Inline Hockey New Zealand National Premier League Finals: Teams Battle For The Dion Bunt Cup In Hamilton

From Friday, 13th September to Sunday, 15th September 2024 at the Hamilton Inline Hockey Rink, four top teams— Capital Penguins, Mt Wellington Panthers, Northern Stingrays New Plymouth Ravens—competed in the highly anticipated Inline Hockey New Zealand (IHNZ) National Premier League (NPL) semifinals. 

These teams were competing for the prestigious Dion Bunt Cup, a newly revamped title that honours one of New Zealand's greatest inline hockey players, Dion Bunt. Bunt was a pioneer of Inline Hockey in New Zealand, playing from the 1990s until recently, when he broke his leg. Dion played both nationally and internationally and was “overwhelmed, honoured and humbled” to see his contribution to the sport recognised by Inline Hockey New Zealand (IHNZ).

The NPL action kicked off on Friday night, 13th September at 8:10 PM, with which began a thrilling series of games leading into a weekend packed with top-level inline hockey competition. The semifinals continued throughout Saturday, with the final showdown and cup presentation on Sunday.

Game Results

Semis Best of 2 Aggregate Series

Game 1 Capitol Penguins 6 Northern Stingrays 3

Game 2 Capitol Penguins 11 Northern Stingrays 3

Capitol Penguins advanced to Finals on Aggregate +11

Game 1 Mt Wellington Panthers 5 New Plymouth Ravens 2

Game 2 Mt Wellington Panthers 5 New Plymouth Ravens 1

Mt Wellington Panthers advanced to Finals on Aggregate +7

Finals Best of 3 Series

Game 1 Capitol Penguins 4 Mt Wellington Panthers 3

Game 2 Mt Wellington Panthers 3 Capitol Penguins 2

Game 3 Capitol penguins 3 Mt Wellington Panthers 2

Capitol Penguins win Final Series 2 -1

Final Placings

1 Capitol Penguins

2 Mt Wellington Panthers

3 Northern Stingrays (2-1)

4 New Plymouth Ravens

The Capital Penguins won the Final and were the inaugural winners of the Dion Bunt Cup. Commenting on the outcome, Bunt reckons the NPL currently has “some of the best players he’s ever seen in the game”. He refers to the cup winners, the Capital Penguins, as “a powerhouse team of inline hockey in this country and abroad”.

The NPL teams will be chasing further honours at the upcoming National Championships in New Plymouth next weekend.

While the NPL Finals took place, the Junior Interconference Tournament was also held in Hamilton, further solidifying the weekend as one of the biggest in New Zealand’s inline hockey calendar. It marked a significant moment for the sport, with both junior and senior players taking to the rink across the country, showing the growth and passion for inline hockey in New Zealand.

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