Expanding International Pathways for Officials through Strategic Relationships in Asia

Hockey New Zealand is actively building new partnerships in Asia to provide valuable opportunities for growth and international experience for its officials.  

With limited international matches on hand through the Oceania Hockey schedule each year, Hockey New Zealand has taken a proactive approach to broaden the exposure and development pathways available to our high-performing officials, with the support of Oceania Hockey Federation. 

A mutually supportive relationship with Singapore Hockey has been forged, aimed at offering practical assessment opportunities on ratified international matches – a critical requirement for officials aiming to progress from our Hockey NZ Advancement Panel to the FIH International Panel. 

Lyn Farrell, member of the Officials Advisory Group commented, “We see our partnership with Singapore as a great opportunity to apply our selection strategies that support our high-performance officials.  Asia provides them with an excellent way to fully prepare themselves for future appointments as well as share their experience and skills with local officials." 

Thanks to the generosity and vision of Mathavan Devadas and the team at Singapore Hockey, five Kiwi umpires have been invited to officiate at the Singapore National Games across two years. Amber Church and Kaitlyn Pennell participated in 2023, and in 2025 Lexie Etherington, Ryan Potter, and Gareth Greenfield followed suit.  

In reciprocation, Hockey New Zealand has welcomed two Singaporean officials to attend their National Hockey Championship — Valarie Koh in 2023 and this year they look forward to hosting Joven Teoh, at the upcoming NHC Tournament in September.  

For Ryan Potter who recently attended Singapore Hockey’s National Hockey League the opportunity was invaluable. “Travelling to Singapore helped me deepen my understanding of what it really takes to perform well in an international environment. From managing the demands of travel to adjusting to new conditions and routines, the experience reinforced how important it is to figure out what works for you individually, on both a physical and mental level to ensure you can be in the best possible space to deliver on the field.” 

In another exciting development, one of our high-potential umpires, Michael Marychurch, has been selected to officiate at the 2025 Hulunbuir Invitational Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China early next month. This opportunity comes after Kelly Hudson, was invited to China earlier this year in April to umpire as a neutral in China National Women’s Champions Trophy in Hangzhou. Michael Marychurch will head to inner Mongolia alongside the newly formed NZA Men’s hockey team who have been invited to attend the tournament — offering international exposure for not only our athletes but also our officials. International trips like this are great for exposing officials to different playing styles.  

For Michael, this marks his first overseas appointment, and a valuable step in his umpiring journey. “This is my first opportunity to travel overseas to umpire hockey and I’m excited to experience a new culture, work with a new group of officials and help build connection within the international hockey community.” 

In one last exciting development, this October, 2 further umpires from Oceania have been invited to umpire at the 2025 China Games.  
 
Hockey New Zealand look forward to continuing these ties across Asia and are excited to further explore more mutual opportunities.