Meetings and council members

The IRF has regular Board meetings: about four times per calendar year. Board meetings are conducted virtually. The IRF Congress takes place at least every two years usually in-person at World Ringette Championships. Representatives of all of the member countries participate in each meeting. If you have something you would like the IRF to discuss, please contact the national ringette association of your country.

If you want to know what has been discussed in the IRF meetings, and want to read the minutes, please contact the IRF Council. The Council holds monthly virtual meetings.

History of the International Ringette Federation (IRF) 

In 1986, 23 years after Sam Jacks invented the game of ringette, the countries where the sport was played met in Helsinki, Finland to establish the World Ringette Council (WRC).  The first Congress was attended by representatives from the five member countries: Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States and France.

Betty Shields, then president of Ringette Canada, would become the first President of the WRC; Antti Simola, president of the Finnish Ringette Association, became the Vice-President; Wes Clark, from Canada, was selected as the Secretary and Dale Friesen, from the United States, was Treasurer.  A Board of Directors was composed of 4 members, appointed from the member countries.

The objectives of the organization were:

  • To promote and encourage the orderly development of Ringette throughout the World;
  • To ensure uniformity of rules for the control and regulation of Ringette throughout the world and help members publish rules in different languages;
  • To promote and encourage the formation of National Ringette Associations;
  • To establish a World Ringette Championship and work towards Ringette’s inclusion in major games, including the Olympic Winter Games

Although the International Olympic Committee would not recommend adding ringette to the Winter Games, the World Ringette Championship (WRC) was held for the first time in 1990.  Possibly to avoid confusion with this event, the World Ringette Council changed its name to the International Ringette Federation in 1991.

Most of the individuals involved in the IRF have been volunteers, driven by their passion for the sport; and only two of the member countries, Canada and Finland, have had national offices with full-time staff. Over the years, the sport has been introduced to Slovakia, Russia, Estonia, Hungary, Australia, Japan, the Czech Republic and Switzerland; but at present, the IRF Board consists of 4 member nations – Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. 

The Former Presidents of the IRF have been:

  • Betty Shields
  • Antti Simola
  • Carolyne Hudson
  • Ralf Anderson
  • Lucie Anne Ingoldsby
  • David Mills
  • Sini Forsblom 
  • Jane Casson