Hockey: Bay midfielder Sheild eyes revenge against Aussies

Arabella Sheild will be taking on Aussies in hockey while her brother Humphrey takes them on in rugby. Photo/Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay siblings Arabella and Humphrey Sheild have the opportunity to claim international scalps in two different codes on both sides of the Tasman Sea during the next 10 days.

While Napier Boys' High School 1st XV rugby team vice-captain and halfback Humphrey is in Sydney today with the New Zealand Secondary Schools team preparing for tomorrow's match against Fiji, Iona College year 12 student Arabella is a member of the Hawke's Bay under-18 girls invitation hockey team taking on their New South Wales counterparts today and Queensland tomorrow and Friday at Napier's Park Island.

However, there will be no skiting texts from Arabella to her brother urging him to do the same when his team take on the Australian Schools Barbarians in Sydney on Monday and Australia Schools in Sydney on October 7 should her team triumph in their three matches.

"It's pretty cool both of us will be playing against teams from the same country but I'm just glad I've got the chance to try and get some revenge against Queensland after two losses to them last year," 17-year-old midfielder Arabella said.

She is one of five members of the national title-winning Central under-18 side in the Gary Heal-coached Hawke's Bay team, the others being Bella Greig, Kaitlin Cotter, Olivia Shannon and Rileigh Knapp. Arabella pointed out the hosts won't be short of motivational ammunition.

"This will be the 10th anniversary of the Queensland fixtures so they will be extra special. Our team has been picked solely from Hawke's Bay this time unlike in the past when we've had players from other provinces. We have either played with or against each other in school hockey or with each other in Hawke's Bay rep teams.

"Queensland will be stronger than New South Wales but both teams will be tough. Being Aussie teams they are very fast and love to pounce on loose ball. They run hard for the ball and they love to talk. We talk too but they are a little bit louder."

Arabella took up hockey as a 9-year-old and had one season of under-13 rep hockey for Manawatu before switching to the Hawke's Bay rep scene when she started at Iona College in year 8.

"It's neat when we play against Manawatu and I get to mark players I used to play with," Arabella said.

A New Zealand under-18 training camp player, Arabella hopes to make a career out of hockey and has set Olympic Games selection as her long-term goal. If things don't go as planned on that front she will more than likely pursue sport psychology studies at university.

In the meantime she will relish pulling on the Hawke's Bay shirt as often as possible and particularly on occasions like this week's.

"There is so much pride for the Hawke's Bay shirt ... we are all so keen to do the province proud," she added.

Heal said while his squad had only three training sessions his troops would be able to capitalise on the advantage of having played together in school or rep teams in recent years. Having coached the Hawke's Bay under-18 girls team for the past six years Heal knows plenty about the ammunition available to him.

"We are blessed with so much female talent in Hawke's Bay at the moment. Like many of our players I have benefited from coaching forums run by Central Hockey's director of coaching Greg Nicol," Heal said.

"Being state teams New South Wales and Queensland will boast at least three or four age-group internationals. Spectators can expect fast spectacles," he added.

The Hawke's Bay under-18 girls invitation side is:
Arabella Sheild, Bella Greig, Caitlin Maiorana, Denby-Rose Tait, Gabby Luscombe, Grace Nancarrow, Holly Britten, Jamie Wilson, Jess Moffett, Kayla Fromont, Kaitlin Cotter, Lexie Heaphy, Molly Frame, Monique Way, Olivia Shannon, Rileigh Knapp, Sasha Norris, Sophie James, Summer Gray, Teegan Geary.
Their fixtures which will be played in Napier are:
Today: v New South Wales at 5pm.
Tomorrow: v Queensland at 6.45pm.
Friday: v Queensland at 5pm.

The Hawke's Bay under-18 boys invitation side is:
Sachan Dadrah, Kopiri Downs-Williams, Rohan Fendall, Sean Findlay, Hamish Gilbert, Ben Gray, Matthew Hiha, Scott Hines, Bailey Kirkpatrick, Mason Lowe, Jay Rerekura, Ethan Sewter, Tom Webb, Samuel Porter-Samuels, Andrew Shand, Sam Williams, Sander Van Eijk.
Their fixtures which will be played in Napier are:
Tomorrow: v Queensland at 5pm.
Friday: v Queensland at 6.45pm.