Queens of the Rink: Forces women's ice hockey continues to grow with RAF v Army clash
Women's ice hockey is continuing to grow in the UK Armed Forces after the Army and RAF met for only the second time in Inter Services action in Sheffield.
A 3-1 win for the RAF Pumas saw them retain the trophy they won last year and calls are getting louder for the Royal Navy to join the competition.
2025 saw the 20th anniversary of ice hockey becoming an official forces sport, and IceSheffield has become the home of the Inter Services and tri-service tournament.
Signaller Jessica Sprules is one of the leading ice hockey players in the UK Armed Forces and represented Great Britain at international level.
She's hopeful that the Royal Navy can join the action, saying: "Behind the scenes, there's a lot of work in trying to get a team, but obviously, that's down to them.
"There is a lot of pushing for that, so it would be really good if they can get a women's team together."
Corporal Paige Attwell is the Army's team manager, as well as on-ice assistant captain, and she is also hopeful that the Navy can support women's ice hockey more going forward.
She said: "Every year, we keep pushing the Royal Navy to support their women's players that want to come forward. The RAF and the Army have both opened up their training to allow the Navy to train with us.
"We're just waiting for the Navy to get on board and support their females."
Flight Lieutenant Hannah Beaumont was previously a soldier in the British Army but switched to the RAF and now captains the Pumas team.
"I used to play roller hockey when I was a kid, and when I went to university, I needed to something to stop me getting fat whilst eating takeaways.
"Ice hockey was the natural sport to get into it. I was in the Army when I was at university and started to play with the Royal Logistic Corps."
Pumas beat the Fury to win again
The match between the two teams at IceSheffield was the second ever women's Inter Services fixture and made up one night of a four-day forces ice hockey festival at the venue.
Teresa Lewis scored twice in period one and another in period two to complete her hat-trick and set the RAF up for victory.
Sprules pulled one back for the Army, but 2025 was a double RAF triumph after the Aces won the Inter Services on Thursday too.
"We're desperate to prove that we've set the bar and want to maintain that," said RAF Pumas goalkeeper Air Specialist 1 Alecia Jackson after the win.
"A whole team effort and we thoroughly deserve it."
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