By PHILIP CHANDLER
Queenstown hockey’s enjoying a revival thanks to a new playing surface and healthy sponsorship.
In the past, Wakatipu Hockey Club players trained on Frankton tennis courts and travelled to Cromwell for all their games.
Players now use a full-size, all-weather multisport turf at the council’s Queenstown Events Centre, completed last October.
Club president Martin James says the facility’s significantly boosted playing numbers — the club currently fields up to 16 teams, catering for about 160 players, while about 120 social hockey players competed over summer and autumn.
The turf hire’s about 10 times what it used to be for the club, so James says the support from sponsors Bayleys Queenstown and Barnett’s Scaffolding is invaluable.
