Playing ringette is a fun way to stay active, make lifelong friendships, develop leadership skills, and increase confidence. Body checking is not permitted at any age or competitive level.
FUN3 (U10) and up usually begin with pre-season ice opportunities in late August and early September. First games are usually played around the first week of October and run through to early March.
End of season tournaments for U12 and up take place in March or sometimes early April.
FUN1 and FUN2 teams typically start in late September or early October. The end of the season is typically marked by a Year-End Jamboree in late February.
BNWR is one of many user groups using ice offered by the cities of Burnaby and New Westminster. We are grateful for the ice that is allocated to us.
BNWR offers our community teams U10 and up a 1 hour practice time in the evenings on a weekday at one of our home rinks* in New Westminster or Burnaby as well as an average of one home or away game each weekend. Our home game times are mostly Saturdays. Away games depend on the ice times available to other associations in the Lower Mainland Ringette League.
Our FUNdamentals 1 and 2 teams have a 1 hour weekday practice time on one of our home rinks* as well as a shared ice time on Saturdays with Coquitlam (12:30 - FUN1, 1:45 - FUN2)
*Burnaby is experiencing construction delays at the new Rosemary Brown twin arenas and repair needs at Kensington Arena resulting in changes to our usual ice allocations. For players U14 and under, expect practice times to be on a Thursday or Friday only.
For FUN3 and up, away games may be scheduled by the Lower Mainland Ringette Association anywhere within the lower mainland (the furthest east being Chilliwack). FUN1 and FUN2 may choose to arrange games with other associations.
Burnaby New West Ringette (BNWR) hosts the Icebreaker Tournament*, which is the first tournament of the season. It's held during the Remembrance Day long weekend in November. This tournament is included in the registration fees for FUN3 up to Masters. FUN1 and FUN2 will have an opportunity to play a game and enjoy the excitement.
Our community teams often participate in other local tournaments such as Richmond's West Coast Classic, or Fraser Valley's Spirit of Winter. Some teams choose to travel for a tournament, such as the Kelowna Sweetheart tournament in February, or other events around the province or even outside BC! Tournament participation is a joint decision among athletes, parents and coaches.
What equipment does my child need to play?
Please refer to our Equipment Page for the gear that your child will need to play. Please note that the ringette stick is not a cut-off hockey stick but a stick especially made for ringette. The helmet cage is also unique to ringette.
Cost depends on whether you buy new or used gear. Often times you can find free or cheap gear by asking friends or family who have played ringette or hockey. Ringette uses the same gear as hockey, with exception of the ringette cage and stick.
For those in the lower age levels, a Bauer protective kit is usually available for purchase at Canadian Tire. KidSport usually holds used equipment sales in September and other times of the year.
Please check our equipment page for more details on places to buy new and used equipment.
The registration fees cover practice times and league games. Additional costs may vary from team to team. Your team manager will generally set a budget for tournaments, social events, gifts for the team staff, snacks, etc.
Players of any age are encouraged to play this game. For players at U14 age or above, previous skating experience, or registration in ringette combined with skating lessons will increase your child’s enjoyment.
No, ringette is a game played by all genders. There are limits at the higher levels for boys as not all provinces support co-ed play. This means that playing outside of BC such as on a Zone team (U14+) or Canada Winter Games team, will not be possible.
There is usually one game a week. During home games, BNWR teams will play at one of the following arenas: Burnaby Lake Arena, Bill Copeland Sports Complex, Rosemary Brown Arena, Moody Park Arena or Queens Park Arena. During away games, BNWR teams will be expected to travel to the home team's arenas in the Lower Mainland Ringette League such as Richmond, Delta, Vancouver, North-West Vancouver, Coquitlam-Port Moody, Port Coquitlam-Ridge Meadows, Fraser Valley, and Chilliwack.
FUNdamentals 1-2 (5-7 years old)
FUN3 (Formerly U10) (8-9 years old)
U12 (10-11 years old)
U14 (12-13 years old)
U16 (14-15 years old)
U19 (16-18 years old)
18+ (18+ Adults who have previously played ringette)
Masters (usually older adults who are newer to the game)
If you are interested in being a coach or on-ice helper, please contact the Director of Coaching. More coaching information is available at Ringette Canada. Ringette Managers have their own certification program.
We have a Children's Ringette Coordinator dedicated to helping answer questions for those in FUNdamentals up to U12 age levels. However, questions can also be info@bnwr.ca or you can use our Contact Us Form. After being assigned to a team, your Team Manager will be a good source of information.