When hockey players routinely leave their friends and family travel half-way around the world to play their sport, you have to ask yourself 'Why?'. What is it about the the Dutch hockey league that entices the best players to up sticks and move – in the case of many, for most of their careers?
We spoke to four players, all at the top of their game and all plying their skills in the Dutch league, several thousands of miles from home.
Phil Burrows is one of New Zealand's all time top goal scorers. He has competed for the Blacksticks in three Olympic Games and two World Cups, winning more than 120 caps in the process. He has played club hockey in the Netherlands since 2005, initially for Breda, but now for HGC Hockey Club.
Explaining the move Phil says: "I went because it is the best competition in the world, which can only improve my hockey. And the fact that I can play hockey and live as a professional athlete. Living and playing in a different country and adjusting to new cultures has been such a great experience."
Over the past nine years, Phil has seen first-hand what makes the Dutch style of play so special: "They are playing international type games week in, week out, and that is invaluable for keeping in top shape. The Dutch are highly skilful players, so I have learnt how to use those skills, but also how to combat them.
"I think what we lack at times with the New Zealand team is the ability to hold the ball for large periods of the game. That is one thing for sure we have tried to take from the Dutch style of play. That, and their ability to counter attack with extreme pace."
While Australia's Matthew Swann quickly adjusted to life in the Netherlands and has slotted into his role in the club easily, he still finds the European weather a challenge. "Playing in snow is very different to what I am use to," he laughs.
"I decided to play in the Dutch League because I wanted to experience playing in a competition that is of a high standard and also experience a different culture while doing so. The environment you find yourself in gives you the ability to learn new skills and different styles of play."
Swann explains that in Australia there is much less opportunity for the international players to become immersed in the club scene. "In Australia, you barely train with the club. You train mostly with the Australian group, so with the Dutch club scene you feel a greater sense of belonging and ownership to your club."
Kookaburra teammate Kieran Govers has played in both Germany and the Netherlands, on the advice of fellow Australian internationals Mark Knowles and Jamie Dwyer. Although Kieran loves being at home in Wollongong, he realised that to fulfil his hockey ambitions, he needed to push himself further.
Kieran plays for Den Bosch in the Netherlands. "It is the best competition in the world," says the Kookaburra forward. "Being a professional hockey player means I can devote more time to training and skills development, rather than working in a job outside of hockey just to keep afloat with bills and family needs."
It wasn't all plain sailing for Kieran however. The Dutch style of play is to fall away and play a zonal game, whereas the Kookaburra scoring machine likes to attack all the time. He admits that this took some getting used to. Now, he is fully integrated into the Dutch way of life and he sees playing in the Dutch league as a good break from the national team training environment.
For Blackstick's Shea McAleese, who is about to embark on his third season in the Netherlands, it was simply a question of wanting high quality competition every time he stepped on the pitch. "In my view, it is the most competitive league in the world. Some games are as good a quality as international games due to the strengths of a lot of the top teams. Playing each week at a consistently high level has definitely helped my consistency when playing for New Zealand.
And it is not just the high level of performance that Shea enjoys. "Playing in a foreign country has an immense impact on my hockey. You get to experience a different style of hockey so you can add to your own game by learning from other players who have different skills or who view the game differently.
