Hockey: Around the world in many ways

Black Sticks captain Ryan Archibald will earn his 150th cap in Melbourne. Picture / Dean Purcell

As New Zealand Soccer rejoiced at the All Whites first home international in 3 1/2 years this week, Ryan Archibald was mentally packing his bags for next month's Commonwealth Games.

The new Black Sticks captain is on course to claim his 150th cap during the Melbourne event, and it will be his 23rd overseas campaign since cracking the senior national side in 1998.

The 25-year-old midfielder is not even the most capped member of the Games team. Vice-captain Darren Smith has played 198 internationals.

Throw in striker Bevan Hari (152 caps), striker Phil Burrows (127), midfielder Blair Hopping (109) and there's a block of vast experience within the squad.

They are evidence supporting the argument of the two national teams being the true amateur journeymen - and women - of New Zealand sport. Soccer, the world game, is the most graphic example - but certainly not the only one - at the opposite end of the scale in New Zealand.

The All Whites played one international last year. In the same period, the hockey men played 16 tests; the women 19.

Even allowing for hockey being able to cram five games into a 10-day period, it's still a substantial amount of international competition.

In Archibald's case, he has been an international while a student and in business, so he's got a good grasp of what commitment to his sport entails.

"When I was at university getting time away was easy," he said. "It was up to you and how you managed your workload. If you knew you had a lot of hockey, you took a couple less papers and you could take work away on tours.

"Now I've moved into the business world there is quite a conflict in terms of demands for time off and working demands.

"I'm very fortunate as I have a very understanding employer, but I can easily see how it isn't the case for everyone."

New Zealand Hockey received $1.5 million in funding support from Government agency Sparc for the year ending June 30. That includes portions for coaching, administration and performance enhancement grants.

That's the big chunk of the costs of getting the national sides round the globe. As no government is in the habit of handing out money for fun, hockey is in the same spot as all sports seeking assistance: They must justify their case.

After the 2004 Athens Olympics, New Zealand was one of four countries to have both national sides ranked in the world's top six, the others being perennial heavyweights Holland, Australia and Germany. The men are ranked 9th, the women 6th.

However with success comes obligations.

Hockey operates like a treadmill. New Zealand are on it and to stay there they must keep travelling and keep performing at the important points-gathering tournaments.

That means money, but also brings into play other aspects such as player welfare.

NZH chief executive Ramesh Patel said the organisation worked on a four-year cycle and took a prudent approach to spending money. It worked on a budget of about $600,000 for each national team a year, which includes elements such as coaching salaries.

NZH picks up the costs of attending all overseas events, apart from the annual Azlan Shah tournament - where hosts Malaysia picked up the accommodation costs and can invite whomever it wishes - and the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, where the New Zealand Olympic Committee pays for travel and accommodation in the village.

A European tour, such as an Olympic qualifying tournament, costs up to $150,000. A 10-day tour to Australia is around $80,000, and the national body picks up the bill for visiting teams plus the Black Sticks in New Zealand. Call it about $70,000 for a 10 to 12 day engagement.

"We try to ensure we're not spending money frivolously, and we pretty much have to say there are tournaments we have to go to as they are important strategically," Patel said.

"If you're not in World Cups you have to qualify, and then it's even more expensive to get back into the fold. Some things you can't get out of. You just have to do it."

And for the players? The flights, the monotony, the hotel rooms, which all start to look the same? There are worse things to do.

"It can become a grind at times, particularly through the winter months when you're training on your own and everyone probably asks themselves at some time, why am I doing this?" Archibald said.

"But when you get away, particularly overseas, all those negative thoughts quickly disappear. The reason you train is to play the best you can and take up those challenges of playing on the international stage."

After Melbourne, Archibald is off to China for World Cup qualifiers in April and, touch wood, the World Cup in Germany in September.

And the women? The Commonwealth Games, World Cup qualifying in Rome in April, the Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, Netherlands, in July and the World Cup in Madrid in September.