![]()
The team to Delhi 2010 has been finalised today with the naming of both the men’s and women’s Black Sticks teams.
Both the Black Sticks men’s and women’s teams will be taking the maximum number of field players to the Commonwealth Games in October.
With regulations stipulating only 16 players can be selected for a field hockey team, both New Zealand’s teams have chosen to bolster their squad with the maximum of 15 field players, and will take only one goalkeeper each.
Both Black Sticks Coaches, Shane McLeod and Mark Hager, commented it was a tough decision, but one they feel comfortable with given the hot conditions the teams will be playing in.
“The extra field player will assist us in maintaining a high level of intensity within games, which we know will be tested in the hot and humid conditions that the players are expected to compete in. It makes sense to take as many field players as we can to ensure we can play our best, day in, day out, against the competition,” says Mark Hager, Black Sticks Women’s Coach.
“Our experience of playing in Delhi earlier this year certainly reinforces this,” says Shane McLeod, Black Sticks Men’s Coach.
“Our guys found they needed longer recovery time because of the heat and when we were also coping with Phil being injured, it certainly put a lot of pressure on the team.”
FIH run tournaments allow a squad of 18 to be named, and generally two goalkeepers are selected along with 16 field players.
Both teams feature players who only debuted for New Zealand this year, but who have quickly made their mark by their quality of play in their respective teams.
The fresh, 20-year-old faces of defenders Natasha Fitzsimons and Blair Tarrant feature in each squad, along with 19-year-old striker Stephen Jenness.
New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary general and Commonwealth team selector Barry Maister is delighted to have finalised the team today and is expecting a push for medals from the two teams.
“With their solid international rankings and a huge amount of experience, we’re certainly expecting a very strong performance in Delhi.”
Each Black Sticks team also features it’s most experienced line up available.
Mark Hager has included his 100-plus cap players Kayla Sharland, Emily Naylor and Stacey Carr, along with goalkeeper Beth Jurgeleit (94) and Krystal Forgesson (98).
While Shane McLeod’s line up also has his 200-plus cap players Phil Burrows and Dean Couzins along with 100-plus cap players Simon Child, Kyle Pontifex (goalkeeper), Hayden Shaw, Brad Shaw, Shea McAleese and Steve Edwards.
The noticeable exceptions from the team are Blair Hopping and Ryan Archibald, who are not available for personal reasons, along with Stephen Graham (goalkeeper).
Hager has not included Bianca Russell (goalkeeper) and Piki Hamahona (striker) from his World Cup line up.
The Black Sticks Women play Wales in the first hockey fixture of the event on Monday, October 4; while the Black Sticks Men’s first outing is against Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday, October 5.
Women: Kayla Sharland, Emily Naylor, Krystal Forgesson, Katie Glynn, Stacey Carrr, Ella Gunson, Beth Jurgeleit, Clarissa Eshuis, Lucy Talbot, Sam Harrison, Gemma Flynn, Anna Thorpe, Charlotte Harrison, Stacey Michelsen, Natasha Fitzsimons, Anita Punt.
Men: Nick Haig, Andy Hayward, Simon Child, Dean Couzins, Blair Hilton, Brad Shaw, Kyle Pontifex, Phil Burrows, Hayden Shaw, Blair Tarrant, Arun Panchia, Shea McAleese, Stephen Jenness, Hugo Inglis, Steve Edwards, Nick Wilson.
3 News / NZ Hockey
source: newshub archive
