Strong Gisborne presence for hockey tourney

GISBORNE’S REPRESENTATION: This district has nine people in playing or management roles with the Central under-18 hockey teams. They are, back (from left) Moelani Tureia-Siataga, Wade Manson (men’s manager), Cory Campbell and Henry Mulligan (women’s assistant coach). Front: Kohere Tupara, Lachlan Vause, James Torrie and Kodi Campbell. In front is the Paul Ackerley Memorial Trophy for the Under-18 Men’s Regional Tournament. Pictures by Paul Rickard

ALL roads lead to Palmerston North for the annual national under-18 regional hockey tournament next month.

Men’s and women’s teams from the eight regions around New Zealand — Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Midlands, Central, Capital, Canterbury and Southern — will compete in the six-day tournament, which starts on July 10.

Hoping for a good showing are the u18 men’s Central team, who are tournament hosts and defending champions.

Gisborne’s Wade Manson is the men’s manager and has in his team James Torrie, of Campion, and Kohere Tupara, of YMP. Lachlan Vause, of Lytton, is the non-travelling reserve.

Manson said it was a great effort in 2015 and he could see no reason it wouldn’t happen again, although Central had a relatively new line-up for 2016.

“The boys went through undefeated last year, winning the final 2-1 against Midlands,” said Manson, who was manager and had former Gisborne Boys’ High School head prefect Liam Melville in the team.

“It was the first medal ever won by a Central under-18 side, and the first gold by a Central age-group side.”

Gisborne is also represented in the women’s team. They have Henry Mulligan as assistant coach, and Kodi Campbell (GMC), Cory Campbell (GMC) and Ngahuia Wilson (Gisborne Girls’ High School) in the playing squad. Moelani Tureia-Siataga (Lytton) is the non-travelling reserve.

Mulligan is confident the women will make the top four.

“We’re targeting the final,” he said.

“We have nine players who have returned from last year, which is excellent, and five of those played for the under-21s as well.

“Last year our team finished fifth but we actually beat the eventual winners.”

Manson, who is regional development manager for Poverty Bay Hockey, is pleased to see such a large representation from Gisborne at the tournament.

“The turf has definitely added value to our developing players, as has the commitment from our local coaches, including Mulligan, Louise Teneti and Matt King, who have been involved with our development programmes,” Manson said.

The tournament is considered “local” for Gisborne players, who fall under a region that stretches from Poverty Bay in the north-east, down to Horowhenua in the south, across to Taranaki in the west and everywhere in between, including Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu.