Four Hawke’s Bay players have been named in New Zealand teams for two Junior World Cup hockey tournaments.
The teams were announced by Hockey New Zealand on Wednesday, including former schooldays neighbours Emma Findlay and Hannah Cotter in the team for the women’s tournament in Santiago, Chile, from November 29 to December 10 and brothers Luke and Jonty Elmes in the team for the men’s tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 5-16.
The brothers – Luke, aged 21, and Jonty (18) in his first year out of Napier Boys High School – have benefitted from a move north to train for and play their hockey, but were on opposing sides, and opposing ends when Luke played in-goal for Hawke’s Bay and Jonty as a striker for North Harbour at last week’s national tournament in Hamilton.
Harbour won 3-0 when the two sides played, and Luke said: “He (Jonty) didn’t score against me, so I take that as a win.”
By Doug Laing