BECC 2022 | Five things we loved

BECC 2022 | Five things we loved

The dust has begun to settle, the confetti has been swept up, the plastic cups have been recycled, the reverberation of Freddie Mercury belting out a little song about being a champion has dimmed and pretty much all the hangovers have disappeared. And while the empty feeling of the end of the Belgotex Elite Club Challenge may start to be felt across the club hockey family, the story of the 2022 challenge has merely just begun. As we sift through the photos, rewatch the videos or just reminisce of a wonderful weekend, here are five things we loved about this weekend.

The old school is still very cool

Tommy Hammond, Miguel da Graca, Jacinta Jubb, Kim Hubach, Julian Hykes, Reza Rosenberg, Jonty Robinson, Mmatshepo Modipane and the likes are names that most South African hockey fans have known for some time. They are players who have played at the top end of club hockey for more than a decade. What was very evident this week once again was that old adage that form is temporary, and class is permanent. The experienced players put their hands up again and again and were the difference makers again and again.

But the new school looks pretty cool too

Of course, there were names that may not have been as well-known. Names such as Alex Blows, Charllene Boshoff, DaniRhodes, Malikah Hamza and Ross Montgomery to name a few. The less experienced players have started to put down a marker on their brilliance. The health of club hockey is in good hands.

Video Referrals

We all love the drama that comes from a correct video referral. Having ES Media on board allowed the turf 1 games to have video referrals that were nothing short of world class. What they created was an opportunity for review that is not often present. They also showed how good our umpires are as a number of referrals were unsuccessful!

Riverside Sports Club

Two world class turfs right next to each other. A restaurant with viewing opportunities. A family club that plays host to the club hockey family. We love our host venue, thank you once again!

The Winners

Turning over a five-year run of defeats against Kearsney, Riverside triumphed at the right time on the biggest stage. It was their third title in the eight editions of the Belgotex Elite Club Challenge. They were joined in drinking from the winning champaign by Beaulieu Hockey Club who dedicated the victory to the late Ally Fredericks. Their forward focus brand of hockey is exciting, riveting and at a speed that can only be described as elite. Two elite winners of the Belgotex Elite Club Challenge.