There had since been some “nervy” moments as the two awaited the naming of the team, a particularly long wait for Luke who’d been on the verge of selection for the 2020 tournament when New Zealand withdrew because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Getting into the team, with your brother, is something pretty special,” he said.
Hockey has been very much a family thing, with both parents having played, though not at the national level, and it’s perhaps even more so for Emma Findlay (19) who played for the Black Sticks in Europe this year, following in the footsteps of brother Sean, who played for New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, the Commonwealth Games in England in 2022 and the men’s World Cup in India in January.
Last week, she, her twin-sister Hannah, and younger sister Greer (also recently named in an Under 18 national squad) played together in all six games in their tournament, also in Hamilton.
Cotter, 20, also made her Black Sticks debut this year and is currently overseas on holiday, but Emma Findlay said that living barely “three houses down the road” in the same neighbourhood, they had played most of their age-group hockey together.”
At the tournaments last week, the Hawke’s Bay women’s team recovered from losses to North Harbour and Manawatu in the first two games to win the last four, including beating Wellington 1-0 in the playoff for fifth and sixth.
But the men were beaten in all their six games, including 4-1 by Auckland in the playoff for seventh and eighth in the eight-team Tier 1 competition.
Luke Elmes said it highlighted the difference between the training facilities available in provincial areas compared with those of the major cities, leading to most of the national squad members being based in either Auckland or Christchurch.
Otago beat Canterbury 2-1 in the men’s final and Auckland beat North Harbour 2-1 in the women’s final
