WORLD LEAGUE: Ireland’s baby steps on the road to Rio 2016 were laid out this week with the host countries decided upon for the opening rounds of the World League.
Both Irish teams enter at the second round phase of the WL, which serves as the International Hockey Federation’s method of whittling down over 60 countries to the 12 who will participate in the Olympics, thanks to their top 16 world ranking.
However, both have far-flung destinations to reach. The senior men will travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in February 2015 for their competition, while the women are off to Uruguayan capital Montevideo.
While it is another long trip for a men’s side that has also competed in Argentina and India in the past 14 months and is headed for Malaysia for the Champions Challenge I in April, there are welcome mitigating factors.
Andrew Meredith’s men have at least avoided Singapore’s humidity and Cape Town’s late summer heat – the US in early spring will give a more manageable climate – while the staging of the tournament in 2015 means two long-haul trips won’t have to be accounted for in the 2014 budget.
SENIOR WOMEN: Cork Harlequins defender Yvonne O’Byrne is one of eight new faces in an experimental Irish senior squad to travel to Spain next month.
Darren Smith has included the tough-tackling 21-year-old Cork IT student – who has Ireland A experience but missed out on being named in the New Zealander’s first extended squad in April – plus fellow uncapped forwards Vanessa Surgeoner (Pegasus), Chloe Brown (Ards) and Kate Lloyd (Railway Union) – in a 27-strong panel for a 10-day training camp in Terrassa from January 7-16, taking in four games against Spain.
“Yvonne is a snappy and competitive defender who brings a hard-nosed mindset to the group,” said Smith. “She is a quality tackler and we have been watching her for a while now.”
Smith, who will miss the tournament himself due to the birth of his first child, with Graham Shaw taking the coaching reins, has also moved Ireland U18 quartet Zoe Wilson and goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran (Randalstown), Sara Twomey (Hermes) and Emma Duncan (Old Alex) up to the senior ranks after their performances during October’s U18 interpros in Cork.
Of the squad that played at this summer’s European championships, Grace O’Flanagan, Nicola Gray, Niamh Small, vice-captain Emma Smyth, captain Alex Speers, Nikki Symmons and Niamh Atcheler are all rested.
He added that other U18 players, currently involved in the trial process for the national side at that level, are on his radar. Smith will name a squad for the Champions Challenge I in Glasgow late April, plus one to train from April to September, later this year.
IRELAND senior women’s squad for Spanish training camp (January 7-16): P Smithwick (GK, Old Alex), E Gray (GK, Hermes), A McFerran (GK, Randalstown), K Dillon (Railway Union), M Harvey (Leuven), A Meeke (Loreto), Y O’Byrne (Cork Harlequins), A O’Flynn (Hermes), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), Z Wilson (Randalstown), E Beatty (UCD), N Daly (Holcombe), E Duncan (Old Alex), M Frazer (Holcombe), L Jacob (SCHC), G Pinder (UCD), S Twomey (Hermes), C Watkins (Club de Campo), N Carroll (Catholic Institute), C Brown (Ards), D Duke (UCD), N Evans (UCD), K Lloyd (Railway Union), K Mullan (UCD), A O’Flanagan (UCD), V Surgeoner (Pegasus).
U21 MEN: The re-emergence of Ireland’s U21 teams continues apace with the Irish Hockey Association yesterday announcing a high-quality men’s Four Nations tournament to be held in Newtownabbey in February.
Jonny Caren’s Ireland will take on Germany, England and Scotland at Mossley HC from February 11-15, with funding secured from Sport Northern Ireland and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
Ireland will compete in the European B division next summer after both the men’s and women’s teams won the C division at a canter in 2012, entering at the lowest level of competition after the re-establishment of the U21 teams, which were scrapped in 2004 in favour of an Ireland A side.
Caren yesterday named a 27-strong training squad for the tournament which will be pared down after the U21 interpros on February 8 and 9. Ulster and Leinster players make up the majority of the squad with three of the players based in England and Scotland.
Nick Burns (UCD) and Gary Wilkinson (UCC) were the sole Munster players to make the initial cut, although Ashton schoolboys Simon Wolfe was today added to the panel after impressing at the U18 national trials. The panel also includes a handful of players with full international experience such as current senior panellists Kirk Shimmins and Peter Brown.
IRELAND U21 Men training panel: B Cosgrove (Grove Menzieshill/Ulster), B McMillan (GK, Mossley/Ulster), D Cole (Monkstown/Leinster), D Watkins (UCD/Leinster), G Wilkinson (UCC/Munster), G Adams (Beeston/Ulster), H Spain (Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), J Cox (Annadale/Ulster), J McKee (Banbridge/Ulster), J Moffett (Banbridge/Ulster), K Shimmins (UCD/Leinster), L Cole (Monkstown/Leinster), M Ingram (GK, Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), M Loughrey (Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), M Willis (Leeds/Ulster), M Bell (Banbridge/Ulster), M Rollins (Cookstown/Ulster), M Robson (Annadale/Ulster), N Glassey (Mossley/Ulster), N Gilmour (Portadown/Ulster), N Burns (UCD/Munster), O Magee (Banbridge/Ulster), P Brown (UCD/Ulster), R Nair (UCD/Leinster), R Canning (UCD/Leinster), J Wright (Portadown/Ulster), L Madeley (Wesley/Three Rock Rovers/Leinster), J Carr (St Andrew’s/Monkstown/Leinster), P McKibbin (Regent House/Annadale/Ulster), S Wolfe (Ashton/Cork C of I/Munster), S Murray (Wallace/Lisnagarvey/Ulster), J McKee (Banbridge Academy/Banbridge/Ulster).
OWN GOAL RULE: Goalkeepers and defenders throughout the hockey world can breathe a sigh of relief from next season onwards as own goals will no longer be possible in the sport.
After a two-season period experimenting with the own goal as a new rule, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has opted to discard it. The rule is no longer obligatory from February 1, although individual nations can decide whether to stick with it until the end
of this season before it is removed completely in September.
The move has been widely welcomed by players worldwide, many of whom felt it encouraged players to “crash” the ball into the scoring circle hoping for any kind of goalward touch. Given a separate rule change, ensuring free hits from inside the 23m line had to be moved five metres, was introduced a couple of seasons ago was to discourage such activity, the own goal rule was deemed by many to be
counter-intuitive.
Former world players of the year Jamie Dwyer (Australia) and Moritz Fuerste (Germany) both support the removal of the own goal rule, while the FIH has won praise for its willingness to revert.
Lisnagarvey captain and Ireland defender Jonny Bell also said he was happy to see it abolished: “Personally I will be glad to see the back of the own goal, partly because I have had the embarrassment of having scored two myself, one of which was a real cracker in a World League game against New Zealand,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“As a defender you have enough to keep you occupied without having to watch out for deflections and I don’t think it added anything
whatsoever to the skill set required to play hockey.
“If anything it made the game less skilful and encouraged teams to crash free hits and balls into the circle in the hope that a defender
would get in the way.”
Supporters of the own goal rule claimed it added excitement and made defenders and goalkeepers sharper; umpires are others who might not be glad to see it abolished as they will now return to having the tricky task of deciding who got the crucial final touch in a crowded circle.
SENIOR WOMEN: Cork Harlequins defender Yvonne O’Byrne is one of eight new faces in an experimental Irish senior squad to travel to Spain next month.
Darren Smith has included the tough-tackling 21-year-old Cork IT student – who has Ireland A experience but missed out on being named in the New Zealander’s first extended squad in April – plus fellow uncapped forwards Vanessa Surgeoner (Pegasus), Chloe Brown (Ards) and Kate Lloyd (Railway Union) – in a 27-strong panel for a 10-day training camp in Terrassa from January 7-16, taking in four games against Spain.
“Yvonne is a snappy and competitive defender who brings a hard-nosed mindset to the group,” said Smith. “She is a quality tackler and we have been watching her for a while now.”
Smith, who will miss the tournament himself due to the birth of his first child, with Graham Shaw taking the coaching reins, has also moved Ireland U18 quartet Zoe Wilson and goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran (Randalstown), Sara Twomey (Hermes) and Emma Duncan (Old Alex) up to the senior ranks after their performances during October’s U18 interpros in Cork.
Of the squad that played at this summer’s European championships, Grace O’Flanagan, Nicola Gray, Niamh Small, vice-captain Emma Smyth, captain Alex Speers, Nikki Symmons and Niamh Atcheler are all rested.
He added that other U18 players, currently involved in the trial process for the national side at that level, are on his radar. Smith will name a squad for the Champions Challenge I in Glasgow late April, plus one to train from April to September, later this year.
IRELAND senior women’s squad for Spanish training camp (January 7-16): P Smithwick (GK, Old Alex), E Gray (GK, Hermes), A McFerran (GK, Randalstown), K Dillon (Railway Union), M Harvey (Leuven), A Meeke (Loreto), Y O’Byrne (Cork Harlequins), A O’Flynn (Hermes), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), Z Wilson (Randalstown), E Beatty (UCD), N Daly (Holcombe), E Duncan (Old Alex), M Frazer (Holcombe), L Jacob (SCHC), G Pinder (UCD), S Twomey (Hermes), C Watkins (Club de Campo), N Carroll (Catholic Institute), C Brown (Ards), D Duke (UCD), N Evans (UCD), K Lloyd (Railway Union), K Mullan (UCD), A O’Flanagan (UCD), V Surgeoner (Pegasus).
U21 MEN: The re-emergence of Ireland’s U21 teams continues apace with the Irish Hockey Association yesterday announcing a high-quality men’s Four Nations tournament to be held in Newtownabbey in February.
Jonny Caren’s Ireland will take on Germany, England and Scotland at Mossley HC from February 11-15, with funding secured from Sport Northern Ireland and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
Ireland will compete in the European B division next summer after both the men’s and women’s teams won the C division at a canter in 2012, entering at the lowest level of competition after the re-establishment of the U21 teams, which were scrapped in 2004 in favour of an Ireland A side.
Caren yesterday named a 27-strong training squad for the tournament which will be pared down after the U21 interpros on February 8 and 9. Ulster and Leinster players make up the majority of the squad with three of the players based in England and Scotland.
Nick Burns (UCD) and Gary Wilkinson (UCC) were the sole Munster players to make the initial cut, although Ashton schoolboys Simon Wolfe was today added to the panel after impressing at the U18 national trials. The panel also includes a handful of players with full international experience such as current senior panellists Kirk Shimmins and Peter Brown.
IRELAND U21 Men training panel: B Cosgrove (Grove Menzieshill/Ulster), B McMillan (GK, Mossley/Ulster), D Cole (Monkstown/Leinster), D Watkins (UCD/Leinster), G Wilkinson (UCC/Munster), G Adams (Beeston/Ulster), H Spain (Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), J Cox (Annadale/Ulster), J McKee (Banbridge/Ulster), J Moffett (Banbridge/Ulster), K Shimmins (UCD/Leinster), L Cole (Monkstown/Leinster), M Ingram (GK, Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), M Loughrey (Pembroke Wanderers/Leinster), M Willis (Leeds/Ulster), M Bell (Banbridge/Ulster), M Rollins (Cookstown/Ulster), M Robson (Annadale/Ulster), N Glassey (Mossley/Ulster), N Gilmour (Portadown/Ulster), N Burns (UCD/Munster), O Magee (Banbridge/Ulster), P Brown (UCD/Ulster), R Nair (UCD/Leinster), R Canning (UCD/Leinster), J Wright (Portadown/Ulster), L Madeley (Wesley/Three Rock Rovers/Leinster), J Carr (St Andrew’s/Monkstown/Leinster), P McKibbin (Regent House/Annadale/Ulster), S Wolfe (Ashton/Cork C of I/Munster), S Murray (Wallace/Lisnagarvey/Ulster), J McKee (Banbridge Academy/Banbridge/Ulster).
OWN GOAL RULE: Goalkeepers and defenders throughout the hockey world can breathe a sigh of relief from next season onwards as own goals will no longer be possible in the sport.
After a two-season period experimenting with the own goal as a new rule, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has opted to discard it. The rule is no longer obligatory from February 1, although individual nations can decide whether to stick with it until the end
of this season before it is removed completely in September.
The move has been widely welcomed by players worldwide, many of whom felt it encouraged players to “crash” the ball into the scoring circle hoping for any kind of goalward touch. Given a separate rule change, ensuring free hits from inside the 23m line had to be moved five metres, was introduced a couple of seasons ago was to discourage such activity, the own goal rule was deemed by many to be
counter-intuitive.
Former world players of the year Jamie Dwyer (Australia) and Moritz Fuerste (Germany) both support the removal of the own goal rule, while the FIH has won praise for its willingness to revert.
Lisnagarvey captain and Ireland defender Jonny Bell also said he was happy to see it abolished: “Personally I will be glad to see the back of the own goal, partly because I have had the embarrassment of having scored two myself, one of which was a real cracker in a World League game against New Zealand,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“As a defender you have enough to keep you occupied without having to watch out for deflections and I don’t think it added anything
whatsoever to the skill set required to play hockey.
“If anything it made the game less skilful and encouraged teams to crash free hits and balls into the circle in the hope that a defender
would get in the way.”
Supporters of the own goal rule claimed it added excitement and made defenders and goalkeepers sharper; umpires are others who might not be glad to see it abolished as they will now return to having the tricky task of deciding who got the crucial final touch in a crowded circle.