Hockey teams to face best in state

Cairns will open the Queensland State Hockey Championships in the three-day event in Brisbane.

The Far North has sent two teams to the state capital, represented in the men’s and women’s open age group.

Both teams feature plenty of representative experience.

The men’s side will be led by the likes of young guns such as Brayden Naess, Cade Coghlan and Jesse Folpp, while the women’s team will feature regular representative guns Ashleigh Seivers and Dannan Findlay.

Cairns Hockey general manager Rod Cousins said the teams would go in as underdogs this tournament.

“No one really knows what we can do from up here, so it will be interesting to see how we go,” Cousins said.

“We have a good representation to have teams in both divisions, it shows we are still heading in the right direction.”

The women’s side, placed in pool A, will take on Toowoomba at 7.30am on Saturday, April 29 in a round robin tournament featuring Townsville in the same pool.

The men’s team, placed in pool B, will take on Townsville at 10.10am, then Toowoomba on Saturday afternoon.

Cairns will also host the women’s Queensland under-18s State Championships from May 12 to May 15.

Cousins relished the chance for the Far North to host such an event.

“It is an incredible opportunity for us because it gives us a chance to show the rest of Queensland what we can do,” Cousins said.

“Not often do south Queenslanders come up to the Far North, so it is exciting to be able to put on a show for them.

“It will be a great event, to be able to host all the young players up here and their families, it is just exciting.”