Wellington Hockey is proud to announce the official naming of its new Challenge Shields, recognising two of the most significant contributors to our game in the region’s history.

From Round 2 of the 2026 season, the Women’s Challenge Shield will be contested as the Dayle Jackson Women’s Challenge Shield, while the Men’s Challenge Shield will now be known as the Peter Miskimmin Men’s Challenge Shield.

Introduced this season to add further meaning and weekly significance to Premier hockey, the Challenge Shield has already added a new layer of pride, rivalry and opportunity to our competitions. The decision to name the shields reflects Wellington Hockey’s commitment to recognising and rewarding those who have given long and exceptional service to the game and helped shape the organisation into what it is today.

Both Dayle and Peter have given extraordinary service to hockey over many decades, each leaving a lasting mark through their leadership, service and achievements across multiple levels of the sport.

Wellington Hockey CEO Michael Langley said the naming was an important way to honour that contribution.

“Challenge Shields are about pride, history and earning the right to defend something each week. It felt fitting that those shields carry the names of two people who have contributed so much to hockey in Wellington and New Zealand.”

“Both Dayle and Peter represent the very best of our game. Their contributions span generations and have shaped the experiences of countless players, coaches, officials and volunteers. It is only right that their names now become part of our Premier competitions moving forward.”

The shields will continue to be defended during weekly Premier One competition matches throughout the regular season, serving as a visible recognition of excellence both past and present within the Wellington hockey community.

This weekend will mark the first official defence under the newly named shields, with Hutt United Women putting the Dayle Jackson Women’s Challenge Shield on the line against Dalefield, while Wellington Indian Sports Club Men defend the Peter Miskimmin Men’s Challenge Shield against Harbour City. As the current holders, both Hutt United and WISC will look to continue their early-season momentum and retain these newly named shields.

Wellington Hockey extends its sincere thanks to both Dayle Jackson and Peter Miskimmin for their incredible contribution to our sport.

Dayle Jackson Biography

A stalwart of hockey across generations, Dayle Jackson has dedicated her life to the game as a player, coach, manager, administrator, umpire, mentor, and supporter. Her contribution to hockey in Wellington and across New Zealand has been both profound and enduring.

Dayle’s hockey journey began at primary school in Picton. Despite a 14–0 loss in her first game, it was the camaraderie and sense of community surrounding hockey that sparked a lifelong passion for the sport.

Growing up, she played club and representative hockey. After moving to Wellington in the 1960s to study teaching, she quickly became involved in coaching, leading Wellington Under-16 Girls, the Wellington Senior Women’s side, and later the New Zealand Under-18 Women’s team. Alongside coaching, she represented Wellington throughout the 1970s and trialled for New Zealand honours.

Her leadership off the field was equally significant. Dayle served as Chair of the Wellington Women’s Hockey Association from 1980 to 1986 and later became Deputy Chair and then Chair of Wellington Hockey following the merger of the men’s and women’s associations in 1987. Across her various governance roles, she spent more than two decades helping shape and strengthen hockey in the region, alongside umpiring at an International level and volunteering for the NZ Women’s Umpires Council.

At a national level, Dayle served on the Management Committee and Board of Hockey New Zealand, before becoming manager of the Black Sticks Women in 1999. One of her proudest achievements came in 2000 when she managed the team at the Sydney Olympic Games.

In recognition of her extraordinary contribution, Dayle was awarded Life Membership of Hockey New Zealand in 2009 in addition to WHA, received the Lifetime Contribution to Sport Award from Sport Wellington in 2019, and was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023 for services to education and sport.

Peter Miskimmin Biography

Peter Miskimmin is one of New Zealand hockey’s most influential figures, having made an outstanding contribution to the game as a player, captain, coach, selector, mentor and administrator over more than four decades.

Miskimmin started playing hockey at a young age in Wellington progressing through the representative ranks before making his debut for the Black Sticks as a teenager. Over an international career spanning 1979 to 1992, he earned 150 test caps for New Zealand, captained the national side and represented his country at both the 1984 Los Angeles and 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Widely regarded for his leadership and understanding of the game, he was twice named New Zealand Hockey Player of the Year.

Following his playing career, Miskimmin became a highly respected coach and developer of talent. He coached at club, provincial and international level, winning multiple national titles. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he played a significant role in hockey in Wellington region, coaching either Wellington or Capital representative teams at Under-18, Under-21 and Senior levels where he won multiple national titles. In recognition of his longstanding contribution to the game in the region, he was awarded Life Membership of Wellington Hockey in 2021.

His international coaching achievements included leading the Junior Black Sticks men to a fourth-place finish at the 2009 Junior World Cup, where New Zealand exceeded expectations after entering the tournament ranked twelfth in the world. He also served as a selector for the Black Sticks men’s programme between 2009 and 2021 and returned to the international stage as Assistant Coach of the Black Sticks Men in 2021 and 2022, including at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Beyond the turf, Miskimmin has continued to influence the game through leadership and governance roles, becoming a respected voice within New Zealand hockey.

His impact as a player, captain, coach, mentor and leader has helped shape generations of athletes and leaves a lasting legacy on hockey in Wellington and throughout New Zealand.