Herewini brothers are sticking to hockey | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

They play so much hockey it's hard to imagine where they find the time for everything else life throws at them.

In fact, until this year Jury Herewini, 17, and his brother Connor, 16, were playing two sports at representative level.

One had to give and now it is hockey - and aspirations of making the Black Sticks - that drive the pair.

They make a good team, both have graceful ball skills and have run rings around their opponents.

Playing together they feel is their strength and something they have developed since picking up hockey sticks at Western Heights Primary School.

"I want to go far," Jury says.

"I'd like to be a Black Stick. It would mean everything to get there. I can't do anything without my brother. I play differently if he's not on the turf. I don't play well without him. I feel more confident in the way I play my game when he's there. We've similar styles."

Jury is the one with the best ball skills, or so he likes to say with a glint in his eye and looking over to Connor.

Connor is the one who can translate his skills into goals, deftly sidestepping his opponents to add to Rotorua Aces' tally a fortnight ago.

 The pair have played through the ranks together, at school - Western Heights Primary, Kaitao Middle and now Rotorua Boys' High - as well as with Bay of Plenty from the under-11s up to this year's under-18s.

They play their first tournament of the season tomorrow in Hamilton. The Tri Series will involve four one-hour matches in one day and will, hopefully, be a good warm-up for the national tournament in Dunedin next month.

 If their father had got his way the boys would be aspiring to pull on an All Blacks jersey, a fact not lost on their mum, Heni Herewini.

"Their father is a rugby man and has been trying to get them to play rugby for ages," she says.

"I'm proud of them. Hockey to me is a skilful game. They play well together. I think they can make it to Black Sticks."

• Bay of Plenty under-18 squad: Micky Abraham, Daniel Atkin, Ethan Ball, James Beattie, Jayvant Dhanjee, Thomas Fisher, Tuwharetoa Hapi, Jury Herewini, Connor Herewini, Blair Hodgson, Bronson Wainohu, Ypres Williams, Daniel Wylie.