MANNING Hockey Association's Terry Launders Field (TLF) is back in play for this weekend's NSW Women's Masters Half State Championships.
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Play starts Friday from noon and continues through to around 3pm Sunday. More than 60 teams and 1000 players umpires and officials will be involved in the various divisions. Players will be aged from 35 to 80 plus.
The championships have been coming to the Manning for the past two years, but were cancelled on each occasion due to COVID concerns.
The Launders Field was damaged during the disastrous March 2021 flood and no games have been played there since. Repair work started earlier this year. Manning Hockey received financial assistance from the then NSW government to assist with the reconstruction.
The project was finished just in time for the championships, meaning all three synthetic surface fields will be in use this weekend.
Six grass fields will also be required. This is the first time games have been played on grass here since the last time the association held the half state in 2015.
Manning will field six teams, including four in the over 34s division. The association will have 45s and 50s sides.
Manning Hockey's Michelle Clarke said it is estimated the championship will be worth more than $1.2 million to the local economy.
There will be a dinner for players at Club Taree on Saturday night.
