HOCKEY - Masters ready to take on 'old foe'

Northland's New Zealand Masters players will be hoping for an easy time of club competition this weekend before a trip to Hamilton on Sunday to start preparing for their annual Trans-Tasman series against the `old enemy' next week.
The battle against the Australian teams has become the benchmark for their Kiwi contemporaries, firstly because of their proximity but also because of the traditional rivalry between the two countries, New Zealand's 50+ player Barry Thorne explains.
"We've had a couple of opportunities to play India and Pakistan in the Pacific Rim tournaments in the past few years but Aussie is the other team that we can really compete with on a regular basis," Thorne said.
There are 16 Northland players who have been selected into eight Kiwi age-group teams for the three-match series in Hamilton next week.
A number of them have been selected as non-travelling reserves but the rest of them will be hoping for some time on the bench tomorrow, ahead of three games against Australia next week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
"We're pretty keen to send the Aussies packing this year, in our division especially, they beat us last year and so we're pretty keen to the turn the tables on them this year at home."
Thorne said the Masters concept has been growing in popularity for years.
"The New Zealand Masters tournament is the biggest hockey tournament in New Zealand every year, I think there was about 56 teams last year alone.
"We're all the baby boomers so whether the growth will be able to continue at the rate it's been going the last few years or not is a big question but you'd hope so, because it keeps people playing the game at a competitive level," he said.
Tomorrow's Northland Premier Division matches start in the men's competition as Maungakaramea take on winless Bream Bay at 1.50pm.
The match is followed by the traditionally explosive encounter between Springfield and Mangapai. Hikurangi look to put a big defeat behind them this week as they come up against Whangarei Girls High School at 4.50pm in the women's premier competition, while the Maungakaramea-Old Girls should be another lively encounter.
The following Northland players were selected in New Zealand Masters teams for competition next week against Australia.
Womens 35+: Tarannah Vette; Womens 40+: Donna Ford, Cheryll Pitman, Tanya Currie (non-travelling reserve); Womens 45+: Sheryl Thorne, Lorna Drake (NTR); Womens 50+: Margi Kay.
Mens 40+: Geoff Williamson, Paul Snelling, Tony Cowbourne; Mens 45+: Graeme Bint, Murray Poole, Chris Rutherford (NTR); Mens 50+: Barry Thorne, Dennis Drake; Mens 55+: Max Mathers.