Hockey coach faces challenge for job

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 32

Hockey coach faces challenge for job

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Five months before he is due to guide New Zealand in the Inter-Continental Cup tournament in New Jersey, the coach of the national hockey team, Alwyn Riggs, faces a challenge to his position.

The New Zealand Hockey Federation will meet in Auckland tonight and tomorrow to decide whether Mr Riggs will continue as the coach.

Mr Riggs is confident that he will hold his place in the face of a challenge from a fellow Aucklander, Kevin Towns, and the chairman of the New Zealand Hockey Federation, Mr David Appleby, has said the federation should be expected to make a sensible decision with the vital Inter-Continental Cup tournament so close.

The coach’s job is being decided this week because the federation — which came into existence with the amalgamation of the New Zealand Hockey Association and New Zealand Women’s Hockey Association last November — decided at a December meeting to recall for nominations

for all national coaches’ and selectors’ positions. Mr Appleby said at the time that the federation wanted a common date for the appointment of all coaches and selectors, rather than have them occurring at various times during the year. Intriguingly both Riggs and Towns have been nominated by the Auckland Hockey Association, the reasoning being that the federation wanted as many nominations as possible for the position. In 1987 Mr Towns was in line to be the next New Zealand coach when Trevor Blake retired. He was manager of the New Zealand team at the time, but withdrew in November, 1987 after a disagreement with the N.Z.H.A. Mr Riggs was appointed assistant-coach for a tour to India in January, 1988, and became coach in March. Mr Towns, who retired last year after a very successful six years guiding Auckland, is regarded as an astute coach and might get the support of several members of the new federation. The final decision could

boil down to whether the federation is game to make a vital change with the InterContinental Cup so close. The team must finish in the first five in New Jersey to qualify for the World Cup in Karachi next year, and from there have the opportunity to win its way back into the Olympics. There is competition too for the three selectors’ positions. Murray Connor, of Christchurch, will be opposing Ross Gillespie, also of Christchurch — an incumbent — for what will probably be the South Island position on the panel. Mr Riggs and Arthur Parkin (Auckland) the other members of the present panel have also been nominated.

The position for national women’s coach should be less complicated. Pat Barwick, of Christchurch, is the only logical person for that position. Whether she will be opposed is not known. The federation would not release the full list of nominations for the coaching and selecting positions in spite of provincial associations being happy to release their nominations.