Hockey Australia, the governing body of the sport in the country, has agreed a partnership with Curtin University, one of Australia’s leading educational institutions.
The university, which is located in Perth and Sydney, has agreed an initial two-year deal with the body until the end of 2017. During this period, Hockey Australia will have access to Curtin’s extensive research facilities to work on projects that will help improve the performances of its teams.
As part of the agreement, the university’s logo will appear on the playing jerseys of Australia’s men’s and women’s national teams. Students and staff at Curtin will also be granted learning and research opportunities across such fields as sport, physiotherapy and exercise science, media communications and event management.
Curtin University’s vice-chancellor, Professor Deborah Terry, said: “Our researchers will assist Hockey Australia to maintain its competitive edge with projects including one by the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science that will use Curtin’s climate chamber to study the effect of climate changes on Hockey Australia players.
“The School of Design and Art will undertake a Uniform Design Capability project looking at potential improvements to the playing kit of Hockey Australia such as adding smart devices into the design to assist with player management.”