession of the ring changes teams, when the ring stops in the goaltender's crease, or when the ring bounces off the goalie. The shot clock is only applied in competitive levels, starting at the petite level (U12).

Violations

A violation is a minor penalty called for violations of game play rules, usually due to improper movement or handling of the ring. Common violations include entering the crease, touching the ring on either side of the blue line, four players in the zone and 2 (blue) line passes.

If a violation is committed by the team in possession of the ring, play is stopped immediately. The ring is awarded to the opposing team in the zone the violation occurred. If a violation is committed by the team not in possession of the ring, a 'delayed violation' is signaled by the official (arm raised with a 90 degree bend at the elbow) and a 5-second count begins. If the team in violation touches the ring within that time period, play is stopped and the violation is assessed. If the count expires, the violation is dropped and play continues.

If a violation occurs that would award the defending team a free pass in their own zone, the ring is given to the goaltender as a "goalie ring". Play resumes immediately when the goaltender receives the ring. Time is not provided for teams to perform line changes as can be done on a free pass, although on-the-fly changes are permitted as in normal play.

Penalties

Penalties in ringette have the same concept as in hockey, with the notable exception that less body contact is allowed, and fighting has a zero-tolerance policy. Penalties are of the following classes:

• Minor penalties, such as boarding, charging, cross checking, elbowing, holding, illegal substitution, hooking, high-sticking, tripping, body contact, slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct and interference. The offending player must sit in the penalty box for two or four minutes depending on the severity of the penalty (other exceptions apply) and her team plays short-handed. The penalty ends when the team with the penalty is scored on, or the penalty time runs out. (If the defense is serving two penalties, the oldest penalty ends.)
• A major penalty is assessed for serious offenses, generally involving intent to injure or an intentional penalty action to prevent a shot during the attacking team's breakaway. Major penalties are four minutes in length and do not end upon the scoring of a goal. Interruption of a breakaway by a penalty action can result in a penalty shot.

-- body contact, slashing, tripping, boarding, charging and any other physical contact penalty, and unsportsmanlike can become a four-minute major penalty depending on the severity and roughness. Also, players can receive two penalties at the same time for a combination of four or more minutes.

• Misconduct and Match penalties may also be called. They result in a player's ejection from the game. Misconduct and Major penalties also incur a two- or four-minute fully served penalty to be served by a teammate, unless the penalty is assessed to a non-playing bench member.

When a penalty is assessed against the goalie, a teammate on the ice at the time of the offence must serve it.

If the team not in control of the ring commits a penalty, play is not stopped until the penalized team gains control. This is called a delayed penalty. A minor penalty is nullified if a goal is scored during the delay, unless penalties of equal class were called on both teams. While the penalty is delayed, the attacking team can add a sixth skater to the ice by pulling their goalie. This player can enter the play zone as the fourth attacker.

A team can work off at most two penalties at a time. If a team commits a third penalty, the penalized player sits in the penalty box, but her interval does not start until the first of the other penalties expires (and so forth if there are more penalties). A team plays with a minimum of three skaters on the ice, regardless of the number of penalties. If freeing a player from the penalty box would give the team more players on the ice than it is entitled to (such as when the team is down to three attackers, but there are two other players in the penalty box), she will not be freed until a whistle stops play. During the stoppage, the team must remove one player from the ice to return to its proper strength.

A team with two penalties can have only two players (instead of the usual three) in its defensive zone. But if a third person is active in the defensive zone while two man down a third penalty will be called. If there is a third penalty that penalty time does not start till the first penalty is over. All three players may enter the offensive zone.

Equipment

Required equipment for ringette is similar to ice hockey:

• ringette stick – are generally lightweight composite or hollow wood, with metal or ridged plastic tips. Heavily splintered sticks are not permitted.
• ringette ring
• hockey skates – goalies may choose to use goalie skates
• shin pads, worn under the pants (or goalie pads)
• protective girdle with a "cup" or a "jill" to protect genitals
• ringette pants – covering pants.
• hockey gloves (ringette gloves have been phased out due to a lack of hard padding)
• elbow pads
• jersey
• helmet with ringette facemask (must have a triangle bar pattern–either full or half with a plexiglass shield for the eyes; square bars are disallowed because the stick tip can fit through the spaces)
• neck guard
• shoulder pads – in some associations/provinces, shoulder pads are optional after U12. In Ontario, shoulder pads are necessary until 18+, other provinces may vary.

- mandatory mouthguards in a game but optional in a practice

The ringette facemask is much like a hockey one except the bars are spaced so that the end of a ringette stick cannot enter the mask. (bars are shaped as triangles, not squares)

Ringette sticks have tapered ends, with plastic or metal tips specially designed with grooves to increase the lift and velocity of the wrist shot. A ringette stick is also reinforced to withstand the body weight of a player – a ring carrier leans heavily on his/her stick to prevent opposing players from removing the ring. Sticks are flexible and lightweight to bend without breaking.

Olympic status

Ringette is currently not in the Olympics. In its homeland of Canada, stemming the game in order to have the sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee for inclusion in the winter Olympic games is underway. Marketing methods have included using social media as well as word of mouth.

Ringette has thus far been excluded from the Olympics partly due to the fact that it must have 25% of each gender to qualify. The sport is typically overlooked by male participants due to its lack of widespread recognition and the more widespread availability of other organized winter sports like ice hockey. Currently there are not enough males with the skill to qualify for an Olympic team.

Canadian status

Levels of play in Canada

There are several levels of play in Ringette, categorized by age. Divisions were recently renamed as U* divisions under the new Long Term Development Plan (LTDP) rolled out nationally by Ringette Canada for the 2009-10 ringette season:

U6-8 under 6 or 8 years- this age division has been recently created by only a few associations. It is designed to introduce younger children (primarily girls) to the sport and begin to develop skills at an early age. Typically, these young players play modified games (shorter time, no penalties, on half of the ice etc.)

U8 under 8 (previously called 'Bunny' division)

U9 ' Under 9 (this is a minor Novice Division)

U10 primarily 8 & 9 years (previously called the 'Novice' division)

U12 10- & 11-year-old players (previously referred to as 'Petite' division)

U14 12- & 13-year-old players (previously referred to as 'Tween' division)

U16 14- & 15-year-old players (previously referred to as 'Junior' division)

U19 16- to 18-year-old players (previously referred to as 'Jr Belle' of 'Belle' division)

18+ 18 years and older players (previously referred to as 'Open' or adult division, usually included lifelong players under 30)

'"Masters"' 18 years and older, either lifelong players desiring a slower pace, or new players who begin as adults (this division is part of the league associations but excluded from Provincial tournaments)

NRL Known as the National Ringette league, for elite players aged 18+

In 2010 the league put back in place previous age groups.

Boys are permitted to play at any age level but are restricted to competing at the "B" level or lower in many places. It isn't uncommon to see boys participating above U9 or U6 divisions. Due to the pure speed of the sport, skating is emphasized at these levels; boys will typically develop skating and basic stick-handling before switching over to hockey around U10. Levels of competition, based on skill, range from recreational to competitive, and include: Rec, C, B, BB, A, and AA and AAA, with AA being the highest level at which league competition occurs. AAA ringette is typically specific to particular regions who feel another category is necessary to clarify their league or tournament play. For example: AAA teams out of Quebec have played AA teams out of Alberta at various tournaments, including the National Championships. In Alberta, the highest level considered is AA, although they are deemed equal to the AAA teams from areas such as Quebec. For those who like the hockey parallel, playing AA ringette is the same as playing AAA hockey. The National Ringette League was introduced in 2004-2005 season and includes open-aged players at AA/AAA level.

National Ringette League

The National Ringette League (also indicated by the initials NRL) is an elite league of ringette in Canada. The NRL groups together the very best players over the age of 19 in Canada. The NRL consists of nineteen teams separated into two conferences. The Western Conference has six teams and the Eastern Conference has thirteen teams. The NRL recovers directly from Ringette Canada, the guiding organisation for Ringette in Canada.

Canadian championships

The Championnats Canadien d'Ringuette/ Canadian Ringette Championships took place for the first time in 1979 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This tournament was conceived so as to be able to determine who are the Canadian champions in the categories Under-16 years, Under-19 years and Open (replaced by the National Ringuette League since 2008). The Canadian Championships of ringuette usually take place in April of every year.

Year (Host City)	U16 (Junior)	U19 (Belle)	Open/NRL
2017 (Leduc, AB)
2016 (London, ON)	Laurentides (Quebec)	Guelph Predators (Ontario)	Cambridge Turbos
2015 (Wood Buffalo, AB)	BVRA Angels (Manitoba)	Nepean Ravens (Ontario)	Cambridge Turbos
2014 (Regina, SK)	Guelph Predators (Ontario)	Winnipeg Magic (Manitoba)	Ottawa Ice
2013 (Fredericton, NB)	LMRL Thunder (British Columbia)	Nepean Ravens (Ontario)	Calgary Rath
2012 (Burnaby, BC)	South East Stingers (New Brunswick)	St. Clement Rockets (Ontario)	LMRL Thunder
2011 (Cambridge, ON)	Alberta	Quebec	Edmonton WAM!
2010 (Saskatoon, SK)	Alberta	Ontario	Edmonton WAM!
2009 (Charlottetown, PEI)	Ontario	Alberta	Cambridge Turbos
2008 (St. Albert, AB)	Alberta Host	Ontario	Cambridge Turbos
2007 (Halifax, NS)	Saskatchewan	Quebec	Alberta
2006 (Longueil, QE)	Quebec	Manitoba	Ontario
2005 (Winnipeg, MB)	Quebec	Alberta	Alberta
2004 (Calgary, AB)	Manitoba	Ontario	Alberta
2003 (Waterloo, ON)	Manitoba	Ontario	Alberta
2002 (Regina, SK)	Alberta	Manitoba	Ontario
2001 (Moncton, NB)	Manitoba	Alberta	Alberta

University Challenge Cup

The annual competition groups together Canadian universities^[5] · ^[6] in 2 conferences and is organized by the association Canadian University Ringette

University champions

^[7]

2013: University of Alberta

2012: University of Alberta

2011: University of Calgary^[8] · ^[9]

2010: University of Brock^[10]

2009: University of Calgary^[11]

2008: University of Guelph^[12]

2007: University of Calgary^[13]

2006: University of Ottawa^[14] · ^[15]

2005: University of Calgary^[16]

2004: University of Calgary

2003: College of Saint-Boniface

2002: College of Saint-Boniface

2001: University of Manitoba, Team A

2000: College of Saint-Boniface

1999: University of Winnipeg

Canada Winter Games

The Canada Winter Games are a multi-sport competition of two weeks duration. The Canada Games represent an important national competition. Twenty one sports appear. Ringette takes part in the event during one of two weeks of the Canada Games. Usually the competition begins on Mondays followed by the semi-final on Friday evening and of the National final on Saturdays. The best ringette athletes of ten provinces meet under the banner of teams of each of the provinces there. The Winter Games are held in every 4 years.

Ringette at 2015 Canada Winter Games^[17]

• Gold : Manitoba
• Silver : Ontario
• Bronze : New Brunswick

Ringette at 2011 Canada Winter Games^[18]

• Gold : Ontario
• Silver : Alberta
• Bronze : Quebec

Ringette at 2007 Canada Winter Games^[19]

• Gold : Ontario
• Silver : Alberta
• Bronze : Québec

Ringette at 2003 Canada Winter Games ^[20]

• Gold : Ontario
• Silver : Manitoba
• Bronze : British Columbia

Ringette at 1999 Canada Winter Games^[21]

• Gold : Ontario
• Silver : Manitoba
• Bronze : Saskatchewan

Ringette at 1995 Canada Winter Games ^[22]

• Gold : Alberta
• Silver : Manitoba
• Bronze : British Columbia

Ringette at 1991 Canada Winter Games^[23]

• Gold : Alberta
• Silver : Ontario
• Bronze : British Columbia

Eastern Canadian Ringette Championships

The provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario have competed the Eastern Canadian Ringette Championships in the following 4 divisions since 2002: (U14AA, U16A, U19A and U18+ A).

Cross-sport participation

Some of the Canada's national level ringette players have also played for the Canadian women's national bandy team. Their best results are 4th at the 2007 Women's Bandy World Championship and 2010.

Canada's first goal scored in the nations history of organized women's bandy was by Lindsay Burns.^[24] Burns has also played for Canada's National Ringette Team.^[25]

International status

Internationally, half-a-dozen countries currently participate and organize in the sport of Ringette, particularly those situated in the Northern Hemisphere. Ringette is currently organized and played in the countries of Canada, Finland, Sweden, United States, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia, with the largest community in Canada. In Canada over 50,000 participants register annually.^[26]

Elite level ringette leagues are present in Scandinavia and in Canada.

Canada, Finland and Sweden are members of the International Ringette Federation (IRF) established in 1986. Canada and Finland have always been the most active ambassadors in the International Federation. Canada and Finland regularly travel across various countries to demonstrate how ringette is played. Canadian teams have demonstrated in countries including as Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

In 2012, the Ringette International Federation announced new promotion activities in Norway, Slovakia, as well as in South Korea.

Finnish clubs

In 1979, Juhani Wahlsten introduced ringette in Finland.^[27] Wahlsten created some teams in Turku. Finland's first ringette club was Ringetteläisiä Turun Siniset and the country's first ringette tournament took place in December, 1980.

The Ringette Association of Turku was established in 1981 and several Canadian coaches went there to make of the training and formation. The ski national week then organized an annual tournament to bring together all the ringette teams.

The National Association of Ringuette of Finland was created in 1983.

The 1985 tournament included several hundred girls. It became impossible to combine into a single event all the age groups and all the categories of players.

The visit of different Canadian teams in the winter of 1986 increased the popularity of the sport. Currently 10,000 young Finnish girls participate in 31 ringette clubs. Several cities have important clubs: Naantali, Turku, Uusikaupunki.

Levels of play in Finland

Finnish ringette takes place at the local amateur level to the professional level with the elite league Ringeten SM-Sarja.^[28] This professional women league established in 1987 and consists of eight clubs in 2011-2012 season:

• VG-62 , won 6 National Championships titles^[29]
• Tuusula Ringette, won 6 National Championships titles
• Lapinlahden Luistin, won 6 National Championships titles^[30]
• Luvian Kiekko , won 3 National Championships titles^[31]
• Hyvinkää Ringette, won 2 National Championships titles^[32]
• Lahti Ringette, won 1 National Championships title
• Helsinki Ringette, won 1 National Championships title,^[33][34]
• Raision Nuorisokiekko, won 1 National Championships title^[35]

Swedish clubs

Ringette was introduced to Sweden in the 1980s.^[36] The first ringette club was Ulriksdals, in Stockholm. The national federation of ringette was established in 1990^[37] and the elite league Ringetteförbundet was established in 1994. The league groups together 7 professional women clubs:

Kista Hockey^[38]

IFK Salem^[39]

IK Huge^[40]

Järna SK^[41]

Segeltorps IF^[42]

Sollentuna HC^[43]

Ulriksdals SK^[44]

Several junior teams, and numerous amateur teams are connected with these 7 semi-pro clubs. Most Swedish ringette associations are located in the Mälardalen region.^[45] There are programs of "twin towns" between Swedish ringette association and Canadian associations for the development of the sport within the Swedish population. More than 6,000 girls are registered annually.^[46]

USA clubs

The National Ringette Team of the USA competes regularly at the World Ringette Championships. The two major national sporting organization for ringette in the USA are USA Ringette^[47] and Team USA Ringette.^[48]

World Ringette Championship

At the beginning, the World Ringette Championships were held every other year. But since the world championship of 2004 held in Sweden, the World Championships are held once every three years. The winning national team is awarded the Sam Jacks Trophy.

The first World Championships were held in 1990 in the city of Gloucester in Ontario, Canada. Three countries participated: Canada,^[49] Finland and United States, sending a total of 8 teams.^[50] Finland finished seventh and the United States eighth while Canadian teams monopolized the podium.^[51]

The second world Championship took place in 1992 in Helsinki, in Finland. There were two Canada teams,^[52] Finland, United States, France, Sweden and Russia.^[53][54]

The third World Championship was played in 1994 in Minnesota, United States. There were two Canada teams,^[55] Finland, United States, Sweden and Russia.^[56] Finland won the World Cup, its very first world championship.^[57]

The 1996 World Championships took place in Stockholm, Sweden. Canada^[58] won the gold medal beating Finland 6-5 in extra time.^[59]

Since 1994, these two countries (Canada and Finland) have battled for the world title. Finland took it in 1994 and in 2000,^[60] while Canada won the gold medal in 1996 and in 2002.^[61] The victory by Canada in 2002 is particularly notable.^[62] Having been defeated by the score 4-3 in extra time against Finland in 2000, Canada took its revenge by defeating their arch-rival by the score 3-1 in front of an arena filled with about 4,000 supporters in Edmonton, Alberta. The final match was broadcast on CBC and followed by 544,000 Canadian televiewers.

Since the 2004 World championships, Finland has dominated.^[63] The 2004 World championships were played in Stockholm, where Finland took the world championship by crushing 9-3 Canada in the final.^[64]

In 2007, the World championships were played in Ottawa, Canada,^[65][66] · .^[67] Cup Finale game requires of additional time (the Finnish player Marjukka Virta creates the equality 4-4), and Anne Pohjola marks a goal which allows Finland to overcome Canada 5-4^[68] · .^[69] Sweden takes gains its first medal in the World Ringette Championship ( a bronze medal) by beating 10-9 United States at extra time.^[70]

In 2010, Finland^[71] won its fifth world title in front of 10,000 spectators in Tampere by again beating Canada^[72] · .^[73] The United States^[74] have their revenge on Sweden^[75] defeating them 19-1.^[76]

The 2013 World Championships marked the 50th anniversary of the sport and took place in North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Year	Location	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1990 Details	Gloucester, Ontario, Canada	Alberta	Ontario	Quebec
1992 Details	Helsinki, Finland	Canada West	Canada East	Finland
1994 Details	Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States	Finland	Canada East	Canada West
1996 Details	Stockholm, Sweden	Canada	Finland	United States
2000 Details	Helsinki, Finland	Finland	Canada	United States
2002 Details	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	Canada	Finland	United States
2004 Details	Stockholm, Sweden	Finland	Canada	United States
2007 Details	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada	Finland	Canada	Sweden
2010 Details	Tampere, Finland	Finland	Canada	United States
2013 Details	North Bay, Canada	Finland	Canada	United States
2016 Details	Helsinki, Finland	Finland	Canada	Sweden

World Championship of Ringette Clubs

In November 2008, the First World Championship of Ringette Clubs^[77] involved six of the world's best clubs. The international tournament tooh place in Sault Ste-Marie, Canada^[78] · .^[79] Four teams from the National Ringette League and 2 teams from the league of Finnish league Ringeten SM-Sarja participate in it: Cambridge turbos,^[80] Montreal Mission, Calgary RATH, Richmond Hill Lightning participate with EKS-Espoo and LuKi-82 Luvia^[81] 75. The Tournament is taken gained by the Cambridge Turbos^[82] · .^[83]

Final standings:^[84]

• Gold : Cambridge Turbos,^[85] 5 wins in 5 games.
• Silver : LuKi-82 Luvia,^[86] 3 wins and 2 lost in 5 games
• Bronze : Calgary RATH,^[87] 2 wins - 2 lost
• 4th: EKS-Espoo,^[88] 1 win in 4 games
• 5th: Montreal Mission,^[89] 1 wins in 4 games
• 6th: Richmond Hill Lightning,^[90]

The Second World Championships of Ringette Clubs belong to Turku, in Finland,^[91] from December 27, 2011 till January 1, 2012. Canada is represented by two teams, namely the reigning world champion of clubs, the Cambridge Turbos, and by the Richmond Hill Lightning.^[92] 3 clubs represent Finland: Lapinlahden Luistin-89, Luvian Kiekko-82, Raision Nuorisokiekko Ry. The Swedish club Ulriksdals SK Ringette participate also in the international tournament. In semi-final Lapinlahden Luistin-89 overcomes 3-1 the Cambridge Turbos.^[93] Championship Finale is quite Finnish clubs because Lapinlahden Luistin 89 face Raision Nuorisokiekko Ry in the game for the golden medal. Lapinlahden Luistin-89 beats 5-4 the Raision Nuorisokiekko Ry to gain the golden medal, Tiina Randell score the victorious goals.^[94]

Final standings:^[95]

• Gold: Lapinlahden Luistin-89
• Silver: Raision Nuorisokiekko Ry
• Bronze: Luvian Kiekko -82
• 4th: Cambridge Turbos
• 5th: Richmond Hill Lightning
• 6th: Ulriksdals SK Ringette

The Most Valuable Player is Anne Pohjola of Lapinlahden Luistin-89.

World Junior Ringette Championships

The first World Junior Ringette Championship took place in August, 2009 in Prague, Czech Republic: two Canadian teams, Canada West Under-19^[96] and Canada-East Under-19^[97] faced two Finnish teams, Finland White and Finland Blue.^[98]

Final Standing:^[99]

Gold: Finland White^[100]

Silver: Canada East

Bronze: Finland Blue

4th: Canada West

The second World Junior Championship was held in December, 2012 in London, Ontario, Canada.

Final Standing:

Gold: Canada East

Silver: Finland

Bronze: Canada West

4th: Russia

5th: USA

6th: France

Notable international players

 Finland  :

• Petra Ojaranta
• Anne Pohjola
• Katja Kortesoja
• Marjukka Virta
• Anna Vanhatalo
• Salla Kyhälä

 Canada :

• Julie Blanchette
• Stéphanie Séguin
• Jacqueline Gaudet

Recent developments

Canada Post will issue four stamps in a series entitled Canadian inventions: sports featuring four sports: ringette, basketball, five-pin bowling and lacrosse, ringette and five pin bowling holding the distinction of having been invented in Canada. The commemorative stamps were issued on August 10, 2009. The stamp will feature well-worn equipment used in each sport—with a background line drawing of the appropriate playing surface.

References

External links

• Women's Ringette
• (Finnish) Finnish Ringette Association
• Ringette Canada
• (Swedish) Swedish Ringette Association
• United States Ringette Association
• Ringette Slovakia
• Czech Ringette
• International Ringette Federation