Rani Rampal looks at New Zealand tour as preparation for Olympics

As the Indian Women's Hockey team gears up for the New Zealand tour, captain Rani Rampal said a good start against tough teams will boost their Olympic preparation.

"We look forward to playing against higher-ranked teams like New Zealand (World No.6) and Great Britain (World No.5). This is our first tour of the season so naturally we want to do well as it will give us a good boost in our Olympic preparation. A good start against tough teams will matter a lot," Hockey India's official website quoted Rampal as saying.

The team left for Auckland on Wednesday and is scheduled to play four matches against New Zealand and one against Great Britain.

India will take on the New Zealand Development squad on January 25 followed by two matches against the New Zealand national team on January 27 and 29.

After this, the Rampal-led side will take on Great Britain on February 4 followed by another match against hosts New Zealand on February 5.

"While we have done well in the past against Great Britain, New Zealand is one team we look forward to doing well against. They play tough, attacking hockey and they will be quite challenging," added Rampal.