Glenn gives funding to ex-coach Hager

Sir Owen Glenn has revealed funding he withdrew from Hockey New Zealand has been given to former Black Sticks women’s coach Mark Hager.

Glenn is a staunch supporter of Hager and last month, in the wake of the latter’s departure to Great Britain, the Auckland businessman confirmed he had frozen the $2 million funding he had committed to the New Zealand men’s and women’s hockey teams due concerns over the sport’s governance.

Hager, who led the Black Sticks to gold at last year’s Commonwealth Games, was at the centre of an independent review in which 24 of the 33 current and past players interviewed had serious concerns over a ‘‘negative’’ team environment.

The review, conducted by Maria Dew QC, also found Hockey NZ had not done enough to respond to concerns when previously raised and to ensure player welfare was adequately considered.

Hager resigned as the Black Sticks coach in mid-January to take up the same role with Great Britain and England, at a time when he had seen a draft copy of Dew’s review.

Glenn, meanwhile, had originally called for Hockey NZ to be investigated for his funding to continue. But the sport’s governing body found an unlikely ally in Hager, who has convinced Glenn to end his suspension.

‘‘It wasn’t Hockey New Zealand that did anything. Mark [Hager] said it’s passed, let it go, I don’t want to keep fighting,’’ Glenn told NZME.

‘‘It’s clearly wrong but I don’t want to keep fighting, so he just said I’ve moved on so let’s just accept it.

‘‘But all of those Hockey New Zealand people who have apologised are still there.’’

The funding will resume from this month but Glenn said the payments from January and February won’t be back-dated.

Instead, the money has gone to Hager.

‘‘The two months’ payments that I would have given the women’s team, I’ve given to Mark Hager. It will allow him four return trips to see his family. His family have now settled in New Zealand and obviously he’s in England and they don’t want to go there,’’ Glenn told NZME.

Glenn said Hager had suffered throughout the ordeal, adding that some of the players, who had been guaranteed anonymity, were ‘‘stabbing him in the back’’.