Hockey: Team members dig deep for just rewards

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The battling fifth place at last week's junior women's World Cup in Argentina was a further sign of the resurgence in New Zealand hockey.

Outsiders at the 15-team tournament after being called in as a late replacement for France, New Zealand won their first and last games and did well enough in between to make the top five by beating South Africa 6-1 in their last playoff match.

It was very much a pay-as-you go exercise. Team members chipped in $1500 each after learning in January that New Zealand would have a team at the championship for the first time.

The men's under-21 team are expected to do every bit as well when they go to Hobart for their junior World Cup in October. Unlike the women, the men qualified by beating Australia for the Oceania nomination.

These successes have New Zealand Hockey bosses again questioning the selection criteria for major international competition.

In the Oceania region only Australia, New Zealand and Fiji are regarded as active hockey nations. The region is entitled to just one continental representative, all-too-often Australia.

But other regions, with greater playing numbers, get a bigger representation on a quantity rather than quality basis.

"The success of our teams at under-21 is great," said New Zealand Hockey Federation chief executive Ramesh Patel. "But we have been saying for a long time we deserve greater consideration at senior level [men and women] as well.

"We are happy that the continental qualifiers go to tournaments such as the World Cup and Champions Trophy. But we contend other teams should be invited on quality rather than a quota basis.

"We could push to get countries like Papua New Guinea and Samoa as Oceania members of the FIH to get the numbers up, but we already feel we deserve to be among the top 16 nations."

The national body has invested more than $500,000 in international hockey - from under-18 to senior - in the past 12 months.

The national women's team played Argentina at home before going to the Sydney Olympics.

This year they have already played South Korea and next month face India in four tests. They then play Australia in three tests in another home series before going to the Champions Trophy in the Netherlands in August.

The men clashed with Argentina and Pakistan last year and in 2001 have already played Malaysia (home) and Australia (away) and still have India to come.

After that, the players have the national league in September and October.

"There have also been suggestions that we look at a Southern Hemisphere challenge involving Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina on an annual basis, hosted by each country every four years," Patel said.

"There is some merit in that, but we prefer to bring teams here on a more regular basis as it costs less and helps to raise the profile by getting games on television."

The under-18 men's team recently drew 2-2 in four matches against Australian schoolboys in Brisbane and the New Zealand under-18 women play their annual series against Australia here in July.

The exposure has obviously been good for the game. Patel said there had been a huge increase in summer hockey after the Olympics.

The playing numbers for the winter season, to be confirmed by the end of next month, seem certain to be up.

All but four or five of the federation's 33 associations now have at least one pitch with an artificial surface - either sand or water-based. Some have four or five.