11 Apr 2012

Black Sticks women prepare for vital Four Nations

7:36 am on 11 April 2012

Members of the New Zealand women's hockey squad will have their last chance to impress selectors on home soil later this week before heading overseas to prepare for the Olympics.

The Black Sticks are hosting a Four Nations tournament in Auckland comprising the 7th ranked Australians, 10th ranked USA, and 13th ranked India.

The Black Sticks conceded a series victory to Argentina in March with two draws and two losses but coach Mark Hager believes they are starting to turn the corner and are match fit.

The Four Nations starting tomorrow includes two identical tournaments and Hager says it will allow him to made changes to the team for the second leg, making competition for spots even fiercer.

New Zealand are ranked 6th in the world.