Hockey players head for artificial turf

Press, 11 February 1983, Page 25

Hockey players head for artificial turf

BY

KEVIN TUTTY

Andv ’ Innes and lan Riach. members of Canterbury's Challenge Shield winning hockey team last season, leave on Sunday on an indefinite excursion to Australia. The pair, who were also key plavers in the Harewood team that won the Christchurch club championship, are heading for Perth where they hope to play a number of games on that city's artificial surface: A former Canterbury and New Zealand representative player. Alan Chesney, has told the pair thev will probably win places in the’ senior club team he plays for. West Perth. The team is coached by the Australian centre-forward, Terry Walsh. Innes and Riach have five weeks leave, but if they can find suitable employment, and like the look of the club scene in Perth, they will probably stay until the middle of the New Zealand season — June or Julv. Their intention is to return for the major part of the Canterbury representative season, and win a place in the side to defend the Challenge Shield at the national tournament in Palmerston North in August. Innes was chosen in the NeuZealand team late last year for the international tournament in Melbourne, and Riach was in the trials for that team. Both players will be contenders for the New Zealand Olympic team next year, so it will be important that they play at the national tournament, and in major representative matches this season. The Olympic team will have to be named in the first few weeks of the 1984 season, so its compo-

sition will be shaped on performances in the approaching season. They have spoken to the New Zealand coach, Brian Maunsell, and he has given his blessing to the trip. He believes that the more experience players can gain on artificial surfaces the better.

"It would be great if we could play on an artificial surface in New Zealand, but we can't so the only alternative is to travel overseas," said Riach.