Canberra Chill Announce 2021 Head Coaches

Canberra Chill Announce 2021 Head Coaches

The Canberra Chill have today announced the head coaches of both the Men’s and Women’s teams ahead of Season 2 of the Hockey One League in 2021.

In what has been a tough year for the sport and postponing the 2020 Hockey One season, the excitement can begin with the initial stages of the Canberra Chill program getting underway.

The Canberra Chill have appointed Ian Rutledge as head coach of the Women’s side. Ian coached the women’s Canberra Chill side in the inaugural season of Hockey One in 2019, finishing in the top four. Ian has an extensive history coaching elite athletes and has previously been responsible for qualifying the New Zealand Women’s Hockey Team for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He was also appointed head coach of the Canadian National Women’s Hockey Team in in 2013. Alongside his coaching career Ian has been employed by Hockey Australia as Coaching Manager, the Australian Sports Commission as a High Performance Coach Consultant and the Australian Institute of Sport as a Sports Performance Manager.

The Canberra Chill Men’s side have named Seyi Onitiri as head coach for the 2021 season. Seyi is stepping up into the head coach role after being assistant coach in the 2019 inaugural Hockey One season. Seyi represented Australia in the Junior World Cup in 2003 and was a member of the National Development Squad and represented Australia in indoor hockey. He is the third highest capped Lakers player and long term captain, as well as a two time Brophy Medallist in 2004 and 2008. Seyi has shown a real passion for the development of ACT representative teams doing well on a National level and is extremely passionate about contributing to the success of the Canberra Chill in the years to come.

Ben Bishop Canberra Chill High Performance Director articulates ‘It is wonderful to be able to kick-start our Canberra Chill program with the announcement of our two Head Coaches. Our program is very fortunate to have an Olympic level coach in Ian leading our Women’s group. It is also great to have another high quality coach in Seyi who has come right through the ACT junior pathway on onto representing ACT, ACTAS and Australia now giving back as a coach leading our Men’s program. We look forward to building further momentum and excitement in the Chill program with the naming of our initial training squads at the completion of the season with a view to improving on our standings from the inaugural Hockey One season.’

The Canberra Chill are excited to have both of these celebrated coaches returning in 2021.