Smithton Hockey Club was bolstered by the inclusion of two Argentinian players to its Greater Northern League Women’s team and they were quick to mak themselves at home last season, writes Will Braid.
Chiara Aramburu and Shaira Gattas hail from Argentinian capital Buenos Aries and Mendoza respectively and found their way, almost fortuitously, to Circular Head while touring the east coast of the mainland.
“We love it, it’s a little town that makes us feel like home here,” Shaira said. “I was doing a road trip on the east coast of Australia and when I arrived in Melbourne and my boyfriend and two friends said, ‘why don’t we go to Tasmania?’
“The only condition I had is I wanted to work on a farm and we came and we really like it. I thought it would be like the south of Argentina.”
Chiara was enticed by her mate who gave Smithton a glowing endorsement.
“I came because she said she liked Tasmania and she invited so here we are,” Chiara said.
The girls play back home in Argentina, Shaira for a bigger club in the province of Mendoza, two provinces (about 1,000km) east of the capital city where Chiara plays for a smaller club.
“In Mendoza, the province I live, we have a really good level of hockey,” Shaira said. “It’s one of the best provinces for hockey and I used to play for a rugby club in Mendoza. Honesty, I’ve never played as an attacker which I play here so it’s new and I really like it.” Shaira said.
“In Buenos Aries they have a really good level but I’m from a town like here so my level is not like Mendoza.” Chiara said.
While Smithton has embraced the visitors, the travelers have found it a brilliant experience, settling in very nicely.
“It’s amazing, the girls are really kind, like family,” Shaira said.
“All the time they are helping us, worrying about us and the coach (Nick Stokes) too is amazing.
“He’s a really good guy.”
Chiara echoed that sentiment and was full of praise for her teammates being so accepting.
“Nick is a person that doesn’t know us but he really helps us,” Chiara said.
“He asks if we are ok, how we feeling.
“We don’t know what it was like for the girls.
“For new girls to join a team that is already done is hard but they have been really kind to us and we’re really happy.”
The two (Leo) Messi fans are also keen on their rugby with several players from Shaira’s home club representing Los Pumas.
Having arrived earlier this year, the tourists are on a working holiday visa which could see them through to the end of the season but the lure of the North West Coast is strong and may have grasped at least Shaira.
“We have the working holiday visa and I want to go back to my country to visit but if I could live here I would,” Shaira said.
It would take a level of adaptation though with a couple of cultural difference being noticed already.
“The time of dinner!” Chiara said.
“For me, at the beginning it was the language and we’re getting better but that’s because we are with people.
“But in the beginning, when we arrived in Australia, it was hard because in Argentina we learn different English like British English and American English but not Australian English.
“The other thing I really miss from country is to kiss other people when we meet them.
“Everybody we meet we kiss or hug but here it’s different but it’s ok.”
Smithton GNLW Coach Nick Stokes has really enjoyed having the fresh faces in his squad.
“They have fitted in seamlessly,” Stokes said. “A few little language barriers but that’s made for a couple of funny things but it’s like they’ve been here for years.
“They’re just really nice, easy-going people. They genuinely want to see our kids get better.
“Chiara spends a lot of time praising up the young girls and they want to see the kids around them improve.
“It’s a lead by example kind of thing, the way they go about it is the same at training as it is in a game.
“Both are really supportive more than anything else. We had the win over TC and the first things Chiara said was how well Esmay (Ollington) played.”
