IF dedication, commitment and leadership were the principal criteria for success in the international sports arena, then the International Hockey Federation could inscribe Scotland's name on the World Cup prior to the commencement of 13 days of hostilities which begin in Utrecht, Holland, on Wednesday.

For a country with just 7000 players to be ranked ninth, two places ahead of England who have 10 times the number of players or six positions behind Holland who with 130,000 competitors and more teams than Scotland has players, reflects the tremendous achievement of the Scottish girls in what is, after all, the world's largest team sport.

In securing a place at the table reserved for the top 12 nations in the world from an entry of 132, would for some countries be the fulfilment of their dreams but not the Scots.

Now with a world ranking which Craig Brown, Jim Love and maybe even Jim Telfer would relish, Scottish captain Pauline Robertson is confident her players are capable of better but she is not making any ridiculous forecast.

Speaking before she left yesterday for Holland, Robertson said: ''Our priority is to achieve the best ranking possible and if we play to our strengths then we could finish in the top six.''

That would certainly be a fantastic achievement in the light of the passage Scotland have had to take to Utrecht. They stepped on to the merry-go-round by finishing sixth in the European Nations Cup in 1995. Then the following year they set off on their world travels to the preliminary round tournament in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where they finished fourth and then last August in Harare, Zimbabwe, they captured one of the five remaining places in Utrecht by capturing the bronze medal.

That feat was achieved with the help of an excellent defence, backed up by a brilliant goalkeeper in Sue Lawrie, two magnificent strikers in Susan MacDonald and Rhona Simpson, and an inspiring captain in Robertson.

Robertson is unquestionably one of the most respected figures in the sport as was demonstrated in Harare, where the Dundee girl was invited by the other competing countries to give the vote of thanks to their hosts at the official banquet. Susan Gilmour, one of Scotland's rising young stars who now plays for club hockey in the most competitive league in the world, Holland, describes Robertson as ''the best captain I have ever played under for she's a strong leader on and off the pitch, but most important of all she is honest with everyone.''

Honesty, however, is not something Robertson has had reciprocated by the Great Britain Olympic management who gave her the captaincy for a pre-Olympic tournament in 1996, but despite making an outstanding success of the captaincy it was handed back to England's Jill Atkins against the wishes of the players. Indeed, that move may well have cost Great Britain a medal in Atlanta.

Such childish moves do not in any way distract Robertson from her goal which she set for herself at the age of 17 when she decided she wanted to ''reach the highest level personally in the sport and to help Scotland achieve the best ranking possible in international competition''.

The former Harris Academy pupil has already fulfilled much, but one is left with the distinct impression she still has much more to give, although she is reluctant to talk about the future beyond the World Cup.

The Commonwealth Games still lie ahead in the autumn and she feels: ''I will think seriously about Kuala Lumpur once Utrecht is past.'' But despite being a model captain, Robertson does have a failing according to her colleagues. ''She drives herself too hard.'' Her day begins at 5.45 with a half-hour run and is then off to work by seven.

Sometimes she manages to get in a lunchtime workout, but when she returns home at around 6pm she then manages to squeeze in another one-and-a-half hour training session before having time for her evening meal, housework and seven hours sleep.

Robertson carries that commitment to training on to the hockey pitch which subsequently gets her accused of ''trying to do everything herself''.

This is an acquisition she refutes for she claims: ''I try not to,'' but concedes: ''If you are laid back and not giving the game your all you send out the wrong signal to your colleagues, while officials may take the view you no longer have it.''

On current form that is a view no-one will share, but coach Mike Gilbert thinks he has the answer to contain her enthusiasm by ''moving her from centre to left midfield''.

This will release her from the main artery of the action and help reserve some of her energies for the closing stages of the championship.

Scotland will have a seven-match programme and by May 31 could well battle for the ultimate prize of a place in the top six, which would ensure Scotland of their position in the 2002 finals and a place in the elite Champions Trophy or maybe even a medal.

But that is a goal which Robertson and her colleagues at the moment are not envisaging.