Four teams are set to contest the Women's World Challenge ©World Para Ice Hockey

An all-women officiating crew is due to take charge of a match at a World Para Ice Hockey event for the first time at the Women's World Challenge this week.

All eight of the on-ice officials at the event in Green Bay in the United States are due to be women.

Bree Kraut, Sarah Hickman, Bianca Bartolomei, Evonne Fix and Brooke Nunemaker from the US, plus Canadians Jane Ogilvie and Danielle Williams and Briton Rachel Hutchinson, have been appointed to officiate at the first-ever Para Ice Hockey Women's World Challenge.

The tournament at the Cornerstone Community Center is being billed as a milestone for the sport and is hoped to eventually lead to a Women's World Championship taking place.

As well as offering more playing opportunities for women, the tournament is also serving as a development opportunity for women involved in Para ice hockey in other ways.

The three-day Women's World Challenge begins tomorrow.

Yu Jing was the only woman to play in Beijing 2022's Para ice hockey tournament ©Getty Images
Yu Jing was the only woman to play in Beijing 2022's Para ice hockey tournament ©Getty Images

It is due to comprise a round-robin group phase followed by a final and match for the bronze medal.

The US, Canada, Britain a Team World are due to compete.

Banking giant Citi is the presenting sponsor of the tournament and a founding partner of the International Paralympic Committee's new PARA SPORT programme.

Para ice hockey is a mixed-gender sport at the Paralympic Games, but dominated by men.

Yu Jing from China was the only woman to play at Beijing 2022.