Hockey Plans to build on bronze success

Hockey New Zealand are looking to host an Azlan Shah-type tournament for women here. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Keen to cash-in on their ever-improving standing on the international stage, Hockey New Zealand are looking to host an Azlan Shah-type tournament for women here.

HNZ chief executive Hilary Poole, just back from the Champions Trophy where she watched the Black Sticks women achieve their best-ever result in beating Korea 3-2 to claim bronze, stresses any planning is "in the very early stages" but sees the chance to replicate the annual men's tournament in Malaysia as promoting the women's game in particular.

"We don't want to do it once. We want to attract people to our game - on and off the field - and become part of hockey internationally on a regular basis," said Poole. "We want to grow hockey just as the on-going transtasman competition has boosted netball."

Even before that tournament becomes a possibility, HNZ are looking to host a four or six-nation tournament in Auckland early next year with world No 1, and beaten Champions Trophy finalists, Argentina and Australia already expressing their desire to come.

Poole said with the new blue artificial turf - the same as to be used at next year's London Olympics - at Westlake Girls' High School about to come on stream, countries are keen to play here as it is one of only two such pitches worldwide.

"We are exploring the possibility of playing a tournament here in February-March next year but there is plenty to be done before it will become a reality," said Poole. "We haven't talked to Westlake yet and we have to get commercial partners on side before we can confirm it. I would hope that can be done in the next two or three months."

Poole said FIH bosses were very positive in lauding the progress of hockey in New Zealand.

"They acknowledge our ability to compete with the best and the FIH president is keen to attend the next Oceania Federation annual meeting as they have plans to expand Oceania with financial input from the international federation in tandem with Oceania."

With momentum towards to upcoming World Series - which will replace tournaments like the Champions Challenge - gaining pace ahead of the inaugural tournament in the Netherlands in 2013, Poole said by mid-2012, bids for the 2015 and 2016 tournament will be called for.

"The FIH would very much like us to be involved but I have been very clear with our board that I am not prepared to put the association at financial risk and that we could only contemplate being part of something like this if we had commercial and broadcasting partners in place."

"We would dearly love to host a tier one tournament - a World Cup or Champions Trophy - but until we have worked through the numbers we will not be committing to anything. In 2009 we hosted what was a pretty low key Olympic qualifying tournament in Invercargill and that cost around $500,000."

Poole said there was a move towards prizemoney tournaments which would have to be factored in.

"The New Zealand men have been invited to play in one such tournament - the Punjab Cup in India later this year - but before we can accept that, we have to come up with the $100,000-$130,000 needed to make it happen."