Hockey in North Otago is back for 2026 as local competitions started this week. The whole committee was excited for the new season to begin, North Otago Hockey president Shane Emerson told the  Oamaru Mail  earlier this week. "We’re looking forward to it. "Numbers are looking pretty similar to last year across all grades.’’ The senior men’s competition started on Thursday night and the senior mixed grade began on Friday night and Saturday while juniors will begin next week. This year there are four senior men’s teams and seven senior mixed teams. Tainui Hockey Club has also decided to re-enter the Dunedin competition for the first time since 2023. They are playing in division two and are yet to record a win but have been improving week by week. "It’s quite good to have that happening again and we’re getting a few home games up here which is nice," Emerson said. He loved seeing the next generation of hockey players giving the sport a go.…