South Africa hockey team still looking for replacement  x4
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| South Africa |
December 20, 2004 
Independent Online Sports
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By Andrew Hollely
Former South African women's hockey coach Ros Howell relinquished her post a week ago, but SA hockey officials have still not decided on a permanent replacement.
A frantic search in past few months has yielded little reward with few obvious candidates in the SA coaching structure and now the net has been cast overseas.
Wednesday last week was the last day that Howell could call herself the national women's coach. She will be returning to her post as deputy headmistress at St Mary's School in Johannesburg in the new year.
Howell's departure has left a gaping hole at the top of the management team of the women's side, one that due to a variety of reasons remains unfilled.
Following nominations from the provinces, a committee was set up and Nic Wides, coach of the Western Province team that won the IPT earlier this year and publisher of SA Sports Illustrated, was offered the job. He turned it down due to work commitments.
Former national player Karen Roberts is next in line and is jetting into the country between Christmas and New Year for urgent talks on whether she is available to take over the hotseat. She will, however, not be available for the two series' in January.
And with the series' against England and Scotland earlier in the New Year, the players are beginning to wonder just who will assume the reins.
A bevy of assistant coaches have been pooled together for the matches that will all take place in Potchefstroom, but the significance of the two series' has been diluted somewhat with news that a number of SA players are unavailable due to club commitments in Europe. As a result the matches will not carry Test status.
"We have appointed Graeme Ortlieb, Eda Greenway and Jenny King to take charge of the matches against the Scots and English, said SA Hockey Association CEO Paul Richards. "They are all assistants and will operate in a caretaker capacity."
Following all the hard work done during Howell's two-year tenure, it seems it has taken just a few short months to undo those efforts. An urgent examination is required if the national women's team is to avoid the ignominy suffered by their male counterparts and go without an official sponsor.
Spar began a relationship in May 2003 that saw R5,2-million pumped into the game and will be keeping a close eye on the situation. - Sapa
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