Black Sticks back on home turf for test series

The Black Sticks will make a long-awaited return to international hockey when the men’s and women’s sides play eight tests in Palmerston North.

The men’s and women’s teams will play Australia in respective four-match transTasman series at Massey University in Palmerston North at the end of the month, their first international matches in 14 months due to Covid-19.

It will be the first internationals in New Zealand since the Pro League was interrupted by Covid-19 in March last year and the series will be the final selection event before the Tokyo Olympics.

The Black Sticks women haven’t played in Palmerston North since 2014 during a series against the United States, while it’s been even longer for the men, who last played in the city in 2009 against Malaysia. The Black Sticks men have played six times in Palmerston North and the women 13 times.

Black Sticks goalkeeper Georgia Barnett, from Palmerston North, is excited to be back playing international hockey, especially in her hometown.

The 26-year-old says New Zealand has been trying to organise games with Australia for a while without knowing where the games would be.

‘‘Whatever it takes to play, we don’t mind where it’s going to be for sure. The last game we played was in February last year. It’s been well over a year now.

‘‘As much as we try and replicate what we’re doing with who we’re playing here, we’re playing boys and stuff, it’s never the same feel as the international game. It’s exciting to get international teams back.’’

The squad has been training in Auckland and playing teams like the North Harbour under-18 boys.

Squads of 18 will be selected for the Tokyo Olympics after the series.

‘‘If these are the last international games we play before [Olympic] selection it will play a big part in that. That’s why we’re all still here.

‘‘[The Olympics] get postponed and we’re all still here. We want to make it to the games.’’

Hockey Manawatu¯ general manager Neil Ulrich was thrilled at the announcement. He said he had been asking Hockey New Zealand for a long time to host international games and it was huge for the region to secure the tests.

Hockey New Zealand chief executive Anthony Crummy said the two nations had been working together to get a series off the ground since the trans-tasman bubble was announced.

‘‘Given the unfortunate 14-month hiatus in international hockey for both teams, this series will be vital as both a selection event and in our final preparations for Tokyo.’’

He said Palmerston North was chosen because it offered flexibility if there was a change in Covid-19 alert levels.

‘‘The playing surface at Massey University is also the same as the one in Tokyo, and we’ve received phenomenal support from Hockey Manawatu¯ and the wider community to pull this together in such a short timeframe.’’

Trans-tasman series: Thursday, May 27; Friday, May 28; Sunday, May 30; Tuesday, June 1. Match times: 5.30pm and 7.30pm on Thursday, Friday and Tuesday, 1pm and 3pm on Sunday.