HOCKEY: Gene Muller, the South African appointed women's national head coach and director of player performance in August, will have his first opportunity this weekend to watch the best of the country's players in action when he attends the senior interprovincial tournament at Hillsborough.
The 40-year-old native of Kwazulu-Natal, who was presented to the media yesterday, will take charge of the team for the first time next month when they play Scotland in a three-match series in Edinburgh.
"This series represents my first opportunity to see most of the Irish players perform live in an international event," said Muller, who will bring an 18-player squad to Scotland.
"Although there will be tactical learning objectives, I mainly need to identify players to invest in for the future. Having the right players involved with the programme is critically important and largely sets the parameters for the team's success in future."
Irish hockey's first full-time professional coach, who succeeded Riet Kuper in the role she held for eight years, coached the South African women for two years up to and including the 2000 Olympic Games, and then took charge of the Canadian men.
"I am very pleased about joining Irish hockey as the women's national coach," he said. "The way in which the Irish Hockey Association is approaching high performance means that we can go in the direction of our choosing. There is an ambition here that creates the possibility of success. For us this will mean playing in tournaments like the World Cup and the Olympics."
Muller will have responsibility for the development of the international teams at all levels, coaching the senior and development squads directly, while overseeing the development of the two junior squads.
The full-time appointment was made possible by funding from the Irish Sports Council, whose chief executive, John Treacy, welcomed Muller's arrival.
"We believe that the sport has a big future, both at a world-class level and as a major participation sport, and endorse the IHA's plans for the sport," he said.
