The Hockey Paper

07/03/2025

After 300 matches, Richmond Hockey Club's one-club foward finally tasted Premier Division hockey aged 40.

“I don’t want to be the older guy in the corner being in the way,” says Josh Smith, Richmond’s one-club player who finally tasted Premier Division hockey this season after 20 remarkable years of trying. It was when Richmond and Hounslow merged in 2004 — 30 years after Richmond first entere...

06/03/2025

A reader has gathered his hopes and thoughts for the hockey family to consider.

With clubs and pitches back in action after the winter break, one reader has gathered his hopes and thoughts for the hockey family to consider. 1. Don’t steal balls from other clubs, especially at junior fixtures as that’s just breeding another generation of ball thieves! 2. Re-grip your stick a...

05/03/2025

Zak Jones has the “proven qualities” to take GB and England men to the next stage as head coach.

Zak Jones has the “proven qualities” to take GB and England men to the next stage after being unveiled as full-time coach on Wednesday. The news was an unsurprising one, with the Welshman having been an established assistant coach under Paul Revington before taking England to the top of the Pro ...

05/03/2025

A Kookaburra and Dutch great to help India men and women tone up in front of goal.

A Kookaburra Olympic hockey gold medallist, Michael McCann, has been helping India men tone up in front of goal, while Dutch legend Taeke Taekema is set to help the women. Craig Fulton called former Australian forward and striker’s coach McCann for a camp in Bhubaneswar last month. India won five ...

04/03/2025

Revival of Bedfordshire Schools Hockey League marks milestone after participation dip.

The revival of the Bedfordshire Schools Hockey League (BSHL) has ushered in a new era of opportunity for pupils to engage in competitive hockey across the county. After years of declining school participation due to the shift from grass to astro turf, logistical challenges, and a lack of hockey spec...

03/03/2025

Holcombe HC have appointed Katie Glynn to their women’s 1s coaching team.

Holcombe Hockey Club have appointed Katie Glynn to their women’s 1s coaching team.   Glynn, a current Great Britain assistant coach, played 134 times for New Zealand as a forward, scoring 77 goals.  Glynn joined the Great Britain staff in late 2020 and has been part of two Olympic campaigns as ...

03/03/2025

New Zealand women won the right to participate in the FIH Pro League after beating Ireland.

New Zealand women won the right to participate in the FIH Pro League after beating Ireland in a shoot-out to win the Nations Cup in Santiago, Chile. The Black Sticks pulled out of the 2023 Pro League to focus on qualifying for the Paris Olympics, but they will now have the right to compete after [.....

25/02/2025

From Sam Ward's 'Hollywood' moment to Dutch goal simplicity.

The Hockey Paper runs the rule over the recent Pro League matches ahead of the three-month global competition break Ward a forgettable moment Only four red cards had been issued at Test match level since 2013 before Amit Rohidas’ sending off in the Olympic quarter-finals. On Monday it looked as if...

24/02/2025

India has opened informal talks over staging the 2030 Commonwealth Games in its centenary edition. 🇮🇳

India has opened informal talks over staging the 2030 Commonwealth Games in its centenary edition. Any staging would be a boost for hockey’s chances of making it back on to the multi-games programme after the Olympic sport was axed for the revamped 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Ahmedabad has...

24/02/2025

Pro League hopes: Malaysia will host the third edition of the Men’s .

Malaysia will host the third edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup. Kuala Lumpur will be the staging for the June 15-21 event, with the winners being granted a place in the 2025/26 FIH Pro League. In a strong-looking tournament, seven of the eight teams competing (barring Pakistan) played in...

23/02/2025

Struan Walker sounded the start of a promotion party after Scotland men secured FIH Nations Cup hockey. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏆

Struan Walker sounded the start of a promotion party after Scotland men secured FIH Nations Cup hockey. The first ever Men’s FIH Nations Cup 2 trophy went the way of the Scots after beating Egypt 4-2 in the final in Muscat. The Scots were 4-0 up before Egypt rallied with two goals in the last […...

22/02/2025

Essex club Harwich have lambasted a local council’s decision not to replace a dilapidated pitch as ‘disgraceful’.

Essex club Harwich have lambasted a local council’s decision not to replace a dilapidated pitch as ‘disgraceful’ which could force the 1948-founded women’s side to fold. Harwich and Dovercourt were league champions in 2021 but say that unfit conditions at their base, a pitch which was laid i...

22/02/2025

England women face relegation from FIH Pro League for first time since global league was launched.

England women look set for a relegation scrap in the FIH Hockey Pro League after ending the India leg bottom of the standings. Relegation from the nine-strong league for the first time since the global league was launched in 2019 would be an embarrassment for well-funded England Hockey. It would als...

21/02/2025

'We aim high, and rightly so as we have some great talent in the squad.' Scotland women set for FIH women’s Nations Cup. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

It was 2.30pm at Peffermill Playing Fields, Edinburgh. The thermometer hovered around zero under a lead-grey sky, but the wind chill made it feel a lot colder. Fingers froze. A day to be inside, with the central heating on, watching a movie or sport on the small screen. Yes, it is late January, in t...

20/02/2025

'Simply sensational!' Take a bow, Struan Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

19/02/2025

Australian hockey continues to push for 2032 Olympic venue to be moved from Brisbane to Gold Coast.

Australian hockey continues to push for the 2032 Olympic competition to be moved from Brisbane to the Gold Coast venue which staged the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The current plan has hockey being played at Ballymore on drop-in pitches, but this decision is at odds with hockey’s authorities who stat...

19/02/2025

GB star has confirmed that she will take a year out from international hockey.

Great Britain’s Hannah French has confirmed that she will take a year out from international hockey. French, 30, last played for England or GB at Paris 2024 in the quarter-final defeat to the Netherlands. French revealed that she has stepped away from the GB women’s programme until after the sum...

18/02/2025

📈Sam Ward notched an England/GB record 138th international goal, according to FIH stats, to surpass Ashley Jackson.

Bhubaneswar proved a neat bookend for Sam Ward as he broke Ashley Jackson’s combined international scoring record on Tuesday. With a deadly penalty corner strike, Ward notched his 138th international goal, according to the FIH data hub, as England beat Spain for a shoot-out bonus point after 2-2 n...