Hawke's Bay has secured a 10-year international women's hockey tournament in a coup praised as "one of the most significant days in Hawke's Bay's history".
Announced yesterday, the tournament will be hosted at the yet to be completed hockey turf at Sports Park Hawke's Bay.
It has been underwritten by a consortium of business leaders and philanthropists from within the community, many of whom were initially brought together for the 2011 sponsorship of the Black Sticks teams.
Due to be held in April next year, the event will feature six nations before growing to an eight-nation tournament in following years. Alongside the Black Sticks Women, confirmed teams for next year's event are Argentina, Australia, China and Korea, with another country yet to be announced.
With a contract in place for 10 years, it required co-operation from the International Hockey Federation and it is hoped to be a women's tournament comparable to the men's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament which is held in Malaysia each year. This attracts a global audience in the tens of millions.