Hockey New Zealand yesterday announced the squad for the Oceania Cup in Darwin next month.
Otago players Benji Culhane, Malachi Buschl and brothers Finn and Patrick Ward have kept their places after helping New Zealand win the Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur in June.
Finn Ward made his debut at that tournament, while brother Patrick was initially there as a travelling reserve but got a chance to play as the Black Sticks thumped Pakistan 6-2 in the final.
Two players will be on debut at the Oceania Cup.
Matthew Ruetsch is a Swiss-born goalkeeper, and Bradley Rothwell is a defender from Whakatane.
Both the newcomers played for the Mavericks in the new Premier Hockey League last year.
Usually, the three-test series determines automatic qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup.
The twist this time is that the Black Sticks have already secured a 2026 World Cup spot thanks to Australia’s earlier qualification through the Pro League, meaning both teams will compete at the pinnacle event next year regardless of the outcome in Darwin.
Nevertheless, it will be a valuable opportunity for world No 10 New Zealand to see how they fare against the world No 5 Australians.
Black Sticks
Oceania Cup squad
Benji Culhane, Brad Read, Bradley Rothwell, Charlie Morrison, Dane Lett, Dom Dixon, Dylan Thomas, George Baker, Finn Ward, Isaac Houlbrooke, Joe Morrison, Malachi Buschl, Matthew Ruetsch, Patrick Ward, Sam Hiha, Sam Lane, Scott Boyde, Sean Findlay, Simon Yorston.
