Platinum and GAIN LINE released their analysis of Australasia’s Best Sporting Teams (ABST) 2023, and two ice hockey teams made the list, with the AIHL’s CBR Brave climbing up five spots from last year to rank 15 this year, and the AWIHL’s Sydney Sirens appearing at 25 after not making last year’s list.

According to the ABST release, “ABST seeks to measure and recognise success while emphasising that the way a team is built is critical. Along with supporting good causes, a goal is to drive conversations about greatness, reward success and unearth some hidden gems.”

The list considers performances over a five-year period for 21 different sporting competitions. The CBR Brave are the only team flying the flag for the nation’s capital, while the Sirens are the eighth most successful team in the comparatively crowded NSW market.

The list places the Sydney Sirens as the 10th best performing women’s sports team across Australia and New Zealand. In a statistical quirk, the Brave are the 10th best performing men’s team in Australasia.

While the Brave and Sirens were the only ice hockey teams to make the top-25 list, the release provides a list of the top-three teams in each sport. The third-placed team, behind the Brave and Sirens, was the Melbourne Ice Women’s Team.

Both the Sirens and Brave have dominated in the last five seasons in both the regular season and finals, with the Brave capturing the Goodall Cup in 2018, and 2022. The Sirens won the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy in 2020 and in 2022.

In the last five seasons, the Sirens and Brave have not finished outside of the top two in the regular season. The Brave have incredibly finished at the top of the standings every season since 2018. The Sirens haven’t finished outside the top two for a decade.

Impressively, the teams finished ahead of teams with substantially more financial muscle. For sponsors looking to build their brand alongside leagues and teams with strong potential, the AIHL and AWIHL both having teams in the top-25 of this years BPST list is extraordinary.

Ice hockey is an expensive sport, and teams face increasing operating costs. Sponsorship dollars make a big difference in a team’s ability to compete.

For example, in the AWIHL, players often have to pay thousands of dollars just to participate in the league. Then, if they are selected to national teams to compete at International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) tournaments, that can put them several more thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Ideally, the ABST list could be used by teams in the AIHL and AWIHL to secure further sponsorship, or even by the leagues themselves to secure sponsorships.

For example, if a big brand were to offer enough money to offset costs for player fees in the AWIHL, they could potentially secure naming rights for the league. Ice hockey is, admittedly, a niche sport in this country, but fans are educated and attentive to support those who support the sport. It’s a golden opportunity for mutual growth.

While it remains to be seen the impact this has on the sport, it’s nice to see both AIHL and AWIHL teams and leagues recognised in such a crowded market, beating out many other ‘mainstream’ sporting organisations.

You can view the full press release, including the full list of teams, by clicking here.