Over 700 players descend upon Brant County for Annual Paris Ringette Association Tournament

Close to 50 teams competed in a variety of age categories and divisions last weekend as the Paris Ringette Association hosted its annual tournament, the first time since 2019. Teams spanned from across southwestern Ontario but the team from Finland (pictured left) travelled the furthest and it was well worth the long flight as they captured the Gold medal in the U16A division, beating Waterloo 7-2 in the finals

By CasandraTurnbull

Nearly 50 teams from across Ontario – and one from Finland (!) gathered in Paris and Burford last weekend to take part in the Paris Ringette Association’s Annual Tournament

If you missed the fast-paced action, and trust me it was fast, pop out to the arena one day to see what ringette is all about! Nearly 700 players participated in the tournament that spanned over three ice pads at the Brant Sports Complex and Burford Community Centre from Feb. 16-19th .

“Teams travelled from as far away as Ottawa, Wellington North, Hanover and we hosted a U16 team from Finland! It was a wonderful experience for these teams to not only play in our tournament but support the local community by going out to restaurants and staying in local hotels,” said PRA President Jennifer Mayhew. “And we had wonderful crows and spectators from all over the region.”

The success of the tournament wouldn’t be possible without the support of a lot of people and community sponsors. “I cannot thank our whole association and our executive committee enough for volunteering throughout the whole weekend to help us have a successful tournament,”said Mayhew.

PRA would like to thank all the local businesses who sponsored the tournament, including the Brant County Milk Producers who donated enough chocolate milk for every team member to enjoy!

Other sponsors included Punt Installation Ltd, Dinsmore Fabricating, Lococo’s, No Frills, Kruis Kontrol North Power & Electric, K.Smart Associates Engineers and Planners, Jim & Karla Stonham, Middleport Mechanical Heating & Cooling, Canadian Tire, Joosiesweets, MOOD Beauty Co., Chocolate Sensations, Blackmore Photography and CapturedMoments by Lauren.

On Saturday, February 18th, the PRA hosted a FunFest day, dedicated to all the younger teams. Two Tillsonburg teams, one Paris team and one Waterloo team participated in FunFest, which included two games each, a pancake breakfast, dressing up like their coaches and even creating their own team banners (pictured). It was a fun way to build team spirit and participate in some fun games while learning the fundamentals of game play.