Hockey NZ CEO Ian Francis says Hawke's Bay has a become a global model to stimulate hockey growth and popularity. PHOTO/Warren Buckland
Hockey NZ CEO Ian Francis says Hawke's Bay has a become a global model to stimulate hockey growth and popularity. PHOTO/Warren Buckland
The proposed international FIH Home and Away League has the potential to become a global phenomenon, according to Hockey New Zealand CEO Ian Francis.
"The broadcasting rights will be the big selling point for FIH [International Hockey Federation]," says Francis, seeing it as a catalyst to propelling the league earmarkedfor 2019 into the realms of cricket's IPL T20 in India.
The "commercial viability", which sees Hockey NZ deliver 11 test matches around the country, is an endorsement of the capabilities the new league organisers are seeking that will reinforce Hawke's Bay as a pivotal port of call on the hockey calendar.
"You've got content, you've got the world's best players, you've got the world's best teams and, finally, we'll have a calendar of events that will clearly be understood by the public and viable product commercially to sell broadcast-wise as well," says Francis who was in Hastings late last week to hold meetings with the Bay hockey community which has been supporting the country's female and male flagship teams since the 2012 London Olympics.
Hockey NZ has deliberately targeted the Asia and Pan-American nations for the women's international tourney in Hastings but has thrown its hat into the ring to entice both genders in the new league.
Plans also are under way for the Hawke Cup international women's hockey tournament, which is part of the annual HB Festival of Hockey will be shifted to a later start next year because of the clash with the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in April.
"We believe there's an opportunity for us, ahead of the World Cup in July, to get the world's countries out here for a big hit out as a leading event to the world's biggest hockey event in 2018," says Francis, adding late May to early June will be an ideal slot.
This year the festival, which Black Sticks defender Emily Gaddum has helped showcase, starts on March 31 and ends with the international women's Hawke's Bay Cup final on April 9.
