Hockey: Sharland back to take helm

Black Sticks skipper Kayla Sharland

Midfielder Kayla Sharland has returned from injury and will skipper the Black Sticks at the women's hockey World Cup in Argentina next month.

Sharland, who was originally selected for the Champions Trophy in England last month but had to pull out, has got over a niggling hamstring problem to be named today in an 18-strong squad for the tournament, which runs from August 29 to September 11.

Fellow midfielder Anna Thorpe, another scratching from the Champions Trophy after having been picked, has also been included for the trip to Rosario.

Sharland and Thorpe's return means Laura Douglas and Kate Mahon drop out of the squad that went to Nottingham.

However, there remains a doubt over Thorpe, who is recovering from a thigh injury and will undergo fitness tests in a fortnight.

Coach Mark Hager said one lesson from the Champions Trophy, where the Black Sticks finished fifth to improve their world ranking from No 9 to No 7, was the need for greater consistency.

"The reality is we're still a young team that's developing," he said.

"However, if we want to compete successfully at the international level we need to be in the game for all 70 minutes."

There are three players with over 100 caps in the squad - defender Emily Naylor (133) and midfielder Stacey Carr (115) and Sharland (106).

At the other end of the experience scale, defender Natasha Fitzsimons made her international debut in February, and has accumulated 20 caps.

The World Cup, which is held every four years, is behind only the Olympics in prestige and the New Zealand women's last participation was in 2002, when they finished 11th in Perth.

The 12 nations for the upcoming event have been divided into two pools, and the three teams in New Zealand's group that are ranked above them are defending champions and world No 1 the Netherlands, Germany and Australia.

Their two other opponents are Japan and India.

The Blacks Stick need to place in the top four of their pool to achieve their target of a top-eight finish at the tournament.

BLACK STICKS SQUAD:

The New Zealand women's hockey team for the World Cup in Argentina from August 29 to September 11:

Goalkeepers - Beth Jurgeleit (Wellington), Bianca Russell (North Harbour);

Defenders - Emily Naylor (Central), Clarissa Eshuis (Midlands), Lucy Talbot (Auckland), Natasha Fitzsimons (North Harbour);

Midfielders - Kayla Sharland (captain, Central), Stacey Carr (Canterbury), Ella Gunson (Northland), Sam Harrison (Auckland), Gemma Flynn (Midlands), Anna Thorpe (Northland), Stacey Michelsen (North Harbour), Anita Punt (Wellington);

Strikers - Krystal Forgesson (Auckland), Katie Glynn (Auckland), Piki Hamahona (Central), Charlotte Harrison (Northland).

- NZPA