Thursday Leagues

Senior Leagues

We play at Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre (WRAC) in Kilbirnie, Wellington on Thursday nights 7:20pm - 9:45pm, this is also known as a 'Senior League' night. Throughout the year there are different Leagues organised for players to participate in. They range in length from short 3 week leagues up to longer 8 week leagues.

WUHA Clubs Coordinator & Club Representatives

WUHA Clubs Coordinator
Geoff Coplon (KoM)

Club Reps
Phoenix: Zoe Houston, Finn Hollingworth
Crocodylus: Eloise Sharpe, Ben Paviour-Smith
KoM: Leah Chamberlin, Josie Hunt

Club League

Four nights: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th September
Club based teams
Grades: A, B and C
While players may move between teams, everyone must have registered (no mercs)

Clubs will place players in teams and advise their players. Players must have registered (form is still open for those in teams that forgot to sign up: https://forms.gle/ut2LZrDHrPqZLVyT6). Teams are:

Crox: two A-grade, one B-grade
KoM: one A-grade, one B-grade, two C-grade (only one the first evening)
Phoenix: one A-grade, one B-grade, one C-grade

There are a few crossover games: each B grade team gets to play their club A-grade teams, and C-grade teams

No-231 League

4 nights: August 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
No mercs
All players must be financially up to date with WUHA

This is intended to be another fun-focussed league. We welcome back most of our intrepid travellers, returning to 76.5 players. This is down on the cup leagues (~15-20 people), but up on the mystery league, with a lot less nightly variation in attendance.

Grade requests via registration have been honoured. Positions requests have been spread as much as possible, but given the non-standard formations, and the overabundance of forwards, some flex in where people play will be required.

Formations have been selected and allocated to teams. There are "experts" in how the formation works in the 3-2-1, 2-1-1, 1-3-2 and 2-1-2-1 teams. 2-2-2 doesn't have an expert, but I suspect we've all played this at some stage or another.

A/B Grade

The A/B grade has 5 teams, playing 14 games each across the 4 weeks. Developing the draw was tricky. As uch as possible, teams won't playing the same team twice in a night (one occurance only) and won't play three games in a row. As we didn't have quite enough game slots for 4 full rounds, each team plays each other three times, and a couple of teams an extra time

Refereeing: best efforts, ideally try to get at least one in the water please. Unfortunatly when games are in both courts, one team picks up both duties, but still better to have one in than not.

B/C Grade

The B/C grade has 20 players, so I've divided you up into 4 mini teams, and re-combine between weeks to add some variation. The suggested formations for each game are on the draw, but feel free to mix it up as long as it is NOT 2-3-1. Nydia has kindly offered to explain 1-1-1-1-1-1 to the B/C grade.

Referring: no obvious solution as everyone plays the whole time, unless people want to take turns rotating out to ref.

Formations

2-2-2: The OG

2 forwards, 2 mids, 2 backs
Expert: everyone

What many of us started with, very strong on the wall. Forward/mid and mid/back rotations, with the forwards working as a pair too. Goes wide via open mid peeling out and looking for open forward. Everyone chases the open mid when they have this brain explosion...

2-1-2-1: Box variation

2 forwards, 1 centre, 2 backs, 1 goalie
Experts: U19M players (Cam, Hamish)

As played at Junior worlds by the U19M team in 2024, a box variant rather than a traditional 2-1-2-1. Forwards and backs rotate on the wall. Offside forward goes on-wall as needed to help. Centre and offside back stay level or behind the puck. Goalie holds the fort at the back, engaging as needed but staying off-wall unless it is static.

3-2-1: 90s Kiwi Domination [age grade teams]

3 forward, 2 backs, 1 goalie
Expert: Andy

An aggressive formation working like a permanent horns attack. Onside forward and centre work with their back to attack, constantly putting the puck behind the opposition and turning them around. When it breaks down the puck is swung around the backs via the goalie to attack via the other side of the formation (no back/goalie rotation). The centre is a forward and should have a one for one sub.

1-3-2: The French

1 forward, 3 wings, 2 back/goalies
Expert: Pierre

(still to come)

2-1-1: The Stabbity

5 dynamic players, 1 goalie
Expert: Benson

The formation only has one set position, a goalie at the back responsible for cleaning up when things go pear-shaped. The other three positions form a triangle around the puck and can be filled by any of the other five players at any time. The five are constantly predicting where the puck is going next to ensure the positions around the puck are always filled.

1-1-1-1-1-1: The Compass ™

6 players
One conga line
Expert: Nydia

A tried-and-true formation that helped the wāhine of Spark, Phoenix's most prestigious C grade team, come dead last at 2017 Club Nats. The Compass™️ makes use of a simple linear plan - when the person at the front of the line comes up, they rotate to the back. You may think that sounds absurd, but the beauty of The Compass™️ is in its simplicity. In fact, with a formation this simple everyone should be able to master it. Aside from rotating, the only other piece of info you need to retain is that you track the puck across the pool moving on the diagonal, maintaining a 6-person single file line at all times. Offense gain? Nearly 0. Defensive power? +100 as you have 6 people working hard and spending nearly no time whatsoever on the bottom of the pool. It's silly, it's goofy, but most off all it may be the most fun formation to ever be played at Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre. For coaching enquiries regarding The Compass™️ please contact Nydia Salmon during her office hours (Thursday 7.15pm-9.45pm, poolside), or reach out via messenger.

Teams

A/B Grade

B/C Grade

Draw

20 minute game slots: 8 min halves, 2 minute half-time, 2 minutes between games
Refereeing preferred where possible (at least one in the water)
A/B grade: 14 games, 7 referee duties
B/C grade: 13 games, team combinations in draw along with suggested formations for each game

Next League - Club teams, preparation for nationals

Registrations will open late August.

LENGTH: 5 nights with a scratch at the end
TABLE: No
REFS: Yes
SCORES: To be celebrated but won't be recorded
GRADES: Dependent on club team nomination
MERCS: Nope (so sign up even if you're only intending to be here for a couple of nights)

Players will register as normal (must be financial with WUHA). Names will be provided to club reps who will decide what teams they want to enter into the league. This is to allow teams to prepare for nationals - by playing other teams. Old fashioned club-based hockey! Depending on teams entered, there may be some cross grade games.

Club Leagues Plan 2024

Please refer to the calendar below for the breakdown of all of the planned league nights.

Please refer to the PDF with the decsriptions for each of the leagues below.

2024_club_league_descriptions.pdf
File Size:	120 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Clubs Fees

Clubs Selection Process

wuha_clubs_selection_process.pdf
File Size:	90 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Pool Rules

General:
- Set up may begin at 7:20pm or earlier if the blue mats are down
- Goals and barriers must be placed on the blue mats when getting them in and out of the water
- 2 people per goal bin to carry and when swimming them in the water
- 1 person per yellow barrier to carry and when swimming them in the water
- There is to be no use of the bulk heads, if you must get from one side to the other either walk around or swim across
- There is to be no poolside changing (public have recently been complaining)
- A spotter is required for UWH and is a designated person focused on the pool at all times, they must be seated next to the pool on the blue chair