Canadian Ringette Team Travels to Europe

In July 2023, a group of 16 ringette athletes travelled to Europe to see the sights, make some new friends, and of course, play lots of ringette. 

After landing in Germany, they travelled through Austria, onto Czechia for their first tournament. After a competition in Prague, the team flew to Sweden for an exhibition game in Stockholm, before finally competing in their last competition in Finland. 

 

Munich, Germany

The team kicked off their trip with a tour of FC Bayern’s Allianz Arena, before enjoying the local cuisine at the famous Hofbräuhaus. 

 

Austria

After leaving Germany, the team spent the night in Salzburg, and toured the home of Mozart before taking in the Salt Mines. They ended their Austrian adventure with a trip to Hohenwerfen Castle. 

 

Czechia

Next, they travelled to Ceske Krumlov where the team took in the village, enjoying the scenery and history. Finally, they made their way to Prague to participate in their first tournament of the trip. The team took a break from touring the city centre (including the astronomical clock, castles, and bridges) to capture a silver medal. 

 

Stockholm, Sweden

After an eventful first week in Europe, the team played an exhibition game against Team Sweden. They pulled out a win against some tough competitors, and made new connections doing so. With their free time, the toured the city which included notable points of interest like the ABBA museum, and the Grona Lund amusement park.

 

Helsinki, Finland

From Stockholm, the team took an overnight cruise to Helsinki for their final tournament. They faced a number of strong Finnish teams, culminating in a 5th place finish. The team learned a lot from their competitors, which they will bring back to their Canadian teams. After the event, they toured the Suomenlinna Island Fortess, the City Centre, and indulged in a swim and sauna to relax at one of Finland’s famous saunas. 

After 12 ringette games and countless miles walked, the team was ready to head home with new friends,, and a once in a lifetime experience.

Thank you to Tracy Clegg for sending the details of the trip!