The man who brought hockey home

CREATOR: Bruce Mactaggart says from a high performance position, from the women's perspective, there is nothing like the hockey festival on earth. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

HAWKE'S Bay has become a mecca for elite women's hockey teams from around the world, thanks to the community rising to the occasion.

Bruce Mactaggart was the instigator of a collaboration which created the annual Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey, a 12-day smorgasbord with more than 80 games hosted at the Regional Sports Park and Park Island in Napier.

With the second of its kind under way, the festival draws some of the country's top players to the region, as well as teams from as far afield as the United States and Korea.

Today, Mr Mactaggart can proudly say it is the largest annual invitational hockey tournament in the world.

He first broached the concept of the festival with Netball NZ CEO Hilary Poole, who was familiar with hockey at a national level, after the international body, FIH, approached Hockey New Zealand to host the world championship when India lost its rights in September 2011. He had realised with the country's top male players competing in Ipoh, Malaysia, each year in the Azlan Shah Cup, there was no equivalent for women at that time anywhere in the world.

"From a high performance position, from the women's perspective, there was nothing like it on earth. So we saw an opportunity," he said.

Hawke's Bay proved an appealing host for such an event, having already made a name for itself as a hockey stronghold.

"The original relationship started when the Hawke's Bay community and business leaders sponsored the Black Sticks to the 2012 [London] Olympics. That had never been done before, with a province being the naming sponsor of an international team."

The community's support and enthusiasm for the game is what continues to buoy the growing festival.

"None of this would happen without the Hawke's Bay Sports Events and Education Consortium (HBSEC), which is a not-for-profit group of people with amazing generosity of spirit who love Hawke's Bay and want to do good things for Hawke's Bay."

The FIH proposition found traction with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Hastings District Council and regional sports park trust, who all agreed to fund it. The first festival last year saw the regional sports park turn its hockey turf into New Zealand's first tier-one venue, known as Unison Hockey Stadium.

It is the only turf approved by the FIH to host international tournaments in the country.

Mr Mactaggart's late wife, Robyn, who died from cancer in 2012, was passionate about hockey.

She coached Hawke's Bay school and development teams after the couple arrived from Australia six years ago.

This year, a new award has been introduced for players participating in the elite Hawke's Bay Cup, to honour Mrs Mactaggart - the Robyn Mactaggart Medal.

The festival is made up of three tournaments.

The Hawke's Bay Cup, which begins today and runs until next Sunday, has expanded to include eight (from six) top teams, including newcomers the US and India.

The tournament also includes Australia, ranked second internationally, and Argentina, ranked third.

New Zealand, who were fourth at the Olympics and third at the Commonwealth Games, are ranked fourth overall.

Today, China and India will clash at 1.30pm at the regional sports park. The Black Sticks women's team will play their opening match of the tournament against Japan at 7.30pm.

An affiliates tournament, which closes today, also celebrates Kiwi hockey diversity with Hawke's Bay men and women's representative teams playing host to leading national sides New Zealand Maori, New Zealand Indian, New Zealand Seniors and New Zealand Universities.

Once again the invitational under-17 secondary school girl's Furnware Cup tournament will be a highlight, running from next Thursday to next Sunday, April 19. The category expanded to eight teams with the inclusion of Wanganui Collegiate and St Peters, Cambridge, who join returning talent from Gisborne Girls, Havelock North and Taradale High Schools as well as Woodford and Iona College.

Mr Mactaggart said there were "big plans" for the Furnware cup in the future, as well as high hopes for the festival's future.

"We do see the festival continuing to grow and develop significantly in the years ahead."

The festival runs from April 7-19, with more than 80 games hosted at the Regional Sports Park and Park Island in Napier.

-For tickets and more festival information, visit www.hockeyfestival.nz