Emma, Greer and Hannah Findlay, the possible history-making Hawke's Bay trio and former Taradale High School pupils pictured in their Junior Blacks Sticks kit ahead of the women's FIH Junior World Cup in Santiago in December.
Emma, Greer and Hannah Findlay, the possible history-making Hawke's Bay trio and former Taradale High School pupils pictured in their Junior Blacks Sticks kit ahead of the women's FIH Junior World Cup in Santiago in December.
Napier sisters Emma, Hannah and Greer Findlay have played a lot together on the Hawke’s Bay hockey production line.
Now they’re going global.
All of them have been named in the New Zealand squad for the FIH Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile from December 1-13.
Twin sister Hannah Findlay and Greer Findlay, 18 months her junior, are on tour with New Zealand Under-21 team in Japan.
Together they were in the New Zealand team who played in the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in Auckland eight months ago.
It’s another level of a Findlay sporting dynasty, driven by their grandfather, Hawke’s Bay Cricket patron and former primary school principal Harry Findlay, and also including brother Sean Findlay, an established men’s Black Sticks player with two Olympic Games behind him.
Dad and pre-eminent hockey mentor Graeme Findlay has coached them at most levels as they passed through the various grades from Arthur Miller School, Taradale High School, the Bay Independent Club and representative sides to the senior representative level.
It’s part of Hawke’s Bay’s doorway to national junior and senior women’s and men’s national hockey for at least 10 Hawke’s Bay players currently in national squads.
Sisters three, the Findlay girls from Taradale, who are off to the FIH Junior women's World Cup hockey tournament in Santiago in December.
Recent Hawke’s Bay representatives also in the senior women’s national sides have been Hannah and Kaitlin Cotter and Olivia Shannon. Sean Findlay’s Hawke’s Bay and Black Sticks teammates have included Dylan Thomas, Dom Dixon, Sam Hiha and Jonty Elmes.
All remain in contention for the 2026 senior World Cup tournaments, and the Olympic Games in 2028.
“It’s an incredibly special moment for us – and for our family – to have the opportunity to compete together on the world stage and represent our country at the U21 level,” Emma Findlay told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“We’re all Hawke’s Bay locals, having grown up playing hockey through local clubs, schools and regional programmes,” she said. “The Bay has always been at the heart of our journey and we’re extremely proud to be taking that connection with us as we wear the silver fern in Chile.”
But there’s no free ride. The families and the Hawke’s Bay hockey community are putting their shoulders to the wheel. With the December tournament costing $12,500 per player, that means a total of $37,500 for the three sisters – so they’ve been selling firewood, hosting quiz nights and planning community fundraisers.
Playing for leading England club Reading, Emma Findlay said the senior women’s win over Australia in Darwin last month is a career highlight, but hopes there are more before Christmas.
New Zealand ended the last Junior World Cup in 15th place, and she’s confident the 2025 team will at least make the top eight.
“We have the players,” she said.
Doug Laing has been a reporter for more than 50 years, and in Hawke’s Bay continuously since 1987, covering most aspects of news, including sports.
