worlds 2008

Benson just a couple of quick questions.

How many people initially tried for the NZ elite teams at men and womens for Durban?

Then what is your guess at your governing bodies membership numbers, amount of players that actively play across NZ.

What is your governing bodies membership numbers, amount of players that actively play across NZ.[/quote]

No guess. if you do not have this basic information you can not plan and are not considered a sport just a recreational activity in NZ.

1156 members are registered by paying an affiliation fee. 706 are Juniors (u18) are registered paying NZD 6 the rest are full members paying NZD50. Approximate increase of 10% From 2006 TO 2007 in membership. I believe we have about 10-20% active (Play once a month) but not registered.

How many members does your country have?

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Tristan Reynard
Schools/Chair
Underwater Hockey NZ
www.underwaterhockey.org.nz

about 22 guys, and hard to say with the women as they have a bit of a combined relationship with the juniors at the moment. maybe 18? tris can correct me if i'm wrong.

and monster, no need to guess about playing numbers, tris has pretty accurate figures (give or take some unregistered peoples) and has been keeping track of them for the last few years, i'm sure he'll post them up for you upon reading your questions.


as for the intent behind your questions, i dont think you are going to find nz is much different than anyone else. no-one should be singing that its tougher for them than others.

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench

snap! tris you beat me on the quickdraw haha!

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench

It is good to see some considered responses, it gives me heart that some people can see the big picture here. The BOA have a meeting coming up this month and I would have thought that this was the forum where such important decisions were made. Benson has hit the nail right on the head with his comments, it seems a real case of the tail wagging the dog.

GB has now made it more difficult for us all and the future of our sport, they seem to have quickly forgotten who went into bat for them when CMAS decided to take the Sheffield championships of them and move it to Serbia. A number of individuals put allot on the line for them.

Those individuals were vindicated in their actions as Serbia did not even send a team to the CMAS games and Sheffield was such a success ( sorry I am dwelling in the past).

Now GB has division in its own ranks and division from the rest of the world, something that will take years to repair if indeed it can be repaired at all. I do not understand the comment about BUSA from Monster as if the BOA got on board then they do not need BUSA, BUSA was set up solely to deal with CMAS they do not have any recognition to government so the BOA would not be affected.

To want to play in a B grade tournament certainly brings into question your commitment to the sport and the standing of yourselves as a once competitive group. The looser here will be English hockey,.

On the up side Scotland and Wales will now have a free run to climb the ladder.

Cheers

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WAA The best in Underwater Sports

Wow, this forum was pretty slow over the holidays but has suddenly gotten very interesting again.
I agree to certain extent to most of the comments made here. Yet, I also have some nuances/comments.

1. Although one can disagree with a decission and should be able to ventilate his or her opinion about it, I think the hard choice the players made should be respected. Even though it shouldn't have been their decission in the first place.
2. Standing up with all underwaterhockey nations is indeed a good approach, but could in my opinion also already have been done years ago within CMAS against the BOD without having to split up first and get together later. In the four years I am now country rep, we have never gotten such alignement and think it is too late to expect all nations to align now.
3. Yes NZ is going to Durban, but on this forum it is said in an official post that NZ has not officially associated to WAA. They want to attend Durban and still go to the CMAS games next year. I therefore hope all Kiwi-players now talk for themselves and not their team (which depends upon the governing body as BFB rightly points out). Because if so, how can any national team, or federation, in that perspective judge upon the GB squad for picking the wrong federation when they are still officially hesitant between two sides? This being said, I understand all Kiwi comments about level of the tournament.
4. Being a player for a B-division team I say that for my country, seen the current situation, development of the sport in my country, team, opportunities etc. it is more interesting going to Turkey. Durban seems very appealing, but for our teamplay it is currently more interesting to play this level for a year. Than again, GB is something completely different.
5. Very nice comment on presence of Jersey. Damn WTD I hope for you they come, because if not you have gone through a lot of trouble for some ungreatful opportunistic SOB's.

Together with BFB preparing for comments coming my way, I wish you a very pleasant day.
Fred

The US Men have completed the selection process for the 2008 Championships in Durban, South Africa.

The candidates making the team are:

Scott Tucker, Santa Rosa
Matt Blair, San Francisco
Mike Grimm, Club Puck
Gregory Appling, Club Puck
Josh Nickel, Club Puck
Nate Rust, Los Angeles
Drew Boitano, Los Angeles
Mike Torchia, Los Angeles
Greg Fitzgerald, San Diego
Chris Tommaso, Minnesota
Gurkan Peksoz, Minnesota
Dave Kennedy, Washington DC

The alternates are:

David Quiec, Club Puck
Anatoly Yakovenko, San Diego
Stephen Akridge, San Diego

And our entry is paid in full so see all you competitors in Durban.

Duck
Coach of the top of the B's in '06

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Just in case you weren't sure, it's official -- CMAS sucks.
Oh yeah, and now they're broke.

good point fred i had forgotten about that!

however, i think i should point out that the way i see it, NZ would LIKE to be able to sit on the fence... but realistically, despite our idealistic official stance, surely the fact that we are going to durban actually is dumping us one side of the fence.... its up to cmas whether or not things can change afterwards.

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench

I speak for USA: we are sending elite men and open masters. Awful time of year for my junior teams.

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Carol Rose

what about your women carol? or did they escape from their hutch in your back yard?

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench