Transcript
GILL GEMMING: Both Australia and New Zealand are always looking to include the Pacific Islands when they have an event like the Pro League is likely to be and to have a lot of activities around it. They are already looking at how they can include the Pacific Islands in an event, perhaps beside it, but I guess the World League (Rounds) 1 and 2 will still be there so there's been no change, as far as that level of competition for the Pacific Islands.
VINNIE WYLIE: Aside from this Hockey Pro League, there are still Olympic Games, there are still Commonwealth Games, there are still World Cups as well so obviously there will still be qualifying pathways for those events?
GG: Absolutely and I think the big change that we have made is recognising for the Pacific Islands that there needed to be another level of competition within our continent. This year we have Oceania Cup, which is always a qualifier and it is our highest level tournament and is the one that all our member countries can get an opportunity to gain world ranking points - and all of our Pacific Islands nations now have a world ranking sort of standings. But this year, at Oceania Cup, we're introducing a new tournament called the "Intercontinental 5s" and Hockey 5s has been the new that was introduced by FIH at the Youth Olympic Games. The important thing is for the island nations: 1) they struggle to get playing fields and equipment so when they start off Hockey 5s is an ideal game for them because it has a smaller footprint on the land so it is easier to find a place to play, but also the rules are more simple and it is a very fast and open game and it is easy for them to pick up. This year, in response to that, the fact that we have new members in the Solomons and Tonga now regularly playing, we've put alongside the main event in Oceania Cup the Intercontinental 5s and that has now given them - all of the Pacific countries - an opportunity to make a choice. Do they wish to enter the 11s or do they wish to play for 5s but the critical thing is FIH have now agreed to allow the world ranking points to go through to Hockey 5s. So for this year we have Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea playing in the 11s, so that will be allocated one, two, three of our world rankings points. But the other nations playing in the 5s, whoever finishes top will get the fourth highest ranking points and continuing down.
