Ladies' Hockey Club

In a report of the Men's Hockey Club for the year 1904, appears the following paragraph:

"We should be glad to see the ladies playing during the winter months. There are, doubtless, difficulties in the way of forming such a club, but there would be general satisfaction if these should be attacked and overcome."

A Ladies' Club was duly formed in that same year, the leading spirits being Miss F. Smith (Captain), Misses F. G. Roberts, A. W. Griffiths, M. Hales, G. F. Cooke, M. Cox, L. M. MacKellar, L. and J. Tavendale and M. Seagar.

"The Spike" for 1904, sums up the first year's efforts of the ladies' team as follows:

"Measured in success our score has been (unintentionally) small; measured in sheer, rollicking, cob-web-scattering gymnastics it has been gigantic."

The Club's membership grew from 20 in 1904 to 40 in 1906, and although little success as regards winning matches was experienced during its first two seasons, its teams gained a reputation for clean sportsmanship. In 1906 the senior team was beaten by only one team and were runners-up for the Senior Cup.

By 1908, the enthusiasm of the Ladies' Hockey Club brought its well merited reward. The senior team of that year, which "The Spike" says, "was probably as expert and seasoned a team as we can ever hope to possess"—won the Senior Championship Cup page 81 without a defeat; but alas! that victory was tinged with the sadness of a crushing defeat immediately afterwards inflicted by the famous Craven School girls from Palmerston North, whose combined play and wonderful passing were a revelation to the big crowd which watched the game.

The following year saw V.C. ladies again winners of the Senior Cup. Moreover, five of the team were chosen for the Wellington representative team to compete in the New Zealand tournament of that year.

1910 was no exception to the rule of the two preceding years, and the V.C. ladies had the proud satisfaction of winning outright the Ladies Challenge Cup which now graces the showcase in the Entrance Hall, and, more remarkable still, the Ladies' Second Eleven were runners-up in the same competition.

The Senior Championship was added once more in 1911, making the fourth successive triumphant year. Hats off to the ladies!

After such a run of success it was inevitable that a period of lean years should follow sooner or later, but after reading in "The Spike" of 1912, that "the Ladies' Hockey Club has not died, it only sleeps, 'twill wake again to-morrow," it is pleasing to find that in 1915 the senior team again won the senior competition after being unbeaten throughout the season.