Adelaide Rush

Lore & Background

The Adelaide Rush were founded in 2005 as the Adelaide Assassins. The team joined the National Women's Program Showcase Series announced by Ice Hockey Australia in 2005, competing in the 2006 and 2007 Showcase Series. In early 2006, the Assassins appointed Pier Martin, the Australian U18 national team assistant coach, as their inaugural head coach. The first roster included at least seven Australian internationals: Lucy Parrington, Jodie Walker, Serena Yu, Mel McLaren, Tash Farrier, Candice Mitchell and Tamra Jones. Adelaide won the first Showcase Series in 2006, finishing top with 18 points from 12 games, and went undefeated to win the second Showcase Series in 2006-07, becoming the first team to lift the West Lakes Trophy in 2007.

On August 8, 2011, the Adelaide Assassins merged with the Adelaide Adrenaline ice hockey club to increase exposure of women's hockey and share resources. The team adopted the Adrenaline name, logo, and colour scheme. Before the 2016 season, the Adrenaline were rebranded as Adelaide Rush, with a new red and navy blue colour scheme and a round badge logo featuring a large red 'R'. In 2024, the Rush debuted a sky blue alternative jersey for the first time. The team has had six captains in known history, including Candice Mitchell over two stints, and seven head coaches, including Josef Rezek who had two stints.

Reader's Guide

The Adelaide Rush, originally the Adelaide Assassins, are notable as a founding member of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) in 2007. The team's history includes winning the first two Showcase Series (2006 and 2006-07) and the inaugural AWIHL championship in 2007-08. The Rush have won six Joan McKowen trophies (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) and three league premierships (2010, 2012, 2025). The team merged with the Adelaide Adrenaline in 2011 to share resources and increase exposure, then became independent again in 2016 with a new identity. The Rush have been broadcast on various platforms, including Kayo Sports (2018-22), Clutch.TV (2022-23), and Sportscast Australia (2023-present) via AWIHL.TV. The team's legacy includes multiple championships and a role in the development of women's ice hockey in Australia.

Did You Know?

• The Adelaide Rush were originally founded in 2005 as the Adelaide Assassins.
• The team won the first two Showcase Series in 2006 and 2006-07, going undefeated in the second.

Origins & Early Dominance

The Adelaide Rush trace their roots to 2005, when they were founded as the Adelaide Assassins. Before a permanent national women's league existed, the team entered the National Women's Program Showcase Series, a tournament designed by Ice Hockey Australia as a stepping stone toward a full league. Adelaide's first roster in 2006 featured thirteen players, including at least seven Australian internationals such as Lucy Parrington, Jodie Walker, Serena Yu, Mel McLaren, Tash Farrier, Candice Mitchell, and Tamra Jones. Their inaugural head coach was Pier Martin, who had served as assistant coach for the Australian U18 national team. The Assassins claimed the first Showcase Series in February 2006, finishing atop the standings with 18 points from 12 games and edging out the Sydney Sirens by four points. They followed this with an undefeated back-to-back title in the 2006-07 Showcase, with their closest contest being a 6-4 win over the Sirens on 11 February 2007. Adelaide also became the first team to lift the West Lakes Trophy in 2007, donated by Westlakes Trophies and Framing to the National Women's Program.

Identity & Branding Evolution

The Adelaide Rush have cycled through three distinct visual identities over nearly two decades. The original Assassins brand, active from 2005 to 2011, featured a red, black, and white palette with predominantly red uniforms accented by black and white horizontal stripes. Their logo displayed the full team name in a custom typeface alongside a black bullet swooshing diagonally from top left to bottom right. On 8 August 2011, the Assassins merged with the Adelaide Adrenaline ice hockey club, a move driven by AWIHL and AIHL policy encouraging teams to share resources. This brought a dramatic shift to dark blue with red, yellow, and white secondary colours, and a new logo depicting a hockey puck marked AA with a hand breaking through while clutching a stick. Before the 2016 season, the women's program de-coupled from the men's, and the team rebranded as Adelaide Rush. The new identity returned to a red-and-navy-blue scheme, with a round badge centring a large red R on a navy background, encircled by a red ring bearing the team name and the year 2016. In 2024, the Rush introduced a sky blue alternative jersey for the first time.

Championship Legacy & Competitive Record

Across their competitive history, the Adelaide Rush have established themselves as one of the most decorated clubs in Australian women's ice hockey. They have claimed six Joan McKowen Trophies, winning the championship in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012. That early run of five consecutive titles from 2006 through 2010 represents an extraordinary stretch of dominance, spanning the Showcase Series era and the first seasons of the AWIHL. The team has also captured three league premierships, taking the Gower Memorial Shield or West Lakes Trophy in 2010, 2012, and most recently in 2025. Their record as runners-up is equally notable, with three Joan McKowen Trophy final losses in 2013, 2014, and 2020, plus six premiership final defeats across 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020, and 2024. The 2025 premiership marks a return to the top of the table after a gap, underscoring the club's enduring competitiveness in the AWIHL, a league in which they have been a member since its inception in 2007.

Leadership & Organizational Evolution

The Rush have been guided by a succession of leaders who shaped the club's trajectory. Seven head coaches have held the position in the team's known history, with Josef Rezek notable for serving two separate stints. On the ice, six captains have led the squad, most prominently Candice Mitchell, who served across two stints spanning ten seasons. The club's organizational structure underwent significant change on 8 August 2011, when the Assassins merged with the Adelaide Adrenaline ice hockey club to increase exposure for women's hockey and share resources. This arrangement lasted until 12 July 2016, when the men's and women's programs de-coupled and the women's side became independent once more, adopting the Adelaide Rush name. The team is based at the Adelaide Ice Arena in Thebarton, a central Adelaide suburb, and has been a member of the AWIHL since its inception in 2007. Broadcasting partnerships have evolved over the years, with Kayo Sports covering the league from 2018 to 2022, Clutch.TV for the 2022-23 season, and Sportscast Australia offering free live and on-demand coverage from 2023 onward.