Furious players prompt officials to revisit call to cancel trip

Irish hockey chiefs were last night attempting to salvage the wreckage of the decision not to send the men’s national team to next month’s Champions Challenge I in Argentina.

The Irish Hockey Association (IHA) board announced their intention to withdraw the side on Tuesday, citing the absence of a coach and manager as reasoning why they felt “the squad could not be properly prepared for this prestigious world tournament”.

That decision, taken without consultation with the players, sparked furious reactions from across the hockey community, not least the players themselves.