The Black Sticks will play a total of 14 matches in New Zealand between 5-22 February against top ranked international teams - Korea, Japan and Belgium.

The Golden Summer Series will see the Black Sticks Men play Korea, Japan and Belgium and the Black Sticks Women take on Korea in matches hosted in Auckland, Whangarei, Hamilton and Tauranga.

"Our focus is to give both Black Sticks teams as much top quality international competition over the next 20 months as possible so they are prepared to take on the world's best at the 2012 London Olympics - and this series is a great start to the year," says Hockey New Zealand's High Performance Manager Toni Cumpston.

The big weekend of the Golden Summer Series will be the double header matches at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Auckland on Saturday 12 February and Sunday 13 February, where the Black Sticks Women will play their final two matches against Korea and the Black Sticks Men will play Korea and Belgium.

"With Korea women ranked eighth, only one behind us in the world rankings, these matches will be hotly contested," says Cumpston.

Black Sticks co-captain Emily Naylor, who has been playing in the European league following the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, says she is looking forward to regrouping with the team at the end of January.

"Although we have been keeping our fitness up, we haven't played together since the Commonwealth Games, so it will be great to get back on the turf again and play against a top side," says Naylor who is based in Palmerston North.

The Black Sticks Women will play three matches in Auckland and the other two matches will be held in Whangarei on 8 February and 10 February.

Black Sticks midfielder Andy Hayward says although he is looking forward to playing games in all four locations, he will enjoy playing the three matches in his home town of Tauranga the most.

"With two matches being held on a summer weekend here, it will be great to get some local support. To start the year with a home test series like this is fantastic and it provides us with some good competition before we head offshore for the Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia," says Hayward.