Hockey: Forgesson and Russell announce retirement

New Zealand's Krystal Forgesson has retired. Photo / Greg Bowker.

Black Stick midfielder Krystal Forgesson and goalkeeper Bianca Russell have announced their retirement from the international game.

Both players have helped New Zealand win critical games over many years and coach Mark Hager said the pair would be greatly missed as the team begins preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Forgesson, 31, and Russell, 36, are both turning their focus to fulltime jobs, looking forward to exchanging a rigorous training schedule for more time with family and friends.

Having debuted in 2005, Forgesson's career has included the Melbourne, Delhi and Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Beijing and London Olympics and World Cups in Holland and Argentina.

She accumulated 220 international test caps, making her the fourth-highest capped Black Stick, and scored 77 goals to sit alongside Katie Glynn as the current leading goal scorer for this country.

"The Rio Olympics had always been in the back of my mind when making this decision - especially with it only being a year and a half away - but I just don't think I can keep giving it 100 per cent," said Forgesson.

Russell's decision to retire also didn't come easily, but she believed it was the right time to step aside and let the next generation of goalkeepers come through.

"I wish I didn't have to go - my heart still very much wants to play hockey but reality and my head say that it's time to walk away," she said. "I didn't make the Commonwealth Games team this year and that had been a goal for me, so when I didn't achieve that I reassessed."

Debuting in 2008, Russell played at the London Olympics, the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and other major events including the Champions Trophy and Champions Challenge.