KEY POINTS:
Black Sticks players Gareth Brooks and Bevan Hari have followed Paul Woolford in announcing their retirement from international hockey.
The trio have collective test caps amounting to more than 400 and their departure will leave some big gaps in the team.
Goalkeeper Woolford, 31, said yesterday he was not in contention for the next Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, and that it would be "a bridge too far for an old dog".
He has been the cornerstone of the Black Sticks defence since his debut against Australia in 1999 and has played 133 tests for the team.
Bevan Hari, 33, has amassed 215 test caps since his debut against Malaysia in 1997 and as a striker has scored more than 50 goals.
At 29, striker Brooks is the youngest of the retiring trio.
He made his debut against Belgium in 2002 and has since played 109 times for the Black Sticks.
All three have played at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and world cups.
Hockey NZ chief executive Ramesh Patel said the three had made successful contributions to the Black Sticks for many years and it was sad to see them go.
"Hockey at this level now requires players to commit to at least two years in the lead-up to an Olympic Games or World Cup - a commitment which becomes increasingly difficult as players also try to manage their careers and study," he said.
The announcements come only days after women's national team coach Kevin Towns stepped down from the role.
The men's team finished in seventh place at the Olympics Games in Beijing in August, while the women's team finished at the bottom of the 12 team table.
- NZPA
