THE return of a men's competition, an inaugural Indigenous round, gala days and a pair of double-headers - the 2021 Premier League Hockey season promises plenty of highlights.
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When the season commences this Saturday not only will it mark the debut of new women's outfit Orange United, but the return of a men's premiership.
After being cancelled last season due to the strain created by the COVID-19 pandemic, St Pat's, Parkes, Lithgow Panthers and Orange Wanderers will contest the men's side of the competition.
They will play over 12 rounds with gala days at Parkes, Lithgow and Orange.
"I'm very excited, it's great news for them," Premier League Hockey secretary Michelle Stevenson said.
The Indigenous round set for May 29 will also see all teams - men's and women's - playing at Bathurst with both hybrid turfs at the Cooke Hockey Complex to be utilised.
It is the first time the Premier League Hockey competition has included an Indigenous round, Stevenson saying it came at the request of member clubs.
As well as six games of hockey set for the day, a group of Aboriginal dancers from Orange will perform and a welcome to country is planned.
"A lot of sports are doing these rounds now and we felt it was time we recognise Indigenous players," Stevenson said.
"Basically we just want to highlight the game for the Indigenous community. We just want to recognise the traditional owners of the country and to maybe get more Indigenous players into the sport, there's not a great deal of Indigenous players.
"We've given teams the option of trying what they want to do for that round, whether they want to do another shirt or socks, I think three of the teams in the women's are doing special shirts already."
The women's contenders - St Pat's, Bathurst City, Parkes, Lithgow Panthers, Orange CYMS, Ex-Services and Orange United - will play 14 rounds but to keep their finals series aligned with the men, their draw features two double-headers.
"We thought it was important for the women to finish the same time as the men and have their grand finals together, that's why it looks a bit squashed and we have double-headers," Stevenson said.
"I'm looking forward to it, sometimes it's nice to have different things like the double-headers. No-one can defer games on the double-header because it's not fair if someone plays games early, everyone has to play two games on those weekends.
"That might be something good, it might be something we use in the future to cut a weekend out, play two games one weekend and they giving teams a weekend off. We'll just see how it all goes."
St Pat's - the last team to win a men's premiership - will open their season with an away match against Parkes.
In the women's competition Souths play newcomers Orange United while the derby between Bathurst City and St Pat's has been deferred.
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