Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Two new caps in women's hockey team to play Australia

Updated at 5:25 pm on 8 February 2010

The New Zealand women's hockey team has named two new caps in their team which will take on arch-rivals Australia in their upcoming series.

Natasha Fitzsimons from North Harbour and Midlands' Cathryn Finlayson have joined the squad of 18 which arrived in Perth yesterday.

The Black Sticks coach Mark Hager says the series will give the new caps valuable exposure at an international level and help to build depth in the team.

New Zealand, though ranked ninth in the world, has beaten fifth-placed Australia the past two times they've met, most recently at the finals of the 2009 Oceania Cup in Invercargill.

This series is the first in a busy year for the New Zealanders who have home series' against Argentina in April and India in May, before the team heads to England for the Champions Trophy in July, the World Cup in Argentina in September and the Delhi Commonwealth Games in October.

The New Zealand Women's hockey team to take on Australia:

Kayla Sharland (Central), Krystal Forgesson (Auckland), Katie Glynn (Auckland), Sally Rutherford (Midlands), Ella Gunson (Northland), Clarissa Eshuis (Midlands), Lucy Talbot (Auckland), Stacey Brannigan (Auckland), Sam Harrison (Auckland), Gemma Flynn (Midlands), Anna Thorpe (Northland), Charlotte Harrison (Northland), Jasmin McQuinn (North Harbour), Bianca Russell (North Harbour), Stacey Michelsen (North Harbour), Natasha Fitzsimons (North Harbour), Laura Douglas (Northland), Cathryn Finlayson (Midlands)

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