Hockey: Experienced Black Sticks core return for Gold Coast camp

Striker Hugo Inglis is one player back in action after European exploits. Photo / photosport.nz

A New Zealand men's hockey squad of 28 will head for the Gold Coast at the end of this month for a week's preparation ahead of the world league tournament in Johannesburg in July.

The group is a mix of players from the recent Azlan Shah tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia and others who have, or are about to, finish their European club commitments in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The group includes three goalkeepers, experienced Aucklander Devon Manchester, North Harbour's Richard Joyce and George Enersen of Canterbury, and two players, classy 18-year-old midfielder Hayden Phillips and Southern midfielder Nick Ross, who both missed the trip to Malaysia through injury.

An ankle sprain kept Phillips at home while Ross broke a bone in his foot in the recent series against Pakistan.

Those back in the fold from European activity include well-travelled players, striker Hugo Inglis, defender Shea McAleese, midfielder Jared Panchia - whose brother Arun captained world No 8 New Zealand at the Azlan Shah in the absence of regular skipper Simon Child - and attacker Blair Hilton.

The idea of the camp is to get some quality training time together, and check out facilities for next year's Commonwealth Games.

Coach Darren Smith want to compare the fitness and skill levels of those players who were in Europe with those who have been back in New Zealand.

Nine of the 28 come from Auckland and North Harbour.

The world league event starts on July 9 and New Zealand are in pool A with world No 2 Australia, 10th-ranked Spain, No 16 Japan and No 17 France.
Pool B contains Olympic runnersup Belgium, bronze medallists Germany, South Africa, Ireland and Egypt.

New Zealand men's hockey training squad for the Gold Coast:

Cory Bennett, James Coughlan, Richard Joyce, George Muir (North Harbour), Marcus Child, Kim Kingstone, Devon Manchester, Arun Panchia, Jared Panchia (Auckland), David Brydon, George Enersen, Nick Haig, Sam Lane, Dominic Newman (Canterbury), Rob Creffier, Shea McAleese, Hayden Phillips, Mac Wilcox (Central), Blair Hilton, Jacob Smith, Harry Miskimmin, Stephen Jenness (Capital), Hugo Inglis, Kane Russell, Nick Ross, Blair Tarrant (Southern). Nic Woods, Leo Mitai-Wells (Midlands).