World Ringette Championships

A sport from Canada

Ringette was invented in Canada in 1963 as a team sport on ice, mainly for girls and women. It is played with a straight stick without a blade and a rubber ring instead of a puck. The World Championships are organised by the International Ringette Federation. The first was held in 1990 in Gloucester, Canada.

Format

Women's national teams take part in the World Championships. In the top pool, the strongest nations play a series of games against each other, and the final decides the title. There is also a competition for other nations, so that countries with a smaller ringette scene get international games too. The tournament isn't held annually but irregularly, often every two to three years.

Canada vs Finland

The World Ringette Championships are defined by the duel Canada vs Finland. The two countries have shared the titles almost entirely between them. Ringette is surprisingly popular in Finland and has its own national league. Other participating nations include Sweden and the USA.

Rules in brief

Ringette has no body contact. The ring must be passed over the blue lines; no player may carry it across. This makes the game pass-oriented and fast. A shot clock limits the time for an attack. More in the entry Ringette.

Ringette in Europe

Outside Finland and Sweden, ringette is little known in Europe. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland there are hardly any organised teams. If you'd like to try the sport, your best chance is at rinks with open training times or through initiatives by players from Canada or Finland.

Why the World Championships matter

For a small sport, the World Championships are the showcase. They show players in youth programmes that there is an international goal, and help federations win sponsors and funding. The games are streamed.

Related sports

If you like ringette, you may also be interested in ice hockey, bandy or broomball, which are also explained in the encyclopedia.

Equipment

Ringette players wear equipment similar to ice hockey, with a helmet and face protection. The straight stick has a reinforced tip.

Invented in Ontario

Ringette was invented in 1963 by Sam Jacks in North Bay in the Canadian province of Ontario. He wanted to give girls a team sport on ice of their own. The idea became an international sport with its own World Championships.

The shot clock

A special feature is the shot clock: a team has only a limited time to shoot on goal. This creates pace and prevents teams from holding the ring for long. For spectators, it makes ringette fast and easy to follow.

Finland as a ringette country

Ringette has been popular in Finland since the 1980s. There is a national league, youth programmes and TV coverage. This explains why Finland regularly challenges Canada at World Championships.

Youth in Canada

In Canada, many thousands of girls play in ringette clubs. Programmes start at preschool age, similar to ice hockey.

Zone occupancy rules

Only a limited number of players from each team may be in the end zones. This rule prevents crowding in front of the goal and ensures that the game is decided by passes rather than battles. Together with the shot clock, it makes ringette a fast, tactical sport.