Megan Hull Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Black Sticks men and women have both been boosted by the return of some experienced players for next month's tours of Europe.
The selection includes several European-based players who were not available for the recent series' losses to Australia and Great Britain in Christchurch due to club commitments, meaning that the women's squad is near full strength, aside from the unavailability of three contracted players.
The men will welcome back the likes of captain Nic Woods, and goal-scoring threat Sam Lane, but still find themselves missing six core players through injury or personal commitments.
Meanwhile, the women will have co-captain Megan Hull back in action, along with other veterans such as Fran Davies and Tarryn Davey who have both played significant roles in advancing their club to the playoffs for the first time in its history.
Men's Head Coach Greg Nicol said, "We're excited to welcome back our European-based players who bring in experience and a different perspective to our game. Their exposure to different playing styles and conditions in Europe should enhance our competitiveness and help with our scouting.
"The tour is also a great opportunity to continue to develop some of the new talent we fielded in Christchurch."
Women's Head Coach Phil Burrows echoed Nicol's sentiments, "This tour will give us the opportunity to play against some of the best teams in the world, which is exactly the kind of challenge we need to prepare ourselves for Olympic qualification.
"The inclusion of our European-based players adds depth to our squad to mix in with some exciting young players, and we're looking forward to seeing them in action."
The two teams will play Pro League games against Belgium and Argentina in Antwerp, and the Netherlands and Germany in Amsterdam.