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All the news for Thursday 2 April 2015

Clubs from four different nations through to KO8



Four clubs from four different nations made it through to the quarter-finals of the Euro Hockey League as hosts Bloemendaal, Dragons, Club Egara and UHC Hamburg won out on day one of the KO16.

The top performers were Belgium’s KHC Dragons who stunned the reigning champions Harvestehuder THC with a blistering 6-2 victory.

Florent van Aubel’s stunning first goal was augmented by second half goals from Matthew Cobbaert, Kyle Good and Jeffrey Thys which saw them run out impressive 6-2 winners. HTHC’s corner machine failed to function, meanwhile, as their time as Europe's top club came to an end.

Bloemendaal, meanwhile, were comfortable winners with a 14-2 victory over a hapless Pomorzanin Torun from Poland who could not live with their illustrious hosts. Tom Boon scored five times in the rout.

Club Egara were the first side through to the KO8 as they won a dramatic shoot-out against St Germain as Quico Cortes saved the final penalty from Guillaume Samson after nine perfect efforts beforehand were scored.

It means the Spanish side are through to the last eight of the competition for the first time since 2009, enjoying their return to the EHL after a lengthy absence.

Normal time had ended 1-1 after Josep Romeu scored from the penalty spot early in the second half only for Jean-Baptiste Pauchet to tie things up when he poked home the equaliser in the 50th minute.

Three time champions UHC Hamburg are also through to the next phase but were made to work all the way by Dinamo Kazan. Tom Mieling’s 25th minute goal was all that stood between the sides as he unleashed a superb backhand finish after intercepting a loose ball out of defence to win the game.

KO16 results

Match 1: Club Egara 1 (J Romeu) St Germain 1 (J-B Pauchet), Egara win 5-4 in a shoot-out

Match 2: Dinamo Kazan 0 UHC Hamburg 1 (T Mieling)

Match 3: Harvestehuder THC 2 (T Hauke, M Korper) KHC Dragons 6 (M Cobbaert 2, K Good 2, F van Aubel)

Match 4: Bloemendaal 14 (T Boon 5, D van Puffelen 2, R Bovendeert 2, S Gougnard 2, P Vos, Da Aarts, Do Aarts) Pomorzanin Torun 2 (M Nowakowski, M Kunklewski)

Thursday 2 April fixtures

11.00h Real Club de Polo (ESP) vs Rot Weiss Koln (GER)
13.15h Beeston (ENG) vs Royal Daring (BEL)
15.30h Oranje Zwart (NED) vs SV Arminen (AUT)
17.45h Waterloo Ducks (BEL) vs SV Kampong (NED)

Euro Hockey League media release

Cortes save sees Egara through past St Germain



Club Egara became the first side through to the KO8 as they won a dramatic shoot-out as Quico Cortes saved the final penalty from Guillaume Samson after nine perfect efforts beforehand.

It means the Spanish side are through to the last eight of the competition for the first time since 2009, enjoying their return to the EHL after a lengthy absence.

The first half ended scoreless with Egara making most of the running but Martin Zylberman made a series of fine saves for Saint Germain to stay on terms.

He also came close to denying Josep Romeu from the penalty spot after Vicenc Ruiz was deemed to have been fouled when lining up a shot two minutes into the second half. Ruiz converted despite a good attempt to save from the goalkeeper.

Jean-Baptiste Pauchet, however, poked home the equaliser in the 50th minute from close range after a crash ball bounced all the way to him three metres out from goal.

From there, Egara had a couple of corners but could not find the target, leading to the shoot-out in which the Spanish side ultimately prevailed.

KO16 Match 1: Club Egara 1 (J Romeu) St Germain 1 (J-B Pauchet), Egara win 5-4 in a shoot-out

** To see the match sheet from Club Egara vs St Germain, click here

Euro Hockey League media release

Mieling magic puts UHC into KO8



Tom Mieling’s 25th minute goal was all that stood between three-time champions UHC Hamburg and Russia’s Dinamo Kazan as they former took a tentative step into the KO8.

He unleashed a superb backhand finish after intercepting a loose ball out of defence to win the game. But UHC were made to work hard throughout the tie by a Kazan team who had a number of good half chances to nick something from the game as their aggressive approach almost paid dividends.

The Russians, though, were unable to find the finishing touches while UHC had the clearer chances on the counter-attack, Florian Fuchs having the pick of them shut down by Marat Gafarov.

Nonetheless, UHC make it through with the Russians dreaming of what might have been.

KO16, Match 2: Dinamo Kazan 0 UHC Hamburg 1 (T Mieling)

** To view the Match Sheet from Dinamo Kazan vs UHC Hamburg, click here

Euro Hockey League media release

Dragons' fire lays waste to HTHC's title plans



EHL specialists KHC Dragons once again saved their best form for the competition with a superb dismantling of reigning champions Harvestehuder THC to reach the KO8.

They remain on the outskirts of the playoff places in Belgium but they were inspired in their KO16 tie as they bid to add to their run of three medals in three years.

Florent van Aubel’s stunning first goal was augmented by second half goals from Matthew Cobbaert, Kyle Good and Jeffrey Thys saw them run out impressive 6-2 winners. HTHC’s corner machine failed to function, meanwhile, as their time as Europe's top club came to an end.

In an intense first half, Dragons started the stronger, with Emmanuel Stockbroekx brought the best from Tobias Walter while Thys also fired one over the crossbar with a first time.

Florent van Aubel put his side in front in stunning fashion, dragging the ball out of reach of a lunging defender before unleashing a superb reverse-stick effort. That made it 1-0 in the 33rd minute.

And the Dragons were in irresistible form in the second half. Cobbaert snapped up a rebound after van Aubel’s athletic first shot before Good tipped in a pitch length move. Tobias Hauke gave HTHC a lifeline in the 58th minute but Cobbaert snatched another chance. Michael Korper’s low drag-flick was countered by a second Good goal, again from van Aubel’s trickery. Thys completed the rout with a cool finish.

KO16, Match 3: Harvestehuder THC 2 (T Hauke, M Korper) KHC Dragons 6 (M Cobbaert 2, K Good 2, F van Aubel)

** To view the match sheet from Dragons vs Harvestehuder, click here

Euro Hockey League media release

Bloemendaal too good for Pomorzanin



Bloemendaal proved far too strong for a hapless Pomorzanin Torun as they eased their way into the KO8 in front of their noisy home fans. The tie was effectively won in the first eight minutes when Tom Boon netted twice with Diede van Puffelen making it 3-0.

By half-time, it was 8-0 and they got up to 11-0 before Torun rallied with goals from Michal Nowakowski and Michal Kunklewski.

But Bloemendaal continued to run up the goals, ending up 14-2 victors  by the end with Boon ending up with five of them.

KO16 Match 4: Bloemendaal 14 (T Boon 5, D van Puffelen 2, R Bovendeert 2, S Gougnard 2, P Vos, Da Aarts, Do Aarts) Pomorzanin Torun 2 (M Nowakowski, M Kunklewski)

** To view the match sheet from HC Bloemendaal vs Pomorzanin Torun, click here

Euro Hockey League media release

EHL signs an exclusive multi-year agreement with NOS

Brussels, April 1st 2015 - Euro Hockey League (EHL) is very excited to announce a 4-year deal with Dutch national television broadcaster NOS.

The agreement sees NOS commit to broadcasting the most important matches each season in the EHL with a specific emphasis on the Dutch clubs involved in the competition through the station’s television channel and on a dedicated webpage on NOS.nl.

In addition, highlights of key matches will be shown on daily NOS news programs and there will also be special coverage of the annual finals – the KO16 and FINAL4.

The EHL-NOS agreement comes into effect on April 1 2015 at the start of this year’s thrilling KO16/FINAL4 double event.

Joost de Vries, of NOS, said of the new agreement: “NOS is very pleased to have signed an agreement to broadcast the EHL for the next four years. Our opinion is that the EHL should be shown on a free-to-air channel, so hockey-enthusiasts can follow the best club-hockey in Europe wherever they want. We are also able to inform an even a larger group of sports news fanatics about the results of this competition.”

EHL sees NOS as an important strategic media partner. NOS has a very strong track record in broadcasting hockey on Dutch television.

With its access to a wide audience on free-to-air television, it makes it easier for EHL to further boost awareness of Europe's top club hockey event in The Netherlands and abroad.

The EHL is also moving forward with expansion across Europe through several coverage deals in Germany and, most recently, with Eurosport. Through these agreements, the EHL is continuing its commitment to presenting the sport in the best possible way.

Jons Hensel, chairman of the EHL says: “This deal reinforces the position of the EHL as a strong European sports platform. The new position of the EHL will provide an enormous boost to its expansion plans for the near future. We are extremely proud of this media partnership.”

Euro Hockey League media release

Two injury-enforced changes to Black Sticks women's squad for Auckland tests

Women's Black Sticks coach Mark Hager has been forced to make two team changes due to injury for their internationals against South Korea and Japan in Auckland this weekend.

Aniwaka Roberts and Rosie Keddell have withdrawn due to injury and Sophie Cocks is out with illness.

Replacements Ella Gunson and Olivia Merry will play against South Korea on Saturday with one further player to be named.

Jordan Grant replaces Cocks for the Japan match on Sunday.NZ A team will play South Korea in the curtain-raiser on Sunday, and against Japan on Monday.

Charlotte Harrison, who has played 183 international tests, has been named in both sides and joins a young group of players from the development squad and Junior Black Sticks teams.

"Charlotte has shown an eagerness to return to international hockey and so we wanted to give selectors the opportunity to review her again and see where she's at," Hager said.

"These tests provide a great opportunity for the next group of players to get some game time against two teams that play quite a different style of hockey.

"We have deliberately selected a different team for each of the games so we can expose more players."

After these games the Black Sticks head to Gisborne to play Argentina on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It will be the first international hockey at Gisborne, with a new turf recently being laid.
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All teams then go to Hastings for the Hawke's Bay Cup on April 11-19, featuring eight of the top nations in the world

Stuff

Watch the Black Sticks Women LIVE online

We've got you covered this Easter weekend with LIVE coverage of the Black Sticks Women vs Korea and Japan!

The Black Sticks are up against Korea on Saturday 4th April and then Japan the following day, with both games underway at 3:00pm at the Auckland Grammar Hockey Turf in Auckland.

Video will be available live and then on demand along with a highlights package and player interviews.

CLICK HERE for the Black Sticks video page

MATCH SCHEDULE

Saturday 4th April, Black Sticks vs Korea, 3:00pm - Streamed live 
Sunday 5th April, Black Sticks vs Japan, 3:00pm - Streamed live

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Kumar bracing for a tough challenge in Ipoh

By Aftar Singh



KUALA LUMPUR: S. Kumar is undoubtedly the most successful goalkeeper in the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament.

The 36-year-old, who will be featuring in the six-nation tournament for the 12th time on Sunday, has won the best goalkeeper award five times – 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.

He did not make the squad last year as he was recovering from a hamstring injury.

Kumar, Asia's best player in 2010, said that it was an honour to win the awards.

“I never expected the five awards. I am now motivated to get one more and will go all out in the tournament,” said Kumar.

“However, this year's edition is more challenging and tougher. All the teams have brought along their best players.”

The teams – Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, India and Canada – are using the tournament as part of their preparations for the World League Semi-finals (in Antwerp, Belgium and Buenos Aires, Argentina in June) to qualify for next year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Malaysia, who finished runners-up last year, will begin their campaign against New Zealand on Sunday, followed by matches against reigning champions Australia (April 6), India (April 8), South Korea (April 9) and Canada (April 11). The final is slated on April 12.

Kumar, who helped Malaysia win the World League Second Round in Singapore in January, said all five teams have good strike force and also penalty corner drag flickers and it would be a challenge for him to keep them at bay.

“It will also be very tough for us to win the tournament as we are up against world champions Australia.

“New Zealand, South Korea and India are also ranked higher than us. We are hoping for the best,” added Kumar.

Malaysia have qualified for the final five times since its inception in 1983 but have always ended up as the bridesmaid.

The Star of Malaysia

Indian Team Adopts More Attacking Game For Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

NEW DELHI: Hockey fans can expect to see a much-rejuvenated Indian men's hockey team at the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament in Malaysia, promising a more attacking game under their new chief coach Paul van Ass.

For van Ass, who secured a silver medal for the Dutch national team at the 2012 London Olympics, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from April 5 to 12 will be the first major test in preparing the Indian team which has already qualified for next year's Rio Olympics.

The 54-year-old van Ass has been working with the Indian team for the past two weeks after taking over the hot seat following the acrimonious departure of Australian Terry Walsh.

When met at the Major Dhyan Stadium here Wednesday evening prior to the last training session of the Indian national team, van Ass told Bernama the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was an important tournament because his players would be playing with some teams ranked much higher than India.

He was slowly trying to understand and analyse the Indian style of play, he said, adding that the team had its strengths and weaknesses.

"I have been spending a good amount of time with the team and I understand the team more each day," said van Ass, who was evidently a little uncomfortable with the New Delhi hot weather.

Asked which specific area he been working on with the players, van Ass explained that each player on average kept the ball about two minutes and he been working on what they would have to do for the remaining 58 minutes of the game.

"Positioning of players is key in hockey, not only focusing on your attack but also defending in numbers," he said.

He said the team was very much prepared for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and would put pressure on the opponents in each match and play all matches with the same intensity.

"We are looking forward to the tournament in Malaysia," he said, but declined to set any target for the team in the tournament.

Meanwhile, High Performance director Roelant Othmans, who is also a Dutch national, said there was room for improvement for the team though they secured the gold medal at the Incheon Asian Games in South Korea last year.

Othmans stressed that the Indian players had the skills and speed but still lacked mental strength and strategy, especially when facing opponents ranked higher.

He lamented that there were only 50 astroturf pitches in India compared with 900 in Holland. He said only five pitches were well maintained in New Delhi.

"Sometimes, we face the problem of getting a pool of many players to choose from," said Othmans.

According to the International Hockey Federation (FIH), India ranks nine compared to Australia (1), South Korea (8), New Zealand (9), Malaysia (12) and Canada (15), the other countries participating in the tournament. India's first match, on April 5, is against South Korea.

The team leaves for Malaysia late this evening.

India will play their first match against South Korea on April 5 followed by matches against New Zealand (April 6), Malaysia (April 8), Canada (April 9) and Australia (April 11).

The Indian squad:

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Harjot Singh.

Defenders: Gurbaj Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Birendra Lakra, Kothajit Singh, VR Raghunath.

Midfielders: Manpreet Singh, Sardar Singh, Dharamvir Singh, Chinglensana Singh, SK Uthappa.

Forwards: Ramandeep Singh, SV Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Satbir Singh, Mandeep Singh.

Malaysian Digest

No Problem with the Language barrier: Paul van Ass

s2h Team

Just before the Indian Hockey Team prepares to leave for the 26th Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament in Malaysia, the team participated in a mandatory practice session at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.

The practice session was held under the watchful eyes of newly elected Indian chief coach Paul van Ass, who looked determined about his new role as he prepares to face his first challenge with the Indian team.

The former Netherlands coach was seen interacting with the players and solving their queries on the field.

Talking about boys and the language barrier, the head coach feels its about the on-field combination which brings results.

“The players are very skillful and are very much willing to learn new things which is really good but the nice part is all though I don’t speak Hindi or Punjabi, on the pitch we do have the same sort of language.” Paul van Ass, quoted as saying.

Paul is excited with this event and feels this won’t be like a normal Azlan Shah. “We are looking for some quality matches in the tournament. There are some teams better ranked then us and some lesser one. So, it’s a good tournament to feel and it gives chance for players to present themselves which makes it really attractive then the normal Azlan Shah Tournament.”

Birendra Lakra, who recently won the HI Player of the Year Award, said, “The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be a good opportunity for our team and we are in good position now."

The new Chief Coach is working well with us and we are learning new things about the game and various strategies. Our defence is strong and we are confident enough," he added.

The Indian hockey team will leave for Malaysia on 2nd of April as the Sardara Singh led side gears first-up to clash with Asian counter-part Korea in their first league game on April 5.

Stick2Hockey.com

Azlan meet will be new beginning, says Van Ass

Ritu Sejwal

NEW DELHI: Barely three weeks into his job, Indian hockey team's new coach Paul van Ass will be tested as the team gears up for season's first challenge at the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia from April 5.

So far, Van Ass has refrained from setting immediate targets and calls the tournament a new beginning for the team. "We would like to play some quality matches. There are teams that are better ranked than us. The players want to perform at their best so that they can impress the new coach. And that makes it more attractive than a normal Azlan Shah tournament. We all see it as a beginning," Van Ass said on the sidelines of team's last training session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Wednesday.

"To be honest, you can never set a target. It has to be realistic. We want to win every game and will try to put pressure on the opponents," he said.

Ranked ninth in the world, India will first take on Korea (8) in a six-team tournament that includes world No. 1 Australia, New Zealand (7), Malaysia (12) and Canada (15). In their last meeting, at the 2014 Asian Games, India had beaten Korea 1-0 in the semifinals.

Van Ass said his side would try to emulate the Germans with their field positions and that variations in play would also be a focus area for the Dutch.

"Indians often lose the ball and that becomes dangerous. I want to see attacking play but have to make sure we have counter at tacks in place. We've to ensure we're not too flat at the back, to have good angles and to ensure midfield is not too far. It's an art and Germans are the best example," he pointed out.

"Too many people look at what happens with the ball. But that's not so important. In 60 minutes of play you are around the ball for two minutes. For 58 minutes, you do something different that's where I am focusing on," Van Ass added.

Van Ass believes the current team has 5-6 players of international stature. "Players are very skilful and willing to learn new things. If I tell them something new they get excited. Although I don't speak in Hindi but we share the same language on the pitch," he signed off.

The Times of India

Focus is on improving of technical skills of players: Van Ass


Indian men’s hockey team coach Paul van Ass.   

The Indian men’s hockey team coach Paul van Ass says he is focussing on improving the technical skills of the players ahead of the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be played at Ipoh, Malaysia from April 5-12.

The Indian side will be departing tomorrow for the tournament, where five other teams -- Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Malaysia and Canada -- will be seen in action.

“We are working on every department of the game, it’s not about focusing on only one area. The team has some strength and weaknesses and we have to work on improving the strength as well as find solutions to our weaknesses,” the coach said.

“I have spent a good amount of time with the team and I understand the team more each day. The aim is not to make major changes but to adapt according to the new system. The focus is on the improvement of technical skills of players.”

India is scheduled to clash with Korea in their first match, to be played on April 5.

“Players are in good shape and working hard. I am working on the 60 minutes that each player spends during the match. Suppose, a player keeps the ball for two minutes in a match, I am working on what he does in the rest of the 58 minutes of the game. Similar to this technique, we are working on other aspects of the game as well,” explained van Ass.

“The team is very much prepared for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. We will put pressure on the opponents in each match and play all matches with the same intensity. We are looking forward to the tournament in Malaysia,” he added.

Defender Birendra Lakra, meanwhile, said that under the new chief coach the team was learning various new strategies.

“The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be a good opportunity for our team and we are in good position now. The new chief coach is working well with us and we are learning new things about the game and various strategies. Our defence is strong and we are confident enough,” he said.

The Hindu

Time for first impression

At Azlan Shah tournament, focus will be more on India’s new coach than on the team

Sabi Hussain


Paul Van Ass, head coach of the Indian men’s hockey team, talking with the players during a training session in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

New Delhi - The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, starting from April 5, will be India's first international assignment of the year after the Champions Trophy. It will also be the first test for the newly-appointed head coach, Paul Van Ass, who took charge of the senior men’s team two weeks ago.

The Dutchman has had barely a couple of weeks' time to settle down in his new job. He would probably have liked to spend some more time with the boys before embarking on his first international assignment.

Paul knows the Indian sports administrators and fans are overtly demanding and expect instant results. The new coach would be under some pressure to deliver in his very first assignment for he has taken charge of the team that has been on the ascendency for some time now; they logged pretty good results under Terry Walsh, the man he has replaced. So, the expectations from the team and him too would be high.

Given that India will have to counter the likes of world champions Australia, world No.7 New Zealand and world No.8 Korea besides hosts Malaysia and Canada, the competition is certainly going to be pretty stiff. However, a title triumph will go a long way in earning him the respect and admiration of the players and the fans.

“There are some teams who are better ranked than us and some lower ranked. So, it’s a good balance. The Indian team is well prepared. We will put pressure on the opponents in each match and play all matches with the same intensity," Paul said.

"It's important to take one game at a time. For me, the most important is to see what we have learnt and then use it. To be honest, you can’t set targets. We want to win every tournament but, realistically, I am more interested in the process," he added.

One thing which could work in his favour is that he already has a 'process' in place, thanks to Walsh. India has already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics on the back of its gold medal-winning performance at the Incheon Asian Games and the team wears a settled look.

From the look of it, Paul is unlikely to make major changes in the way the team has been playing over the last few years. At most, one could expect the Dutchman to just ‘fine-tune’ the process that is in place over the last few months.

"The aim is not to make major changes but to adapt according to the new system. The focus is on the improvement of technical skills of players. Players are in good shape and working hard. I am working on the 60 minutes that each player needs to spend on the pitch during the match. Suppose, a player keeps the ball for two minutes in a match, I am working on what does he do in the remaining 58 minutes. Besides, there are a few other things we are working on,” he said.

Paul is aware that having played under the Australian coaches, the current team is more use to Australian school of hockey; hence it wouldn’t be a good idea to expose them to too much of European style. The coach said he would try to mix the two styles, and use a bit of Asian style too. Over the last 12 months, India have improved their defence, there’s more structure to the way the team plays, and are more effective on counterattacks.

"There will not be much change in the style of play. I like the way Indians play hockey, the give-and-go style which is always nice and fantastic to watch. Only, in this process, they sometime lose the ball, and it becomes dangerous then. So this is what I want to do: we want to see that attacking play but also have that counter control so that we don’t end up with zero points despite playing fantastic hockey," he said.

The Tribune

Birendra Lakra: Totally unexpected

Tazeen Qureshy



Last year, while P.R. Sreejesh stood tall as the custodian of India’s goalpost, thwarting the opposition attempts to score, 26-year old defender Birendra Lakra contributed equally, ensuring the ball was cleared from the Indian ‘D’, without any foul.

Sreejesh was in full form last year, his performance in the final of the Incheon Asian Games against Pakistan, resulted in India clinching the title. So, when the Hockey India Annual Awards was held last week in New Delhi, many including Lakra himself expected Sreejesh to win the ‘Player of the Year’ title.

But, instead, it was Birendra Lakra, who walked away with the player of the year award and a prize money of Rs 25 lakh.

“Totally unexpected. It came as a surprise for me. Of course, I thought Sreejesh would be the player of the year, given the way he had played last year,” said Lakra, ahead of the team’s departure to Malaysia for the Azlan Shah Cup.

Praising the concept of Annual Hockey Awards that was introduced this year, Lakra said it would increase competition and help in overall development of the team.

“Since an annual award has been instituted, so now every player will try to win it. This will improve the individual player’s performance, which in turn, would enhance the performance of the team.”

However, for Lakra, the awards are already a thing of the past for now, and he is gearing up for the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia now.

“It is just days to go before the Azlan Shah Cup starts. This time we have a full-strength squad and naturally, we will target to finish on a high note,” he signed off.

Stick2Hockey.com

Scotland's future talent to feature in HDM competition in Holland

Scotland's U16 youth internationals will travel to the Netherlands this week for HDM's annual Youth International Easter Hockey Tournament from 3-5 April.

The JIPHT tournament features teams from all around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and the USA, plus teams from the Netherlands.

Scotland U16 boys will play in the U17 competition against Westlake (NZ), Dynamo Elektrostal (RUS), Kearsney (RSA), HDM (NED), HG Nürnberg (GER), Derby (NED), Rot Weiß München (GER), HVA (NED), Mannheimmer (GER).

Scotland U16 girls will participate in the U17 competition against Diocesan School for Girls (NZ), HDM, Groningen, Abcoude, Cartouche, Purmerend, AMVJ (all NED)

Scotland U16 Boys

Scotland U16 Girls

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Trevor Laurence (1952-2015)


Trevor Laurence (1952-2015)

This week the hockey community was shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Trevor Laurence on Tuesday 31 March during a mountain bike ride in Kapiti.

Trevor was a much loved, passionate and dedicated hockey player, coach, administrator and supporter who gave a tremendous amount to the sport over many years.

A former New Zealand player with 27 international test caps, Trevor represented his country from 1977-1984 and played in major tournaments including the 1982 World Cup, 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and was also selected for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

A positive and charismatic player off the field, he will be remembered on the field for his disciplined approach to training, his uncompromising defence and his impressive penalty corners.

Selected as a National U-21 player in 1973, Trevor played for 11 seasons in premier teams for both University and then Southern, and played New Zealand Masters in 1993-1995.

As well as being a talented player, he was a successful selector and coach of U15, U18 and premier divisions and was a club coach and administrator at Southern for many years.

Trevor was passionate about the growth and development of hockey in the region and provided strategic advice to Auckland Hockey from 1997-2000. He was the Auckland Hockey President from 2000-2005.

His contribution was recognised when Auckland Hockey made him a Life Member in 2010.

Trevor is a huge loss to the sport. He will be fondly remembered and missed by many.

From the team at Hockey New Zealand, we send all our love and best wishes to his extended family and hockey friends, at this very tough time.

Funeral details are yet to be confirmed.

Hockey New Zealand Media release