FRIDAY, 12 JULY 2002
10 July 2002
By LINDA WOOD
The New Zealand women's hockey team has been given a pass mark as it heads toward the Manchester Commonwealth Games later this month.
10 July 2002
By LINDA WOOD
The New Zealand women's hockey team has been given a pass mark as it heads toward the Manchester Commonwealth Games later this month.
"I think they have raised the bar in the seven weeks that I have seen them in Wellington," Smith, who is the Telecom hockey ambassador, said.
"There has been huge improvements since the test matches against the United States and those young players have made the step up. They are definitely capable of the top four and it would be really nice for it to be a medal."
Smith, the glamour girl of the sport tilltill her retirement, also believes that the decision for the side to base itself in Wellington and play in the premier men's competition, a repeat of what the side did before the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, is the right one.
"The best thing about this situation is they are playing against the men and they probably don't realise how much they have improved until they play that first game against the Netherlands," she said.
"They (the players) are also at that stage now where they are tired and they don't realise the advancement that they have made."
The side will play two tests in the Netherlands before heading to Manchester and the Commonwealth Games.
"That will be the benchmark," Smith said. "The Dutch are always tough, they are in top six in the world."
"I know my legs couldn't run around like they once did," she said. "I miss the girls and I probably miss the competition a little bit though. I still love the game."
The Black Sticks, who held sessions with secondary school players yesterday, play their final game in Wellington tonight against Indians at the National Stadium. That game starts at 7pm.
The players then have four days at home before they leave for the Netherlands on Sunday and then on to Manchester.