Star players reinforce Dalefield

PRESSURE: Dane Lett (right) in action for the Capital national league side. He is one of several notable recruits for Dalefield this coming season.PHOTO/FILE

A rejuvenated Dalefield could make a huge impact in the Capital premier division men's hockey competition in 2015.

A bold statement when you consider they were on the receiving end of some thumping defeats last season and only managed to stay in the top league by winning a promotion-relegation fixture.

Not so bold, however, when you consider the quality of the material they will have to work with this time round.

Far from being a side struggling to get 11 players on the field and lacking in experience, they will be a star-studded unit with the depth of talent to make them the envy of most other sides competing in one of the country's toughest club hockey competitions.

Even a cursory glance at the playing records of their Wellington-based recruits would strike at least a semblance of fear in the hearts of their opposition.

All are ex-Wairarapa players who left the province to live over the hill and joined clubs there. Most, if not all, have had previous ties with Dalefield and are keen to see that club - and Wairarapa hockey in general - given a profile lift and provide a better pathway for the crop of promising youngsters here. They are returning to the fold and not just for one season, but for the next three to five.

There are three sets of brothers involved, the Letts, the Van Woerkoms and the Finlaysons.

Dane Lett could probably claim to be the key acquisition through his inclusion in the Black Sticks senior men's squad for their test series with Japan last year but Trent Lett has a thoroughly impressive CV too, having played for the Junior Black Sticks.

Benedict Van Woerkom has been a Junior Black Stick too while Daniel Van Woerkom was part of the New Zealand Presidents combination which prevailed in the Oceania Pacific Cup tournament played in Suva.

Nick Finlayson is yet another to have earned earned Junior Black Stick status and his brother Hamish was in the New Zealand under-18 squad last season.

Then there is Joseph Robertson, a member of the New Zealand under-18 team for the past two seasons, and Capital under-21 representative Alex Sumenko-Bucknell.

A Dutch goalkeeper who has played first and second division hockey in his homeland, Floris Meijenke, arrives in New Zealand next month and is expected to join Dalefield as well, as is Fletcher Phillips, the understudy keeper for the strong Victoria University premier division squad last season and a Capital age group rep.

A strong group of Wairarapa players will be in the reckoning too, including Capital age group Tane Workman, Cody Linton and experienced campaigner Chris Mason. And with development in mind four college players will be part of the action, Gus Wakeling and Morgan Taylor from Wairarapa College and Zac Caldwell and Dylan Price from Rathkeale College.

The coach will be well-credentialled Willie Schaefer, who has coached the Dalefield men's team in the past and took the Wairarapa College first X1 girls team to a Federation Cup national title.

The manager is Wairarapa hockey identity Mike Van Woerkom, father of Benedict and Daniel, who said yesterday that the Wellington-based players in the squad would hold regular training sessions in that neck of the woods and the Wairarapa-based players likewise at Clareville. Combined sessions would probably be held once or twice a month.

"Everybody is taking this very seriously, we want to make a decent fist of it so that both Dalefield club and Wairarapa hockey in general reap the benefits of it," Van Woerkom said.

"We are not saying we are going to go out there and win the premier division title straight away but we are determined to do the region proud, that's the big thing."

Matches in the 2015 Wellington premier division competition will commence on March 21 with the draw still to be confirmed.