Austria's women's national ice hockey team is gearing up for its first-ever Women's World Championship, but preparations have been overshadowed by a dispute over conditions, pay, and the use of hand-me-down equipment from the men's team. Last month, at the Women's European Cup of Nations in Slovakia, the Austrian team took to the ice without 11 of its top players.
Captain Anna Meixner and her teammates were frustrated that the Austrian Ice Hockey Association (ÖEHV) had still not responded to a list of grievances outlined in a letter sent last March. Meixner stressed that the players only went public with their complaints as a last resort.
Among the nine demands were accommodation standards, having to change in unheated dressing rooms during winter, and not receiving per diems during training camps and international tournaments. They also said they had to make do with equipment passed down from the men's team. "We really tried to respect the federation and solve it from within, without outside noise," Meixner told DW in a Zoom interview. "We fought for four or five months without going to the newspapers. But when we realized nothing had changed, we had to take the next step."
"The final straw was a camp last February when there was no heater in the locker room. People had been sitting on a train for 14 hours, didn't get food when they arrived, and had to go on the ice straight away. That's when we realized enough is enough," added the 32-year-old forward.
Meixner also emphasized that their goal was primarily to improve things for the women's national team in the long term. "We have this older generation right now, and we're not going to play for the national team forever. We really felt it's time to give the next generation everything we didn't have over the last 10 to 15 years. We brought it up with the team, and everybody was on board right away."
To ramp up pressure on the ÖEHV, the players threatened to boycott the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Denmark in November – a significant moment, as this is the first time Austria have qualified for the top IIHF tournament.
Going public seems to have worked. In a press release following the tournament in Slovakia, the ÖEHV said it had held "constructive conversations" with the players. Now, Meixner appears cautiously optimistic. "We have gotten some answers from the federation, and we are just in the process of going over everything. We're happy about the direction things seem to be moving in," she said.
In a letter sent on August 31, the ÖEHV responded to each of the nine demands, outlining specific steps that had either been implemented or were in the works. These include a pledge to implement "clear regulations regarding per diems/remuneration and timely payment of bonuses and travel expenses," provide "adequate accommodation and reliable, needs-based catering" for training camps, "adequate cabin and gym facilities," and "sufficient time for travel and recovery."
It also noted that it would seek a "teamwear solution" as part of a new contract with the association's equipment provider. While this seems promising, Meixner finds it frustrating that in 2026, she and her teammates have had to battle so hard for what she termed "bare minimums."
At the same time, she said that if the players and the ÖEHV manage to put aside their dispute, it will be bigger than everything she has achieved on the ice, including winning the tournament in China last year that secured Austria's first World Championship berth. "I'm unbelievably proud of us for staying hard at it for many months. There are so many girls from other nations reaching out saying, 'It's great that you're doing that, and we should do the same,'" she said.
"We've heard the men's team stepping up, cheering for us. I think this is bigger than hockey. Hopefully, this will be a big step for Austrian women's sports and Austrian women in general." Unless an unforeseen hitch arises, Austria will open their first-ever World Championship campaign against Czechia in Esbjerg, Denmark, on November 6.
Source: www.dw.com