Hockey: Black Sticks bounce back

Kayla Sharland has now played more than 100 internationals for the Black Sticks. Photo / Kenny Rodger

The New Zealand women's and men's hockey teams have completed an unprecedented trifecta by each qualifying for the Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy and World Cup. Terry Maddaford examines the women's rise from the depths.

Kayla Sharland follows Anna Lawrence, Mandy Smith and Suzie Muirhead as the face of New Zealand women's hockey.

She is taking some talented young players with her on what has quickly become a magical journey to the three most prestigious tournaments in her sport.

From the doldrums of the Beijing Olympics, where they lost seven from seven to finish last (scoring only seven goals), to the high of booking places in next year's World Cup, Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games, it has been a remarkable turnaround.

The revolution has been led by Australian double Olympian Mark Hager, who was appointed Black Sticks women's coach a year ago, bringing a typically hard-nosed Australian attitude with him.

Armed with a list of names of players supplied by former Black Sticks coach Kevin Towns, Hager went to work.

"KT [Towns] felt as a team they were better than their results in Beijing suggested," said Hager.

"I had a couple of invaluable discussions with him and took it from there."

Hager, 45, and not one to shirk the hard calls, discarded, or did not recall, some players he felt were past by their "best by" date.

"Under the new auto pass rule, I knew we had to look for players capable of getting quick ball from defence to attack," said Hager. "I also had a look outside the square and recalled players like Piki Hamahona and Laura Douglas who came back after three years out."

He switched Gemma Flynn from her more accustomed role as a striker into the midfield.

The move worked a treat, with Flynn this week the only New Zealander named in the 2009 All Stars team. She was also a finalist in the young player of the year.

Sharland, who missed the early part of Hager's four-year secondment as she fulfilled club commitments in Holland, was never out of the picture and quickly slotted in on her return.

Still only 24, Palmerston North born and bred, Sharland has quickly joined the 100 club and is set to play many more, with around 30 internationals on the horizon in 2010.

Sharland has played internationally under three coaches - first as a 17-year-old under another Australian Ian Rutledge before stints under Towns and now Hager.

She says while all are similar in their approach, there are subtle differences.

"Ian Rutledge brought a lot of belief into the team. He said we could compete with Australia and brought a lot of knowledge of the Australian players and game with him," said Sharland.

"He was an encouraging type of coach. Under him, we won the Champions Challenge in Virginia Beach. At that time, it was my biggest thrill in hockey.

"When Kevin Towns came in, things changed with his emphasis on tactics and style, with a lot of the focus on skills. It was a good change at the time."

Of Towns' decision to quit and shoulder the blame for the poor showing in Beijing, Sharland was quick to jump to his defence.

"I totally don't agree with that. It was not KT's fault. In general, the whole group needed to step up to be at the top of their game. Some simply didn't do that."

The game then moved on to the new era under Hager: "I missed the early months but Mark always kept in touch with me, Krystal [Forgesson] and Emily [Naylor] so when I returned, I was ready to play."

With their Commonwealth Games spot assured - decided on current world rankings - Hager and his team went after bigger fish.

The Oceania Championships in Invercargill gave them their first tick when they scored the upset of the year in beating highly-fancied Australia in a dramatic penalty shootout after extra time had failed to break the 2-2 deadlock. Earlier in the tournament, Australia had beaten New Zealand 2-1.

That triumph booked the Black Sticks direct entry to next year's World Cup in Argentina and sent the Australians off to a yet-to-be-played qualifying tournament.

It also provided the incentive for a repeat at the Champions Challenge tournament a short time later in South Africa, with the winner guaranteed a spot in next July's Champions Trophy tournament in Nottingham - an exclusive event confined to the top six nations in the world.

The team gets on well off and on the field, something not lost on Sharland.

"I definitely think it is the happiest group I have been associated with. There are key values instilled by Mark and we are open and honest with each other," said Sharland. "I really enjoyed our time in South Africa.

"As a total package, this year has definitely been a career highlight for me and, I'm sure, the other girls as well."

And that without even one cent as a daily allowance.

The players

Players used by Black Sticks coach Mark Hager in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and Champions Trophy

Stacey Brannigan, Stacey Carr, Sophie Devine, Honor Dillon, Clarissa Eshuis, Gemma Flynn, Krystal Forgesson, Katie Glynn, Ella Gunson, Charlotte Harrison, Samantha Harrison, Beth Jurgeleit, Kate Mahon, Jasmin McQuinn, Stacey Michelsen, Emily Naylor, Liz Perry, Anita Punt, Bianca Russell, Sally Rutherford, Kate Saunders, Kayla Sharland, Lucy Talbot and Anna Thorpe.

The results

July: Lost to Argentina 4-7, 1-4, 1-5.

July: Lost to China 2-3, 2-4.

August - Oceania Championships, Invercargill:

Lost to Australia 1-2, beat Samoa 17-0, beat Australia (final) 4-3 on strokes after 2-2 draw.

October - Champions Challenge, South Africa:

Beat Spain 3-0, beat Italy 4-2, drew with South Africa 3-3, lost to Japan 0-1, beat South Africa (final) 2-1 to qualify for 2010 Champions Trophy.