DANIELLE CRANSTON & HEMANT LALA NAMED NEW ZEALAND U21 HEAD COACHES
Hockey New Zealand has appointed Danielle Cranston and Hemant Lala as the new Head Coaches of the New Zealand Under-21 Women's and Men's programmes, marking the beginning of a new Junior World Cup cycle as the country's next generation of talent sets its sights on the 2027 FIH Junior Hockey World Cups.
The appointments signal the next phase of Hockey New Zealand's Black Sticks pathway, with both programmes beginning preparations for the 2026 Oceania qualifiers in Redcliffe, Australia, where qualification for the 2027 Junior World Cups will be on the line.
Cranston, based in Auckland, brings extensive high-performance coaching experience to the role. She has played a key role within Hockey New Zealand's Black Sticks coaching programme and most recently led the New Zealand A Women's side during the Summer of Hockey series, while also serving as Head Coach of the Mavericks in the 2024 & 2025 Women's Premier Hockey League.
Lala, from Wellington, brings a wealth of domestic and international experience, having coached Wellington's Women's Tier 1 side, previously led the Capital Men's National Hockey League programme, and worked as a Performance Analyst with the Vantage Black Sticks Men. He is also a Developer within Sport NZ's Coaching for Impact programme.
Hockey New Zealand General Manager of High Performance Simon Brill said the appointments represent an important step in strengthening New Zealand's high-performance pathway.
"These appointments reflect the energy and intent we're putting into our age-group pathway," Brill said.
"The Junior World Cups give our players direct exposure to international hockey every two years, and that's exactly the kind of high-quality competition we want to be preparing them for.
"With the new franchise competitions, the Future Hockey League for Under 18s, the Junior Hockey League for Under 21s, and the Premier Hockey League, we now have a clearer pathway supporting players and associations as they bridge the gap to international performance."
Both coaches will take charge of their programmes for the first time at the New Zealand Under-21 Selection Camp in Hamilton from 12–17 July.
The camp will bring together approximately 60 of New Zealand's most promising young athletes, with around 30 men and 30 women selected from performances in the Junior Hockey League and other domestic competitions.
The week-long camp will focus on identifying and developing athletes across technical, tactical, physical and behavioural performance areas as Hockey New Zealand begins building squads for the next Junior World Cup cycle.
Cranston said she was excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of New Zealand hockey.
"I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to lead this age group on the journey towards the Junior World Cup in 2027.
"Having worked closely with many of these athletes through previous Under-21 campaigns and development camps, I have seen firsthand the talent, commitment and potential within this group. I am genuinely looking forward to helping shape the next generation of Black Sticks and holistically supporting these athletes."
Lala said representing New Zealand as Head Coach was a privilege and one he was eager to embrace.
"Absolutely privileged and honoured to have the opportunity to coach our country as Head Coach of the New Zealand Under-21 Men's team.
"I'm incredibly excited by the talent within this group and the chance to help develop the next generation of Black Sticks. I can't wait to get stuck in, build something special together, and support these athletes on their journey both on and off the field as we work towards the Junior World Cup."
The New Zealand Under-21 Selection Camp represents the first major milestone of the new cycle and reinforces Hockey New Zealand's commitment to creating a clear, connected pathway for athletes, coaches, managers and performance support staff to progress through the high-performance system.
With qualification for the 2027 FIH Junior Hockey World Cups later this year, the journey starts in Hamilton, where the next generation of Black Sticks will take its first step towards representing New Zealand on the world stage.