Hockey: Black Sticks women have plenty of incentives to beat Australia

Anita Punt. Photo / NZME.

New Zealand and Australia have qualified for next year's Rio Olympics.

But it would be wrong for the Black Sticks to take the view that there's no essential need to win the Oceania Cup title in Stratford this month.

There are at least two compelling reasons the world No 4-ranked team will want to topple their second-ranked neighbours.

First, there are important events coming up and not all the players named yesterday will be going to Rio.

Among those not in the 18 going to Stratford are the country's most-capped player, defender Emily Naylor, in-form attacker Gemma Flynn and outstanding midfielder and regular captain Kayla Whitelock.

Naylor has a hamstring injury, Flynn is unavailable for personal reasons and Whitelock is making her way back to full fitness after taking a year out for the birth of her first child.

All three, health permitting, are all-but-certain starters for the Olympic squad, therefore players in the Oceania tournament have massive incentives to prove they should be in the frame for Rio.

There's also the World League final in Rosario, Argentina, in December, an eight-team tournament at which eight of the world's nine highest-ranked teams are competing. It will provide an ideal lead-in for Rio preparations.

The return of influential midfielder Stacey Michelsen, senior goalkeeper Sally Rutherford and national league MVP Brooke Neal, having missed the four-game series against Argentina this month, helps offset the absentees.

"We've named the strongest team we have based on form and availability, with all these players having performed well in the national league and Argentina series," coach Mark Hager said. "It's a great opportunity for us to view players on the international stage in preparation for the world league final."

Samoa are the third nation competing in the Oceania Cup.

The men's Black Sticks squad is named today, but they must beat world No 1 Australia to get to Rio.

NZ women's team for the Oceania Cup

Anita Punt (c, Capital), Amelia Gibson, Charlotte Harrison, Julie King, Liz Thompson (Auckland), Sam Charlton, Rose Keddell, Sally Rutherford (Midlands), Jordan Grant, Pippa Hayward, Sophie Cocks, Olivia Merry (Canterbury), Ella Gunson, Stacey Michelsen, Brooke Neal (Northland), Petrea Webster, Kat Henry, Kirsten Pearce (North Harbour).