• Kiwi Field Hockey Black Sticks Beat India Black and Blue

    All Blacks, Black Caps, Black Sticks, we are beginning to gain a sense of some sort of pattern here regarding the name of New Zealand sports teams, and it would appear that the pattern involves hue.

    All the same, in strict terms of black and white, the Kiwi women’s national field hockey side put on an impressive display against India, taking a 2 – 0 lead in the five-match series with an 8 – 2 victory.

    New Zealand Coach Mark Hager is spreading playing time around as he uses the current series to select a team for the World League semifinals in Brussels in June.

    There are 25 players on the squad and all have been, or will be given, the opportunity to earn a spot.

    The game against India was competitive until the final quarter, when the Kiwis scored four goals over the final eight minutes of the game to erase any doubt over which was the superior side.

    It was a scoring barrage of sorts, as the world’s fifth ranked field hockey team has not surpassed eight goals in one game since 2015.

    Many of the 25 players would like a selection for the World League, but only a few are considered prohibitive to have guaranteed slots. There does not appear to be a route onto the squad via injury replacements, as there are no serious injuries limiting players at the moment.