BLACK IS THE NEW ORANGE: JOSEPHINE MURRAY THE DUTCH KIWI DUAL INTERNATIONAL
For Josephine Murray, hockey has always been connected to both sides of her family.
Born in New Zealand to a Kiwi father and Dutch mother, Murray spent her early years in New Zealand before moving back to the Netherlands with her family when she was almost four.
It was there that her hockey journey began.
Her older brother started playing at Pinoké, and two years later Murray followed. What started as following her brother quickly became her own pathway through Dutch hockey, representing the Netherlands at Under-18 and Under-21 level.
“I started playing for some rep teams when I was like 11 or 12, and then went into the Dutch Under-18s, Under-21s.”
Murray would go on to represent the Netherlands at the 2022 FIH Junior World Cup, giving her a taste of international tournament hockey at the highest junior level.
But with her New Zealand heritage always part of her story, representing the Vantage Black Sticks eventually became a possibility.
Around a year and a half ago, Murray began conversations with Hockey New Zealand about whether she could continue living and playing club hockey in the Netherlands while representing New Zealand internationally.
The answer was yes.
New Zealand’s decentralised high-performance programme meant Murray could remain based overseas while pursuing an international career with the Vantage Black Sticks.
“To be able to stay at home (in the Netherlands) and continue to play club hockey for Pinoké made it real easy for me to join the team.”
There were also familiar connections that helped Murray understand what playing for New Zealand could look like.
Former Vantage Black Sticks international Sam Child had played at Pinoké, while Murray’s father had represented New Zealand in cricket.
“I think she (Sam Child) would have inspired me. She gave me an idea of what it would be like to be a Black Stick,” Murray says.
“And my dad also represented New Zealand for the cricket team, so he also gave me an idea what that would be like.”
Murray made her senior Vantage Black Sticks debut at the 2025 Oceania Cup, where New Zealand secured qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. Since then, she has quickly established herself within the international group, earning 11 caps and building strong connections with her new teammates.
Now, her unique journey has led her to a moment few athletes will ever experience.
Murray will play a World Cup for New Zealand in the Netherlands. One of her two home countries and the place where her hockey journey began.
“It’s very special to be in a position to play a World Cup, let alone for one of your home countries in your other home country.”
“I don’t think a lot of people before or after me will experience that, so yeah, that’s very special.”
The tournament will bring another layer of familiarity. Murray has spent years playing on the Dutch pitches and in the environments where she first developed as a hockey player. Now, she will return to those same surroundings as a senior international representing New Zealand.
“It’s where I started, where I’m used to play, and now I can play these big games on there as well.”
And she won't be short of support.
Murray knows her family, friends, boyfriend and teammates from Pinoké will be in the stands when New Zealand begins its World Cup campaign against Belgium.
For someone who has spent years watching World Cups and supporting both New Zealand and the Netherlands, finally being part of one herself will be a surreal experience.
“I’ve always watched the World Cups, and I’ve been rooting for both the Netherlands and New Zealand, and to kind of combine that in my own World Cup, that would be really cool.”
While the focus will naturally be on performance and helping the Vantage Black Sticks succeed, Murray is determined to take a moment to appreciate the uniqueness of the opportunity.
“I think I would say to myself to enjoy it.”
“It’s quite unique that I can represent New Zealand in the Netherlands and Belgium, and might not happen again.”
From following her brother onto a hockey pitch at Pinoké, to representing the Netherlands at a Junior World Cup, to making her senior international debut for New Zealand, Murray's journey has taken her across two countries and two hockey identities.
Now, she gets to bring both together on the biggest stage of all.