A WORLD CUP HAT-TRICK FOR JAMES HICKSON AND THE WOMEN SHARE POINTS AGAINST USA
The Vantage Black Sticks Men produced a dominant second-half performance to defeat Wales 7-2, while the Vantage Black Sticks Women shared the points with the USA following a 1-1 draw in their latest matches at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup.
The Vantage Black Sticks Men came into their match against Wales knowing another victory would put them in a strong position to top Pool G and compete for ninth place at the World Cup.
Wales came out firing and struck first, but New Zealand responded through James Hickson, who finished a field goal to level the scores at 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.
The back-and-forth contest continued in the second quarter, with Wales regaining the lead before Hickson once again found the back of the net, this time finishing a rebound from a penalty corner.
The second half, however, truly belonged to the Vantage Black Sticks.
Scott Boyde gave New Zealand the lead just two minutes after the restart before Kane Russell added another from a penalty corner. Fynn Ward then extended the advantage with a field goal as the Vantage Black Sticks took control of the match.
Leading 5-2 heading into the final quarter, the goals continued to come. Sam Lane claimed the sixth before James Hickson completed his hat-trick to seal an impressive 7-2 victory.
The result moves the Vantage Black Sticks men to the top of Pool G with six points from two matches and puts them in control heading into their final match.
Next up, the Vantage Black Sticks Men face Pakistan on Monday 24 August at 10:30pm NZT. A win or draw will secure a place in the 9th/10th place playoff.
The Vantage Black Sticks Women produced another competitive performance against the USA, with the two sides sharing the points following a 1-1 draw.
New Zealand made a strong start and took an early lead through Mezzy Surridge, who finished off a beautifully worked team move with a deflection in front of goal.
The USA created more opportunities as the match went on and eventually found an equaliser in the second half to level the scores.
Both teams pushed for a winner, and the Vantage Black Sticks had one final opportunity with just five seconds remaining when they earned a penalty corner. However, they were unable to convert and the match finished 1-1.
The point keeps New Zealand in the fight for a higher finishing position in Pool H, with the final match against Scotland determining which placement match they will progress to (11th/12th, 13th/14th or 15th/16th place playoff).
Their Scotland match on Monday 24 August at 9:00pm NZT.
With one match remaining for both teams, the men have put themselves in a strong position to compete for ninth place, while the women will be determined to finish their World Cup campaign as strongly as possible.
New Zealand Goal Scorers: MEN
22' James Hickson - Penalty Corner Goal
25' James Hickson - Field Goal
32' Scott Boyde - Field Goal
35' Kane Russell - Penalty Corner Goal
41' Finn Ward - Field Goal
48' James Hickson - Field Goal
56' James Hickson - Field Goal
New Zealand Goal Scorers: WOMEN
8' Mezzy Surridge - Field Goal