Weavers set to hang up hockey stick

After putting young Whakatane players through a tough workout, veteran Black Sticks hockey international Diana Weavers says her own body might not hold up much longer to top level sport.
The 159-game national defender is looking at retirement after the Commonwealth Games in March and World Cup qualifying tournament in May.
Weavers, sport co-ordinator at Whakatane High School this year, only made her international comeback in the series against Australia in October and many months out with a chronic hip injury. She was player of the match for New Zealand's only win in the three match series.
She had missed 22 of the Black Sticks' last 25 matches, after playing with the injury through the end of the 2004 Athens Olympics and a follow-up series in Argentina. "The injury is a lot better, but there is still some training I can't do," Weavers said after a two-day coaching and playing clinic at the Stadium Horizon all-weather turf in Whakatane.
She and fellow Black Sticks Lizzy Igasan and Jaimee Provan held the clinic as a fundraising project, to support them through a near fulltime build-up to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and World Cup qualifiers in Rome.
"After that I have to see how the body holds up, but there's not much time to recover between games, and I am thinking of retiring.
"I first played for New Zealand in 1995. I've had a long stint and I love it, but it's time to start thinking of moving on."
Weavers had thought of finishing after Athens, but decided to carry on. The World Cup is in Spain in October if New Zealand qualifies. "That's the trouble when you think of retiring, there's just one more tournament round the corner."
She is moving on in one way - from her job at Whakatane High School after a year there.
She loves the school, but there are a few reasons for the change. Her Black Sticks commitments will be virtually full time until the middle of May. As well, she and her partner live in Maketu, and the travelling to school, then home, and on to hockey practices takes a lot of time.
Weavers was impressed with the fitness and skill levels of the young players at the coaching clinic last Friday and at the weekend, especially since it was out of season except for those playing summer hockey.
"It was full-on, we wanted to put them under pressure to train how you play, and they did really well."
She said there were some very skilful players in Whakatane, and with the new turf and further commitment to training and coaching, it would only be a matter of time before someone played for New Zealand.
Weavers didn't coach hockey during her year at the high school. "Whakatane and Trident are already very well coached, and they didn't need me."
The Black Sticks go into camp in Christchurch in early January to train for the Commonwealth Games.
After the win over favourites Australia, she likes their chances. Black Sticks Australian coach Ian Rutledge has structured their game on the Australian men's style, which he used to be involved in.