Hockey: Mother avoids being caught between camps

Noeline Stafford will have mixed emotions when Midlands line up against Canterbury in a second round men's clash at the National Hockey League in Wellington tomorrow.

Stafford will be sideline as sons Peter (Canterbury) and Matt (Midlands) lead their respective sides into battle at the National Hockey Stadium. Where then will her allegiance lie?

As a former Canterbury player last century she jokes she could be excused for supporting the red and blacks. Not this time. As president of Tauranga Hockey, Noeline Stafford is firmly in the Midlands camp.

"It will only be the second time they have played against each other at this level," the proud mother said yesterday. "The last time was about five years ago although they did play against each other at times when they were playing club hockey in Christchurch a few years ago."

Since then the boys have gone their respective ways. Peter, 27, with around 20 games for New Zealand including a silver medal-winning effort and World Cup games in 2002, has remained in Christchurch where he plays for the champion University club and finishing his PhD in geo-technical engineering. He is close to claiming his 100th Canterbury cap.

Matt, 25, a trainee winemaker, is back in Tauranga and playing at this level again after missing last season when he was working at a Californian vineyard. He was a member of the Tauranga Old Boys team who won their local championship and the Midlands inter-city competition.

The Stafford brothers will join players from six other teams as the men's NHL hits off with an intense double-header in Wellington.

Although Canterbury are seen as the team to beat, they lost last year's final to North Harbour. Midlands could be the dark horse if one of the big four trip up.

The weekend matches pit teams from last year's top four against bottom four sides. Canterbury have perhaps the biggest challenge with today's match against unknown Northland then Midlands, although Midlands could surprise Wellington this afternoon as Wellington will be without their Australian imports. Champions North Harbour face Central, who they beat in two pre-season warm-up matches, and Southern.

Auckland, who have called in University midfielder Kishan Patel as a replacement for Michael Gunn who will miss the season through injury, play Southern and Central.

The women play their third and fourth round matches with top-of-the-table Canterbury meeting bottom-placed Auckland today and Northland tomorrow.

Defending champions Central who, like Canterbury, won two-from-two last weekend, have a testing clash with unpredictable North Harbour this afternoon and meet Midlands tomorrow.

After this weekend's double-header, the Black Sticks women leave for the Indira Gandhi Tournament and will miss the fifth and sixth round, returning in time for the seventh round which will be played on October 13 as part of the extended finals weekend in Christchurch.