A TEAM of young hockey players are having the time of their lives representing the UK in an international tournament.

The Swindon Wildcats Ice Hockey Academy players have travelled to Canada to compete in the annual Quebec Peewee ice hockey tournament, where they are facing off against teams from across the globe in world-class arenas.

The under-13s team known as The Pumas fundraised for months to cover the costs of the £15,000 trip with help from head coach Ken Forshee and many generous supporters.

Team manager Verity Liddamore said: “They were beyond excited before we left, they have really been looking forward to this because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It’s really special because only one team from each country gets to enter per year so we feel really lucky. My son is one of the players so I’m really proud that they’re part of this amazing tournament.

“Ken went to play in the tournament with his teammates 31 years ago when he was a child, so it has been amazing for him to return there now as the coach of his own team.

“It has taken years of planning to make this dream a reality. The team hopes to play as many competitive games as possible and make some great memories with their hockey family.

“The trip offers some fantastic development opportunities for these young sportspeople, particularly as they are staying with French-speaking host families and will get to experience local culture.”

The 18 11-year-olds and 12-year-olds spent hours packing bags at supermarkets holding car boot sales and organising other fundraisers to pay for the 10-day trip.

They have been training hard to get ready for the tough tournament and prepare to compete against the best young ice hockey players in the world.

They got up bright an early to set off in a coach from the Link Centre wearing specially-made Canada jerseys.

Their jam-packed itinerary sees them playing at least eight ice hockey games with a chance to sightsee in-between games and may have the chance to skate in outdoor matches.

Verity added: “The team are a really talented group of kids who do well in the south west league. Going to this tournament is a massive achievement for them and for us. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us along the way, including Swindon schools, our sponsor Swindon Property Group and Animal Systems, and Barnes Coaches."