EXCITING: Action from last year's beach hockey tournament at Mount Maunganui. PHOTO: FILE
EXCITING: Action from last year's beach hockey tournament at Mount Maunganui. PHOTO: FILE
The fifth annual beach hockey tournament is set to entertain holiday makers at Mount Main Beach from 9.30am on Saturday.
The mixed five-a-side games are played over five minute halves inside an inflatable surround, with specially made beach hockey sticks used with a ball similar to a mini soccer ball.
With soft sand underfoot, most of the play is aerial, providing plenty of fast-paced, skilful action.
Beach hockey was introduced to New Zealand at the inaugural Mount Maunganui event by Jase Niles.
"I was at a hockey camp in Germany and I thought it would be ready-made for New Zealand beaches and in particular the Mount, so I developed the idea and brought it across to New Zealand," he said.
"After a slow start we started to get some real traction maybe three years ago now. We are getting a really high return rate on our teams with 12 from last year's event returning out of the 16 teams we have.
"To be honest we wouldn't run it anywhere else. It is really ready-made with the boardwalk there and the almost certainty with the weather. It is a nice time being a weekend in the summer. There is always a lot of foot traffic and we get a lot of response from the public so it's ideal for us."
Event organiser Kate Savory said the teams were all in one open division, with players aged 16 to 40.
"Each team will have five games during the day with the final at 5.30pm for the Giant Jandal," she said.
"It is a tradition that we started that the winner will get a big giant jandal to take home as the trophy. Teams have come from as far as Taranaki, Auckland and Hamilton, plus a few local teams as well."
Tauranga locals Frances Davies and Amy Robinson played in last year's beach hockey tournament.
Yesterday the two former Tauranga Girls' College teammates were selected in the main two New Zealand hockey squads for 2017.
Both players made their senior debuts for the Black Sticks against Malaysia in December last year.
Defender Davies, 20, has been selected for the 2017 Black Sticks women's national squad, with striker Robinson, 20, included in the Black Sticks Development squad.
The Black Sticks team to travel to Argentina for a six-test series in late February will be named on Thursday.
TOP CLASS: Frances Davies in action for Black Sticks v Malaysia last December. PHOTO: photosport
Davies joins fellow Tauranga players Rose Keddell and Sam Charlton in the national squad, with Gemma Flynn unavailable.
Head coach Mark Hager said it was an exciting phase for the squad as they hunted for more success this year, with the focus shifting towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
"After an Olympic campaign you always see changes for different reasons and I'm excited about the group we have going forward," he said.
"It's pleasing to see some great young athletes coming through and pushing for places, and that's why players like Frances Davies and Erin Goad have been rewarded.
"We have a lot to look forward to this year with the end goal making sure we give our absolute best performance at the FIH Women's World League Final here at home in November."
