INNER CIRCLE ONLINE

Black Sticks Women's team named for Four Nations (12-22 April)

The Four Nations begins at North Harbour Hockey Stadium today, with the Black Sticks taking on Australia, USA and India. Black Sticks Women’s national coach Mark Hager named the first of two Black Sticks teams on Monday with new comers Bridgette Blackwood, Melody Cooper and Julia King all being given a chance. Read more...

National Under 21 Tournament (7-12 May)

The National U21 Tournament begins next month and some big changes are ahead. This year, there will be eight Men’s and eight Women’s teams, with the Northern region splitting to become Northland and North Harbour. A change to the format is also new to this year's tournament, with two pools of four, which was the same format used at the Owen G Glenn FIH Men's Champions Trophy last year. Read more...

Small Sticks being rolled out throughout New Zealand

Small Sticks is Hockey New Zealand’s new nationally branded junior programme, designed to attract children, aged 4–13, into hockey and foster a lifelong love of the sport. Small Sticks allows children to play hockey at a level equal to their ability, with the correct equipment and in the appropriate game format.

In 2011, there were 1,500 children that successfully piloted Small Sticks throughout the country and this year it is being rolled out nationally. Hockey New Zealand aim’s to have 20,000 primary school children go through the programme this year, with 100,000 children to have been introduced to hockey over the next five years. Read more...

Black Sticks Men centralise in build-up to the Olympics

The Black Sticks Men will come together from April 16 as a full squad, to focus and increase the intensity of their training, in the lead up to London. The Black Sticks Men have had a busy programme since December last year, after placing fourth at the Owen G Glenn FIH Champions Trophy hosted in Auckland. This year they have had home test series against Japan and Korea. Read more...

National Indian Tournament (2-4 June)

The New Zealand Indian Sports Association (NZISA) Annual Winter tournament will be held in Rotorua, over the Queens Birthday Weekend 2-4 June 2012. This year marks the 50th Jubilee of NZISA and 50 years of the Queens Birthday tournament which was first held in Wellington in 1963. Read more...