Prospective players
The Oxford University Ice Hockey Club is a hugely welcoming and progressive club for players of all abilities. We welcome prospective players from all universities in Oxford, both students and staff. Whether you are a rookie or an international standard player, there will be a place for you!
We currently have four teams, with more information about the abilities of each squad, and the contact details of the relevant captains available below. All teams currently train twice a week during academic terms (October to March), and have matches on weekends in leagues run by the British Universities Ice Hockey Association (BUIHA). All teams participate in the annual BUIHA National Championships held over one weekend in April and the annual Varsity Matches against Cambridge University held, typically, on the first weekend in March. Alumni are also invited to play in annual competitions against Cambridge alumni, with recent games having been hosted in Oxford & Cambridge (UK), Toronto & Ottawa (Canada), St Moritz (Switzerland), and Courchevel (France).
If you have a general enquiry or aren’t sure which squad is for you, feel free to get in touch via by emailing ouihcpres@gmail.com.
Not ready to train with our teams just yet? The Oxford University Alternative Ice Hockey Club (ALTS) is another option – it is a mixed, non-contact alternative aimed at beginners. Pick-up sessions are paid for individually and take place twice a week in term and do not require full kit or commitment.
Our Teams
Men’s Blues
The OUIHC Men’s Blues is one of the world’s oldest hockey teams competing in ice hockey’s oldest rivalry: the Oxford-Cambridge Varsity Match, est. 1885. The team competes in a full checking league (BUIHA Division I South), the highest level of university ice hockey in the UK, and plays the Cambridge Men’s Blues in the annual Varsity Match. The Men’s Blues hold a winter training camp in January in the Swiss Alps and also tour European cities after the end of the season in March. Although nominally the ‘Men’s Blues’, the squad is open to all who would like to try out for it. Tryouts are normally held in early October, but new recruits are welcome all year round.
Typical standard: ~10-20 years experience
Captain’s email: ouihcmen@gmail.com
Women’s Blues
The Oxford University Women’s Blues Team is a competitive team playing in the BUIHA non-checking divisions, and challenging Cambridge each year in the Varsity Match (est.1982). The Women’s Blues hold a joint mid-season training camp with Cambridge to further develop women’s university ice hockey in the UK. Tryouts are normally held in October, but new recruits are welcome all year round. The team is very welcoming and is a great place to meet people and build ice hockey skills. Any player who doesn’t make the Women’s Blues is encouraged to play with the Vikings B, OUIHC’s development squad.
Typical standard: ~3-5 years experience
Captain’s email: ouihcwomen@gmail.com
Vikings A
The Vikings A (Vikes) compete in the highest non-checking division in the BUIHA. The ultimate in fun hockey that’s still competitive, the Vikes are keen to hear from anyone interested in crewing this metaphorical longboat to Varsity success! The Vikes play the Cambridge Eskimos in the Varsity Series, a rivalry dating back to the 1920s.
Typical standard: ~3-10 years experience
Captain’s email: ouihcvikings@gmail.com
Vikings B (mixed development team)
Serving as our development squad, the Vikings B (‘Bikes’ or ‘Bikings’ for short) is open to all who would like to start playing the sport of ice hockey. Despite being open to beginners, members of the Bikings still play in the BUIHA non-checking divisions against other teams of a similar standard, and play a Varsity Match against the Cambridge Huskies, CUIHC’s development squad (est. 2018).
OUIHC have a limited supply of club kit and priority is given to those who have their own (the Bikings are sometimes oversubscribed). Please get in touch with the Bikings captain for more information:
Typical standard: <1-3 years experience
Captain’s email: ouihcvikingsb@gmail.com
