Black Sticks men include Burrows, McAleese for Korea Test series

FILE PHOTO: Phil Burrows

After the New Zealand and South Korean women teams slugged it out in the recently-held double-leg Four Nations hockey tournament held at three venues in New Zealand – Whangarei, Hamilton and Tauranga, it’s the turn of the New Zealand and South Korean men’s hockey teams to renew the rivalry between the two countries when they square off in a six Test match series starting at various venues in Auckland starting May 14.

South Korean women, who met New Zealand thrice in the double-leg Four Nations hockey tournament featuring world champions Argentina and USA, pulled off a creditable performance, reaching the final of the first leg ahead of formidable Argentina before being handed a 0-3 defeat in the final.

Earlier, the Koreans sprang a big surprise when they upstaged the Black Sticks eves 4-3 in the first-leg opener.

However, the Koreans were clinically beaten 1-5 in the second leg before they slipped further to finish fourth among four teams, suffering a stunning loss to the USA in the bronze medal play-off tie.

Now, the Black Sticks men would be looking to build on their women’s team’s decent showing against the South Korean men in the six Test match series.

The six-match hockey Test series, which begins on May 14, runs till May 22.

The first two Tests would be played at Rangitoto College, while the third and fourth Tests would be played at the Southern Hockey Turf in Papatoetoe with the last two Tests to be played at Counties Manukau.

New Zealand coach Colin Batch has named his 23-man squad for the upcoming Test series.

The Aussie coach has included three London Olympians – Phil Burrows (292 internationals), Shea McAleese (173 internationals) and Nick Haig (106 internationals) along with young turks James Coughlan and George Muir. 19-year-old Muir is set to make his senior international debut after coming through the junior ranks.

The Black Sticks would be also shored up by the presence of Simon Child and Nick Wilson, who were unavailable for the 22nd Sultan Azlan Cup.

The Shin Kyo Seok-coached South Korean outfit would be looking to build on their creditable bronze medal effort at the 22nd Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament held in Ipoh, Malaysia last March.

The Asian powerhouse – ranked eighth in the world – led by experienced Lee Seung-il, edged out New Zealand by a single goal margin in the bronze medal play-off match.

The six-match Test should give Colin Batch-coached New Zealand side an opportunity to obliterate the wounds of their bronze medal play-off defeat at the hands of South Korea in the 22nd Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

The upcoming Test series will Black Sticks men’s final preparation for the Hockey World League semifinals to be held in Rotterdam from June 13-22.