The Black Sticks will not be making an appearance in Dunedin this year but Hockey New Zealand remains committed to staging an international in the city.
The national team last played in Dunedin in 2007 - nine years ago. Oamaru was on the billing that year as well but that was the most recent the Black Sticks were spotted this far south.
The national men's side will open its 2016 campaign against Malaysia and South Korea in Tauranga and Auckland next month.
The Blck Sticks will play four tests against Malaysia at Blake Park in Tauranga on March 6-10 before heading north for a further four games against South Korea at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Auckland on March 16-20.
The series are regarded as important preparation for April's Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the women are heading to Argentina for a series beginning next week.
The news the Black Sticks will not play in Dunedin this year would have come as a disappointment to southern hockey fans.
In September, former chief executive Malcolm Harris told the Otago Daily Times Hockey New Zealand was working on a plan to stage an international match in the city.
"While there is a bit of water under the bridge to go, the southern region is certainly high on our priorities,'' Harris said.
"We are very mindful and keen to make it happen and are looking at February-March at the moment.''
Harris resigned in December but acting chief executive Ian Francis confirmed the body had worked hard to make the match work.
However, a lack of financial support scuppered the plan.
"We have a very clear strategy to take test matches around the country,'' Francis said when yesterday.
"We were looking at putting something [in Dunedin] at the start of this year but unfortunately the funding model did not work for us.
"We cannot fund the whole lot ourselves so we usually get some [financial] support ... and use ticketing revenue along with what Hockey New Zealand puts in as well. The sum of the whole parts make up the balance.
"Unfortunately we did not get any investment from the Dunedin region with the exception of the Otago Community Trust who very generously supported us. But that was not enough to make it work.
"We are still working on it but are looking at something at the start of next year.''
Francis said a new "investor'' had emerged which could make it more viable to host a test in Dunedin.
