New Zealand’s future hockey stars are set to descend on Timaru as the city prepares to host the Vantage National Under-18 Men’s Tournament for the first time.
Held across both turfs at the Trust Aoraki Hockey Centre, the tournament is the third highest level hockey tournament in the country and will feature 21 of the best men’s under-18 teams from around the country.
Hockey South Canterbury president Pete Stayt said it was a privilege to have been selected to host the prestigious tournament.
‘‘Late every year Hockey New Zealand put out expressions of interest for tournaments and there is a qualifying level, what you need to have to host it.
‘‘It’s really challenging to get and a big reason we got the tournament was down to getting the second turf installed. We wouldn’t have qualified without it.
‘‘Everyone wants this tournament because the under-18’s are the bright lights, these are the future Black Sticks. This tournament is the first formal opportunity, they call it, for recognition and identification.’’
He said hosting the tournament proved the strength of the sport in the region.
‘‘The association has hosted tournaments in the past like the Hatch Cup and other underage events but this is a big, big thing and it’s a reflection of how the national hockey community sees South Canterbury, both from a performance view but also a governance view.
‘‘You layer that on top of our success in inter-school and hockey in general, and it’s a really exciting time [for hockey in South Canterbury].’’
The tournament would not only be big for the sport in the region but for the local economy, Mr Stayt said.
‘‘Using Venture Timaru data, it will bring over a million dollars of outside cash into South Canterbury in a week.
‘‘The idea is to make sure the people coming here really get a taste of South Canterbury and enjoy it. We’ve encouraged people to travel to the likes of Lake Tekapo when the teams have a day off and let them know for example that there is a pretty good pie shop on the way.
‘‘We’re trying to make it as much of an event as we can and promote the region, they all get an information sheet about what is around.’’
He said South Canterbury could very much be in with a chance for a top finish.
‘‘In the last few years we’ve been rated well and truly in the top 10, last year we finished 11th but on the day the team could beat anyone. With tournament play it’s a matter of stringing wins together.
‘‘You’ve got the big associations like Canterbury, North Harbour and Auckland but we’ll be competitive against their top teams. With everything going right and with knockout matches, you can fight your way through, and that’s the great thing about tournaments.
‘‘There’ll be some close games and a lot of excitement, so we really want to encourage people to come and watch, because these are the stars of the future.’’
He said a lot of community support went into making the tournament happen.
‘‘Trust Aoraki has been a phenomenal sponsor of hockey and they’ve directly helped with the organisation costs and we’ve got Portacom Building Solutions as an additional tournament supporter.
‘‘Others like Fulton Hogan, Hilton Haulage, U-Bake, Bullock Bar, Saikou, Timaru Fencing, Beaconsfield School and Hadlee & Brunton also pitched in. There is a real community behind it.’’
South Canterbury have been placed in Pool D, alongside Hawke’s Bay and Auckland (White).
Their first game will take place on the new alps turf at 10am against Hawke’s Bay on Sunday June 29.
All games are free to attend and the tournament draw will be uploaded on to the Hockey South Canterbury Facebook page.
