qualified by finishing 7th at the Edinburgh Qualifier, after much controversy over allocation of berths and after taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration of Sports in Lausanne, but later withdrawing their complaint. New Zealand ultimately got to Edinburgh replacing Zimbabwe who had to withdraw over money matters.

finished 4th in the Six Nations Invitational Tournament in Kuala Lumpur in January 2002, behind Pakistan, Australia and the Netherlands, ahead of Japan and Malaysia

The Game

 determination and stubbornness to the max: for the New Zealand squad, giving in or giving up never ever is an option

traditionally uses zone marking, but coach Towns experimented with man-to-man marking during the Six Nation Invitational Tournament.

patience is another big strength: NZ take their time to wait for opportunities to come up, then jump in for the kill

a big question mark is the psychological impact of their last international appearance before Kuala Lumpur – getting thrashed by the Dutch 2-10, only days after surprisingly defeating them, as well as the absence of Brett Leaver

The Team

15 players competed in the Edinburgh Qualifier

5 players competed in the 2001 Junior World Cup, where NZ finished 9th

two players are changed from squad that finished fourth in the Six Nation Invitational: Alpesh Puna and Dion Gosling replace Brett Leaver and Darren Smith

Players to Watch

 Young Ryan Archibald already has 81 caps to his name, which makes him one of the more experienced players in the squad. He also was captain of the New Zealand team at the 2001 Junior World Cup, earning himself a place on the short list for the 2001 FIH Young Player of the Year award.

Fellow U21 player Hayden Shaw impresses with his qualities as penalty corner specialist, in the junior team as well as in his few outings with the senior team. A highly dangerous drag flicker already, he might well become as feared as Lomans and Lombi with some more experience and time to work on his reliability and hone his skills.

Defender Alpesh Puna gets his first good opportunity to prove himself in a major international tournament after almost two years on the squad that have earned him only 8 caps. He replaces Brett Leaver, who would have made himself New Zealand’s most capped player ever during this World Cup tournament, but had to withdraw from the team due to a knee injury

Experienced defender Dion Gosling was rested during the Six Nation Invitational to recover from a hamstring injury, but resumed full training with the team immediately after their return.

Recent International Matches  

Jan. 26, 2002, Kuala Lumpur (6 Nations Invitational): NZ vs. Netherlands 2-10

Jan. 24, 2002, Kuala Lumpur (6 Nations Invitational): NZ vs. Japan 3-3

Jan. 23, 2002, Kuala Lumpur (6 Nations Invitational): NZ vs. Pakistan 1-3

Jan. 21, 2002, Kuala Lumpur (6 Nations Invitational): NZ vs. Malaysia 1-1

Jan. 19, 2002, Kuala Lumpur (6 Nations Invitational): NZ vs. Netherlands 3-1

Jan. 18, 2002, Kuala Lumpur (6 Nations Invitational): NZ vs. Australia 2-4

July 29, 2001, Edinburgh (World Cup Qualifier): NZ vs. Canada 4-0

July 28, 2001, Edinburgh (WCQ): NZ vs. Japan 0-1

July 25, 2001, Edinburgh (WCQ): NZ vs. Canada 5-3

July 24, 2001, Edinburgh (WCQ): NZ vs. Spain 1-3

July 22, 2001, Edinburgh (WCQ): NZ vs. Belgium 1-1

Quotes

 Coach Kevin Towns (after the Six Nation Invitational Tournament): “I was pleased with the development of our two new caps, Hayden Shaw and Peter Stafford. It was a huge initiation for them and they both coped well and had a lot of time on the turf. I have no doubt they will both continue to develop.” (New Zealand Hockey Federation)