Hockey: Olympic axe hovers over Black Sticks in London

Black Sticks women at the start of the test against Argentina. Photo / Getty Images

The Olympic selection axe will hang over the New Zealand women's hockey team at the Champions Trophy in London, starting this weekend.

Assistant coach Sean Dancer says they'll be naming the squad for Rio when they return home.

Dancer says it'll be an interesting plane flight home with a lot of selection discussions.

He says their 25 national squad members and development player Kelsey Smith are all in the running for the 16 spots in their final Olympic team.

The Black Sticks will have limited time on the London turf before their Champions Trophy opener against the Netherlands.

Dancer says because the men's Champions Trophy is still in progress, there's little training time available.

He says they've only got two one hour sessions leading into Sunday morning's game.

The Black Sticks lost two-nil to the Netherlands in a warm-up test this week.