Learnings in a new league

At the beginning, it was family, friends, and competition that first drew Hannah Cotter into the sport of hockey.

Raised in Hawke’s Bay, Hannah came from a sporty family. Her father and brother played cricket and rugby, while the girls—her mum, older sister Kaitlin, and Hannah—played hockey.

Friendships and the highs and lows of competition kept her coming back each season. Over the years, Hannah progressed through the club and age group system, thriving in the region’s strong hockey programme.

Hawke’s Bay has a long history of producing Black Sticks players, from Margaret Hiha to Shea McAleese, and more recently, the four Findlay siblings.

Hannah followed in their footsteps, earning selection to the Junior Black Sticks and later joining her older sister Kaitlin in the 2023 Black Sticks squad.

With strong family support behind her, Hannah continued to seek out opportunities for growth—both personally and as a hockey player.

So when news broke that India would be launching its first women’s professional hockey league in late 2024, Hannah took notice. It signalled a new chapter for women’s hockey in Asia—and she wanted to be part of it.

The possibilities grew as more details emerged: four teams, 24 players per squad, and—most importantly—eight spots reserved for international players from the world’s top 10 teams. New Zealand was ranked 10th.

She reckoned, “I thought this might only come around once... being a striker I really like the way they play, and as young player wanting to learn and grow hockey, plus I love travel and new experiences, I said yes”.

She was lucky to have travelled and played in India with the Black Sticks team previously, especially helpful with only a month to prepare.  

“I knew it would be high intensity hockey with strong international players from around the world and I was going to learn as much on the field as off.” 

The team assembled in late December, settling into their team base in Ranchi, 400 km west of Kolkata.  

Led by Australian coach, Glenn Turner, the training days followed a familiar rhythm, gym workouts, field sessions, tactical meetings and video analysis. Surrounded by players and coaching staff from around the world, there was lots to take in and work on before the league started.  

"As one of the younger players I definitely wasn't as experienced as some of the other international players or the Indian players, so I learnt a lot about different play and how each country have their own playing style."

In the team’s down time, the local players took over, introducing the internationals to their language, culture, traditions, food and leading excursions around the local sights and sounds of Ranchi. This included a visit to a local Sari shop for the girls try wearing the local dress.  

“The way they dress is so beautiful and so different to us, it was special to experience” 

When asked about the local food options, Hannah said she was already a fan of Indian food, though acknowledged they did have to reduce the amount of spice for the international players. 

There was also the responsibility of playing as a professional athlete, ensuring that they took steps to avoid illness and injuries. So, a level of caution was always taken around Ranchi’s busy streets, food, water and the local mosquitos!  

Sitting out games was not in Hannah’s plan! 

"As international players, we all leaned on each other, and we all figured things out together. So that was cool."

After two weeks of preparation, the league was under way with games being played at two of the country's major hockey stadiums, Ranchi and Rourkela.   

Game days always begin at 4pm with chai tea and music (a mix of traditional and well-known songs), then the team meeting and warm-up routine. The final act, before heading out to the turf, was the team prayer circle, a moment of gratitude, led by one of the local players. 

“There was a real sense of unity. Even though the squad was a mix of cultures and backgrounds.” 

While many may associate cricket with India, Hockey is considered to be their national sport, this comes from the early years of success on the world stage, including eight Olympic gold medals.  With this national profile comes investment, world class hockey facilities and passionate fans. 

“First impressions were definitely the energy around the turf, the loud and chaotic crowds and fan base .....you can definitely feel how much people loved and cared about the sport over there, which was cool.” 

Hannah started the league well, scoring a goal in the first game. The competition would go on to be very close, two wins and four losses, one being a shootout, not bad for their first season. Though, as Hannah said, win or lose the celebrations were full on, starting with the bus ride home, the music was turned up, everyone sung along and there were the compulsory dance lessons for the internationals.

“The celebrations were crazy, there would be singing and dancing all night.” 

Professional sports globally has seen a shift in how owners, sponsors and fans view results, with scoreboards and season rankings defining the careers of many coaches and players.  For Hannah, it was really refreshing to see it wasn’t all about winning, it was a poignant reminder, as to her why. 

“That's why we play sport because we love it and it’s the connections we make.” 

Far from her family in Hawkes Bay, Hannah had found family through the game of hockey. As a young player her appetite to develop her fun, fast and attacking style of play had been satisfied, though the six weeks had given her so much more, “being open minded, adaptable and going in with respect for the culture and people as well.” 

She returns to New Zealand with a whole new appreciation for life and grateful that she was able to contribute and participate in Indian’s first women’s professional hockey league.  

More importantly, she comes away with the realisation that while the teams she will face in her playing career will wear a different uniform, may speak a different language and could play a different style of hockey, they have way more in common than she ever expected., "realising we're all so different, but we're also the same."

And her advice for others?

“Just say yes to the experience, even if you are unsure. Knowing that the experience is more than just about hockey, it's a real life experience as well ..... and pack your favourite snack food.” 

For Hannah, India offered more than high-intensity matches and a new line on her playing portfolio. It was a rare opportunity to learn, to connect, and to grow—on and off the turf. She returns to New Zealand with stories, friendships, and a renewed passion for the game. And the lessons from Ranchi will stay with her: that sport is a shared language, growth comes from embracing the unfamiliar, and the game is always bigger than the scoreboard.

-Asia Media Centre