Ringette is a non-contact winter team sport played on an ice rink using ice hockey skates, straight sticks with drag-tips, and a blue, rubber, pneumatic ring designed for use on ice surfaces. While the sport was originally created exclusively for female competitors, it has expanded to now include participants of all gender identities. Although ringette looks ice hockey-like and is played on ice hockey rinks, the sport has its own lines and markings, and its offensive and defensive play bear a closer resemblance to lacrosse or basketball.
Juhani Jorma Kalervo Wahlsten was a Finnish professional ice hockey player and ice hockey coach who worked as an exercise and gymnastics teacher in Finland. He was also known by the nickname "Juuso". He also established and helped guide the early development of ringette in Finland, the first European country to do so.
The World Ringette Championships (WRC) is the premier international competition in ringette and is governed by the International Ringette Federation (IRF). Unlike most international competitions, all of the WRC's elite athletes are female rather than male, one of the sport's distinctive features. Competing nations include: Canada, Finland, United States, Sweden, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with Team Canada and Team Finland having emerged as the sport's top two competing nations. The 2023 World Ringette Championships will be held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and will be the sport's 60th anniversary.
The 2010 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament and the 9th (IX) World Ringette Championships. The tournament was organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) and was contested in Tampere, Finland, between November 1 and November 6, 2010. The main competition took place at the Tampere Ice Stadium. The previous year the 2009 World Junior Ringette Championships took place in Prague, becoming the inaugural event for elite junior ringette athletes, but was organized as a separate event from the World Ringette Championships program.
The 2016 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament and the 11th (XI) World Ringette Championships. The tournament was organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) and was contested in Helsinki, Finland between December 27, 2015, and January 3, 2016. The main competition took place at the Helsinki Ice Hall. It was the first time the Team Slovakia and the Team Czech appeared at the international tournament. This was also the first year Sweden formed the Sweden national junior ringette team (U19).
The International Ringette Federation (IRF) is a non-profit amateur sports organization and the highest governing body for the sport of ringette. Today the member countries of the IRF Board includes four member nations: Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States. Initially the organization was called the "World Ringette Council" (WRC), but was changed to the "International Ringette Federation" in 1991. The change is believed to have been made to avoid confusion with the organizing body and the new World Ringette Championships tournament which shared the same acronym, WRC.
The Canada national ringette team is the ringette team representing Canada internationally. Canada has both a senior national team, Team Canada Senior, and a junior national team, Team Canada Junior. Both national teams compete in the World Ringette Championships (WRC) and are overseen by Ringette Canada which is a member of the International Ringette Federation (IRF). Some team members are selected from the National Ringette League. Team Canada and Team Finland have emerged as ringette's major international rivals at both the senior and junior level. Some of Canada's national teams have been inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame.
The 2017 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament and the 12th (XII) of the World Ringette Championships. The tournament was organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) and was contested in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, from November 27 – December 3, 2017, at the Hershey Centre Arena, now renamed the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Eight of the games were live-streamed online and made available for public viewing.
The 2019 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament and the 13th (XIII) World Ringette Championships. The tournament was organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) and was contested in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, from November 25 - December 1, 2019. The main competition took place at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
The 2022 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament and the 14th (XIV) World Ringette Championships. The tournament was organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) and was contested in Espoo, Finland, from October 31 – November 6, 2022. The President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, acted as a patron of the event. The previous world championships, the 2021 WRC, had been planned to be hosted by Finland in Helsinki, but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2004 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament and the 7th (XII) World Ringette Championships. The tournament was organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) and was contested in Stockholm, Sweden, between November 23 and 27, 2004. The game for the world title final between Canada and Finland took place at the Visättra SportCenter in Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
The 1996 World Ringette Championship was an international ringette tournament and the 4th (IX) World Ringette Championships. The tournament was organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) and was contested in Stockholm, Sweden, from April 15 to 20, 1996. WRC 1996 was the first time all competing teams represented individual nations with Canada creating its first, singular, all-Canadian team.
The 1994 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament and the 3rd (III) World Ringette Championships, and was the first tournament organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF) which had previously been called the "World Ringette Council". The tournament was contested in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States, between March 19 and 27, 1994, at the Rosemount Community Center/Arena in South St. Paul.
The 1992 World Ringette Championships was an international ringette tournament, the 2nd (II) World Ringette Championships, and was organized by the World Ringette Council, the precursor to the International Ringette Federation (IRF). The tournament was contested in Helsinki, Finland, from March 4 to 8, 1992.
The United States national ringette team, is the ringette team representing the United States internationally. America has only one national ringette team, Team USA Senior. It does not have an official national ringette team for the junior division. Team USA Senior is overseen by USA Ringette, a member of the International Ringette Federation, and competes at the World Ringette Championships. The first appearance in international ringette by the United States took place at the first World Ringette Championships in 1990. Team Sweden is Team USA's arch-rival with both teams competing in the President's Pool against Team Czech. Team USA and related activity occurs predominantly within the American state of Michigan.
The Sweden national ringette team, more commonly known as "Team Sweden", is the ringette team representing Sweden internationally. Sweden has both a senior national ringette team and a junior national ringette team. Both Team Sweden Senior and Team Sweden Junior are overseen by the Sweden Ringette Association (SRA), and compete in the World Ringette Championships (WRC). The SRA is a member of the International Ringette Federation (IRF). Sweden's first appearance in international ringette took place at the second World Ringette Championships in 1992. Team USA is Team Sweden's arch-rival with both teams competing in the President's Pool against Team Czech.
Ringette Finland, is the national governing body for the sport of ringette in Finland and was founded in 1983. It is responsible for the organization and promotion ringette on a nationwide basis and organizes Finland's semi-professional ringette league, SM Ringette, formerly known as Ringeten SM-sarja. In 1986 the organization became a member of the International Ringette Federation which at the time was known as the "World Ringette Council".
The 2023 World Ringette Championships is an international ringette tournament, the 15th (XV) World Ringette Championships, and will be contested in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from October 29 to November 4, 2023. The host venue for the event will be the Canada Olympic Park (COP), WinSport Event Centre, and the Greater Calgary Arena. It will mark the 60th anniversary of the sport of ringette which was invented in 1963. The tournament is organized by the International Ringette Federation (IRF).
Anne Pohjola , is an elite Finnish ringette player who plays forward and is a prolific scorer. She has been a member of the Finland national ringette team several times and currently plays in Finland's semi-professional ringette league, SM Ringette. The league is known as the Finnish national ringette league to English speakers.
Timo Himberg is a Finnish ringette coach. He was the head coach of the Finland national ringette team in the years 2011–2020 and won the World Ringette Championships in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Finland (Jr.) 28–1 
Sweden (Sr.)
