Hockey: Super duo join NZ coaching

Black Sticks against Argentina. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Darren Smith and Greg Nicol opposed each other at the 2004 Olympics but now work towards a common goal of getting the Black Sticks men and women into medal contention at the London Olympics.

Hockey New Zealand chief executive Hilary Poole yesterday confirmed Smith and Nicol - with more than 400 international appearances between them - have been appointed fulltime assistant coaches to the national teams.

After working part-time with national men's coach Shane McLeod, 212-test veteran Smith, 37, has gone fulltime as part of his role in Sparc's coach accelerator programme aimed at developing a small group of elite coaches in the next five years.

Former South African international Nicol will join Black Sticks women's coach Mark Hager in a partnership to be envied by the hockey-playing world.

Hager played 231 games, scoring 179 goals for Australia while Nicol, 36, called it quits in Athens after 200 games with an amazing 244 goals. Both are records for their respective countries.

Poole is understandably enthusiastic about the appointments.

"We have 25 athletes in each of the national squads plus another 10 in the development programme," said Poole. "With each of the national teams playing around 30 internationals a year, this extra support will give Shane [McLeod] and Mark [Hager] more time to concentrate on coaching."

All four will be based in Auckland, with Nicol moving from Hawkes Bay, where he managed the Kelt Capital hockey academy. Nicol and Smith were McLeod's assistants at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The pair will also work in the longer term development of the eight regional talent programmes.

Poole said HNZ searched for coaches with international experience, who had been part of an Olympic programme and had a strong knowledge of the sport in New Zealand.

Hager and Nicol will be together when the Black Sticks play next month's Champions Trophy in Amsterdam.