KATE Jenner isn’t the only local product on a World Cup hockey mission in Holland.
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Tamworth’s Doug Truman and Andrew Davy, and New England’s Angie Dean and Cyndy Slade are also World Cup-bound.
They’re off to the Masters World Cup.
Truman will play for the Australian men’s Over 65s, Davy the 45s and Dean and Slade the women’s 50s.
The tournament coincides with the Rabobank Hockey World Cup which Jenner will be playing for the Hockeyroos in, and will be played in Rotterdam and The Hague.
For Truman and Davy the hockey adventure will start in Barcelona with a training camp and warm-up matches.
The 65s then have further warm-up matches in Brussels before making their way to The Hague.
It will be Truman’s second hockey World Cup and, this time, he’ll also have the distinction of wearing the captain’s armband.
“It looks a fairly strong team,” he said.
“I’d be disappointed if we didn’t make the semis.”
Two years ago they did and, after drawing with Germany and missing out on the final, were beaten by the Netherlands in the bronze play-off.
They are probably a bit of a stronger side this time round.
“We’re a bit more mobile,” Truman said.
“We’ve got about eight in this side who are just coming into the 65s bracket.”
It will be his first trip to Europe and he can’t wait.
“The whole atmosphere should be good. The men’s and women’s World Cup is there,” Truman said.
Hockey is huge in the Netherlands. So much so that the club that the 65s’ games are at has five artificial
surfaces.
The tournament for them starts on June 3 – a couple of days after the World Cup proper.
It’ll give them the chance to watch the Kookaburras play Spain.
Davy is hoping too to catch a couple of the games, but will have a bit further to travel.
He, with Dean and Slade, will be based in Rotterdam.
Like Truman, he played two years ago.
“It was very good,” Davy said.
“It’s a good way to travel and play some hockey.”
And as a bonus, get to see a bit of the World Cup.
The standard too is pretty high.
“There’s still some very clever hockey players out there,” Davy said.
“Back in Canterbury there were several guys from other countries who had been to the Olympics when they were younger.”
It’s also given him the opportunity to reunite with former Tamworth team-mate Kevin Ball.
He’ll (Ball) captain the side.
“Kev and I grew up playing hockey together,” Davy said.
“It’s been at least 20 years since we played together.”
The Aussies will be looking to improve on their bronze finish two years ago, and have the potential to.
“Looking at our team this time, we’re a lot stronger in the striking department,” Davy said.