There is much at the New Zealand under-21 hockey tournament in Dunedin over the next week because the Junior Black Sticks squads will be named at the end of the tournament.

The men's and women's squads will each have 30 players who will attend a development camp later this year, and teams will be selected for international events next year.

There is a high calibre of player in the seven men's and women's teams competing over the next week, with some of them targeted for the 2016 Olympic Games.

All but two members of the women's team that won a bronze medal at the Youth Olympics in Singapore last year will be at the tournament.

Auckland, one of the strongest women's teams, has Black Sticks Sam Harrison and Danielle Jones in its team. National development player Belinda Smith is also playing.

The biggest opposition to Auckland will come from Canterbury. The two Black Sticks in the Canterbury team are goalkeeper Amelia Gibson and Bridget Blackwood. They are members of the New Zealand development team that will compete in Japan later this month.

The Northern women's team is coached by former international Dave Kosoof and includes Black Stick Stacey Michelsen. Michelsen has been invite to play in the Australian Hockey League this year.

Amanda Pottinger has de-monstrated her commitment by travelling from Palmerston North to Wellington twice a week to train with the Capital hockey team.

Arun Panchia, a member of the Black Sticks team playing in the Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, is in the Auckland men's team with his brothers, Jared and Daniel.

The best player on the Capital men's team is Billy Miskimmin, the son of Sparc chief executive and former New Zealand representative Peter Miskimmin.

Ben Radovonich, who transferred to Auckland following the February earthquake, is playing in the Canterbury team.

Under-21
Tournament details

Venue: McMillan Centre, Dunedin.
Starts: Tomorrow.
Final: May 14.

Teams: Northern, Auckland, Midlands (Waikato, Bay of Plenty), Central (Manawatu, Hawkes Bay), Capital (Wellington), Canterbury, Southern (Otago, Southland).