After a slew of midnight phone calls and negotiations that stretched halfway around the globe, Tauranga-based Black Sticks midfielder Gemma Flynn is on her way back to New Zealand to play for Midlands at the national under-21 hockey tournament beginning today in Dunedin.
The 68-game New Zealand veteran answered an SOS
from Midlands women's coach Hymie Gill, cutting short her off-season stay at Dutch club SV Kampong to appear at the nationals.
Both Midlands teams have a bye in today's opening round of games, with Flynn likely to see some time in her side's clash with Central tomorrow.
Flynn replaces another Tauranga player, Otumoetai's Dani Maunder, in the Midlands side after she dislocated a kneecap playing inline hockey for New Zealand.
Gill said he phoned Flynn in the Dutch town of Utrecht when Maunder went down.
"I'd named Gemma in my initial squad of 17 anyway, but she came back to me and said her club wouldn't release her to come back to New Zealand [she was due to return in late May]."
But the former Black Sticks men's player's persistence paid off, and Kampong played and won two promotion/relegation games last week, securing their spot in next season's top league.
"I think Gemma was keen to get home anyway and that set the wheels in motion once the club president gave the green light."
Flynn flies into Auckland today and will catch a connecting flight south to Dunedin this afternoon.
Gill has made no secret of the fact his team is capable of medalling at the nationals and Flynn would only boost those prospects.
"She's a motivational and hugely talented player, and having turned 21 just last week she'd love to help her team medal to cap off the birthday celebrations. She knows Midlands and knows our systems and news she's coming back has given the girls a huge boost."
Gill will ease Flynn into the tournament against Central with the expectation she'll play a fuller part in next week's round-robin games against Auckland, Southern, Capital, Northern and Canterbury. Flynn heads back to Holland at the end of the month with the Black Sticks for the Champions Trophy beginning in Amsterdam on June 3, where the New Zealanders are pool B alongside the Netherlands, Germany and Australia.
