Hockey: Women ought to tackle lads - Black Sticks coach Mark Hager

Black Sticks coach Mark Hager. Photo / Doug Sherring

Black Sticks coach Mark Hager is pushing for more matches for his women against the country's leading young men as a way to progress his players.

Speaking after finishing runners-up in the World League final at North Harbour on Sunday night, beaten 3-0 by the world No1 Dutch women, Hager said it was time to stop ''beating our heads against a brick wall''.

"We've got to play in the (under-18) boys' competition, simple, plain, easy," he said. "And we've got to get over the fear of the girls getting hurt.

"They (boys) play at such a pace it gets us up to speed. That's what we've got at our disposal but we don't tap into it enough.

"Our club competition here is not good enough. They train once a week, play once at weekends, whereas an under-18 tournament gives us a chance to play in tournament-style situations against the boys. That's what Holland do every week."

Hager pointed out the Dutch, England, Argentina and Australia have professional setups for the best players. There were lessons to be absorbed.

"We do well for what we've got, but I feel we can do even better."

A busy six months is coming up for Hager's women, who will move up a spot to world No4 on the strength of making the World League final, leapfrogging Australia, who failed to qualify for that event. They have a trip to Argentina, followed by the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and the annual Hawkes Bay international festival before the World Cup in London in July-August.

And they are hoping for an invitation to the last six-team Champions Trophy in China towards the end of the year.

If New Zealand were feeling a bit lonely without their near neighbours at the World League, they'll see them at the World Cup.

The two teams have been grouped together in pool D, along with 12th-ranked Japan and No 13 Belgium for the 16-team major tournament on the international calender, alongside the Olympics.

World Cup pools:

Pool A: Netherlands (world No 1), China (8), Korea (9), Italy (17).
Pool B: England (2), United States (7), India (10), Ireland (16).
Pool C: Argentina (3), Germany (6), Spain (11), South Africa (14).
Pool D: Australia (4), New Zealand (5), Japan (12), Belgium (13).