Hockey WA to shine a light on Organ Donation in Lizzie Watkins Organ Donor Round

Hockey WA will highlight the life‑changing impact of organ and tissue donation during the upcoming Lizzie Watkins Organ Donor Round, being held from Friday 1 May to Sunday 3 May.

Round four of the TeamStar Premier League will be dedicated to raising awareness of organ and tissue donation, while honouring the legacy of the late Lizzie Watkins — a cherished member of the North Coast Raiders who saved five lives through organ donation.

Now in its fourth year, the Lizzie Watkins Organ Donor Round was introduced in 2023, building on a tradition first established by the North Coast Raiders through the Lizzie Watkins Memorial Match.

This year’s feature match will see the North Coast Raiders take on WASPS at the Troy Pickard Hockey Centre on Saturday 2 May from 5.30pm, headlining a huge day of hockey action for the Raiders.

Continuing the long‑standing tradition, all North Coast Raiders teams will wear pink armbands or ribbons throughout the round in Lizzie’s honour and to promote awareness of organ donation.

North Coast Raiders TeamStar Premier League Women's player Anna Roberts said this weekend's matches is the biggest round of the season for the club.

"We all come together to celebrate Lizzie and also to promote organ donation so it's all about community," she said.

"For the first 10 years we played Lizzie's Memorial game to remember her and all of her teammates and family that were there that day and now it's become a round for the whole community to acknowledge."

Fellow player Monique Formilan said the round is not only important for the Raiders but for the broader hockey community in WA.

"It's a chance to play for something bigger than ourselves - honouring Lizzie's legacy and carrying forward the Donate Life message," she said.

"I think everybody should sign up to be an organ donor - it's very important to have a conversation with your family if you wish to be an organ donor because at the end of the day, the conversation and the decision is made by them.

"Have the conversation, express your wishes to your family and sign up to be an organ donor."

North Coast Raiders president Travis Lester said Lizzie's selfless act of donating her organs is something a lot of people can find inspiration in.

"At 24 years of age, to have that front and centre of your mind, I think that's just a fantastic point of view from a young person," he said.

"This is the second year that we've had the round at Troy Pickard Hockey Centre and we've been able to link the whole club together to support the girls.

"It's been a big process but one that we feel has been great for the promotion of Donate Life.

"The community of hockey is vast and we've been really encouraged by everyone getting on board."

While four in five Australians support organ and tissue donation, only around one in three are registered donors.

Currently, approximately 2,000 Australians are on the national organ transplant waiting list, with a further 14,000 people on dialysis — many of whom could benefit from a kidney transplant.

In 2025, 53 per cent of families agreed to organ donation when asked in a hospital setting, consistent with 2024.

Last year in Western Australia, 165 people received life‑saving organ transplants thanks to 61 deceased donors, while 17,564 people registered to become organ donors.

Since the national DonateLife program began in 2009, more than 20,900 Australians have received organ transplants from over 7,500 deceased donors.

Registering as an organ and tissue donor takes just one minute and could save lives.

For more information or to register, visit donatelife.gov.au.

FIXTURES - NORTH COAST RAIDERS (SATURDAY 2 MAY)