“THE BIG STICK” is on the line tomorrow as Jersey Hockey hosts rivals Guernsey aiming to maintain its recent inter-insular success.
Three teams from both men’s and ladies camps will take to the field to compete for the overall crown of Channel Island Hockey supremacy, something that has belonged to Jersey in recent years.
Members of Jersey Hockey have grown accustomed to seeing “The Big Stick” in the clubhouse at Les Quennevais, and the Sarnians know they have a tough job at hand to take it back.
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The 2024 and 2025 contests saw 3-3 ties across all six games, but Jersey have held onto the trophy as the last outright winners. Jersey’s ladies completed a historic clean sweep in Guernsey last year, winning all three games, but Jersey’s men fared less well, losing all three of theirs.
Claremont Field will host the men’s and ladies’ third team games, while the Hockey Club at Les Quennevais will be the backdrop for what is sure to be another memorable chapter in the history of “The Big Stick”.
Jersey Men v Guernsey Men
Jersey Hockey’s men will renew one of the Island’s fiercest rivalries this weekend when they host Guernsey across three inter-insular fixtures at Les Quennevais.
The islands have shared mixed fortunes in recent meetings. When the sides met in Guernsey last year, the hosts enjoyed the upper hand as they claimed a 5-2 victory in the men’s first-team match, while edging the second-team encounter 1-0.
The Men’s third-team also suffered a 5-2 loss on away soil.
However, the previous meeting in Jersey in 2024 produced a different story. Jersey’s first team delivered a commanding 3-0 victory on home turf, though Guernsey took the honours in the other matches with wins in the second and third-team fixtures, including a 5-2 result in the thirds.
Those contrasting results have set the stage for another fiercely contested meeting, with Jersey eager to respond to last year’s defeats and take advantage of home conditions.
The men’s first team headline the day with a 3pm clash, while the seconds and thirds will also take to the pitch in what promises to be a full programme of Channel Islands hockey.
Player-coach Robbie Forrest, who leads the first team while also managing the second side, believes the inter-insular remains one of the biggest occasions in the local sporting calendar.
“It’s massive,” he said. “Any inter-insular is huge – playing Guernsey in your sport is the pinnacle, really. A home one, especially, has a different feel to it. Having the support there makes a big difference.”
Jersey arrive in strong form and Forrest is confident his side are well placed to challenge their rivals this weekend.
“I’m really confident,” he added. “We’ve been so good this year and we’ve had some tough cup games against really strong sides like Epsom and Woking.
“We’ve been training well and everyone’s been playing regularly on Saturdays. From a squad point of view, everyone is where they want to be – the fitness is great and we’ve got loads of skill.”
Forrest also highlighted the scale of the occasion, with six matches taking place across the day between the two islands.
“It’s brilliant to have three men’s and three women’s teams all playing on the same day,” he said. “A lot of people work really hard behind the scenes to make these events happen – the volunteers, coaches and umpires. The sport is in a really good place on both islands, and days like this show that.”
Jersey captain Tom Millar is relishing the occasion and believes the inter-insular represents another major moment in what has already been an encouraging season for the Island side.
“I’m super-excited for another big day for Jersey hockey,” the skipper said. “We’ve had a good couple of games so far this season and we’ve got the cup run continuing with a semi-final to look forward to as well, so this is another huge game for us.”
Millar is hopeful the occasion will draw a strong crowd, with the traditional gathering of players and supporters from both islands helping to create a special atmosphere.
“There’s nothing quite like an inter-insular day,” he added. “You’ve got all the guys and girls who’ve played across the day from both islands up there watching the later games, so hopefully we’ll get a bit of sunshine and a good crowd because it should be a great occasion.”
He also believes Jersey’s recent matches against strong English opposition have helped prepare the side well.
“Playing those higher-quality games is really important,” he said. “Rather than just week in, week out in the local league, we’ve had those high-intensity matches building up to this.”
Despite Jersey’s strong form, Millar expects another tight encounter, noting: “If you look back at the results over the last decade, they’re often decided by the odd goal. Inter-insulars are intense and the form can go out the window, so we know it’s going to be a huge challenge.”
Previous men’s results
2025
1st XI: Guernsey 5-2 Jersey
2nd XI: Guernsey 1-0 Jersey
3rd XI: Guernsey 5-2 Jersey
2024
1st XI: Jersey 3-0 Guernsey
2nd XI: Jersey 0-1 Guernsey
3rd XI: Jersey 2-5 Guernsey
Men’s fixtures
Men’s 1s: 3pm at Les Quennevais
Men’s 2s: 11:30am at Les Quennevais
Men’s 3s: 11:45am at Claremont
Jersey Men’s inter-insular squads
1st XI: Tom Millar (c) Alex Anthoine, Barney Aston, Jamie Bolton, Tom Bolton, Joel Dudley, Robbie Forrest, Sam Habin, Ben Heelis, Ed Hodgson, Simon Hurry, Tiaan Kruger, Peter Millar, Tyler McGlinchey, Tom Sibley, Alex Spencer Manager: Richard Gilpin
2nd XI: Bobby Minty (c), Alex Anthoine, Rupert Cuddon-Large, Phil Cuming, Steve Le Maistre, Tom Louwe, Nick Pearce, Ashok Prasad, Stu Ramskill, Charlie Reid, Morgan Rennie, Pierre Sangan, Alex Spencer, Olly Van Klaveren, Archie Scate Manager: Robbie Forrest
3rd XI: Arnou Helmholt-Kneisel (c), Louis Bell, Sascha Benson-Cooper, Herbie Buchholz, Harry Cutting, Ollie Ferguson, Richard Gilpin, Hugo Gomersall, Guy Harding, Mike James, Beau Johnstone-Scott, Jake Le Boutillier, Neil Merritt, Ben Vieira, Ethan Westley Manager: Bill Aston
Jersey Ladies v Guernsey Ladies
The stage is set for another thrilling showdown as the Jersey Ladies host Guernsey tomorrow looking to extend their recent inter-insular dominance and aid Jersey Hockey in retaining “The Big Stick”.
After a period of Sarnian dominance through the 2010s, Jersey’s win in 2018 was a turning point in the competition’s history. Since then, Jersey have successfully claimed “The Noel Trophy” in 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Last year’s trip across the channel saw the Jersey Ladies produce a clean sweep, winning all three games on away soil. The first XI in particular claimed a thumping 4-1 win with goals from Emma Bower, Neve Macken, Aimee Aikenhead and Hannah Scriven. The second XI also sealed a solid 2-0 win, with the third XI also taking the spoils 2-1.
The emphatic first team win came off the back of their astonishing win in 2024, where they came from 4-1 down at half-time at the Jersey Hockey Club to take a memorable 5-4 victory.
Jersey Hockey will be hoping not only to retain the honours this year, but also to ensure they do so with an overall victory.
Captain Jamey Henderson, a veteran of inter-insular competition, said: “We are all looking forward to it. Inter-insulars are always very competitive and we are looking forward to a good battle. We have played well in the last few weeks so hopefully we can play to our best.
“We would love to get three wins in the ladies matches as there is a really good strength in depth in ladies hockey across the Island.”
Teammate Emma Bower scored in last year’s 4-1 victory and she continued the confident train of thought, adding: “Our confidence is high going into the game, especially given our results in previous years. We’ve also had a number of training matches specifically to prepare for this fixture, and the squad is looking in good shape.
“As in past seasons, we’re expecting a strong, competitive contest. We’re familiar with much of their squad, but it will be interesting to see whether they introduce any new players or younger athletes stepping up, much like we have within our own group.
“Selection this year was extremely competitive, which means we have real strength and depth across all three squads. We’re looking forward to three hard-fought matches, and of course three wins for Jersey would be fantastic – especially on home soil with a great crowd behind us.”
First-team coach Simon Watling also expressed his excitement for the occasion: “We’re all really excited for a home inter-insular. Our girls are feeling good. We have played well in the local league and trained well in the lead-up.”
Despite missing some key names of experience, Watling still believes his squad has what it takes.
“We will miss senior players, Eve Anthoine and Tach Kay, but we have Izzy Heelis who returns and we have exciting first-team debuts for Fiona Cuddon-Large, Fliss Bailey, Holly Stearn and Kate Follain, who have added some freshness to our squad.
“We are looking to repeat the excellent performance we put in last year and hopefully get a similar result.”
Mike James, coach of the Ladies third team, also noted on his side: “The build-up has been good and the squad is raring to go. We do have a strong recent track record in this fixture that we are hoping to continue.
“The squad this year has a great balance of experience, athleticism and an abundance of pace. Girls continuing to come through from the junior coaching program is very rewarding and they look ready to make a strong impact in senior hockey.”
Tomorrow promises intensity and passion as the Jersey Ladies look to defend their streak.
Guernsey will be keen to challenge the island’s dominance, but Jersey’s recent record and home advantage at both Les Quennevais and Claremont Field make them firm favourites.
Expect sharp attacking play, disciplined defence, and a series that could see Jersey extend their winning run even further.
Previous Ladies results
2025
1st XI: Guernsey 1-4 Jersey
2nd XI: Guernsey 0-2 Jersey
3rd XI: Guernsey 1-2 Jersey
2024
1st XI: Jersey 5-4 Guernsey
2nd XI: Jersey 3-4 Guernsey
3rd XI: Jersey 4-3 Guernsey
Ladies fixtures
Ladies 1s – 1pm at Les Quennevais
Ladies 2s – 10am at Les Quennevais
Ladies 3s – 10:15am at Claremont Field
Jersey Ladies inter-insular squads
1st XI: Jamey Henderson (c), Fliss Bailey, Emma Bower, Harley Cadoret, Fiona Cuddon-Large, Grace Fudge, Kate Follain, Amy Guthrie, Izzy Heelis, Chrissie Helmholt-Kneisel, Neve Macken, Molly McKeon, Kerry Rogers, Hannah Scriven, Tallulah Spry, Holly Stearn Coach: Simon Watling
2nd XI: Holly Stearn (c), Kelly Cutting, Grace Fudge, Lucinda Gouveia, Becky Henwood-Darts, Zoe Higgins, Phoebe James, Megan Jerrard, Sarah Jenkins, Harley Little, Gemma Minty, Zoe Smart, Nicky Williams, Bella Woodruff Coach: Rupert Cuddon-Large
3rd XI: Claire De La Haye (c), Addison Barclay, Farrah Firby, Emily Genee, Amelie Hern, Tara Humphrey, Lottie James, Eva Mallet, Helen Maletroit, Isla Rafferty, Leila Simpson, Sally Williams, Emily Wilson, Lauren Winchester, Bethannie Wood Coach: Michael James
