Hockey is becoming a popular sport among primary and intermediate schools, says Hawke's Bay Hockey general manager Don Clark.
Mr Clark said figures showed hockey had shown a significant growth for the 2014 winter season, with total playing numbers growing from 2184 in 2013 to 2373, an increase of 8.7 per cent.
"The most significant growth is in primary schools, 83 and intermediate schools, 75 with the remaining increase over secondary schools and clubs," Mr Clark said.
Hockey has maintained a high profile in Hawke's Bay with the recent Festival of Hockey and the significant work in primary schools in the past two years with the Active Post Small Sticks programme.
In the past two years the growth had been at primary school level only but now the increase was being sustained with the flow through to intermediate schools with an additional five teams for this season, Mr Clark said.