From Down Under, Irish women’s hockey can only look up

IT MIGHT seem a little Irish to suggest that a complete whitewash in hockey’s women’s World Cup in Perth represents a point from which women’s hockey in this country can build. But that is exactly how everyone involved in the sport, from the players to the administrators, are now looking at the experience.

The Irish women went to Australia for this 16-nation competition rated 14th and with realistic ambitions of coming out with an improved ranking. But after seven successive defeats they now have to fight for their lives against Ukraine tomorrow morning. A win would ensure a fifteenth place finish at worst, and guaranteed qualification for the Olympic games in Athens in 2004.

The chastening thing for the Irish, however, was that despite an unprecedented level of preparation for Perth, their best has so far not been good enough.