FOCUS NOW SHIFTS TO 9-16 PLAYOFFS FOR BOTH VANTAGE BLACK STICKS TEAMS
Pool play has come to an end at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, with both the Vantage Black Sticks Men and Women now preparing for the Classification Stage.
It was a difficult final day of pool matches for both New Zealand teams, with the men defeated by Argentina and the women falling to Spain.
The Vantage Black Sticks Men headed into their final Pool A match against Argentina knowing the stakes were high, with a place in the top eight on the line.
New Zealand made the perfect start, earning a penalty stroke in the opening quarter. Kane Russell stepped up and calmly converted to give the Vantage Black Sticks an early 1-0 lead.
Argentina responded to level the match before halftime, with the teams going into the break locked at 1-1.
New Zealand had competed well through the opening half, but Argentina found another level in the third quarter and took control of the match. Once they found momentum, the Argentinians capitalised on their opportunities and extended their lead before running away with the game in the final stages.
The final score was 7-1 to Argentina.
Head Coach Greg Nicol said the team was disappointed with the result but will now turn their attention to the remaining matches of the tournament.
“Obviously disappointed with the result. We played very well for long periods, we just did not cope well when Argentina found their momentum and the game got away from us.
“There are still three matches to go at the World Cup. We will reset and fight to finish ninth at the tournament.”
The result sees the Vantage Black Sticks Men finish third in Pool A with one win from their three matches.
Their 2-0 victory over Japan carries through to the next stage, with New Zealand now joining Japan, Wales and Pakistan in Pool G.
The men will face Wales on Saturday 22 August at 8:00pm NZT before taking on Pakistan on Monday 24 August at 10:30pm NZT.
There is still plenty to play for, with the winner of Pool G progressing to the 9th/10th place playoff.
Over in Wavre, the Vantage Black Sticks Women took on Spain in their final Pool C match.
New Zealand defended strongly throughout the opening half, with Spain creating the majority of the attacking opportunities but unable to find a way through the Vantage Black Sticks defence.
The breakthrough finally came in the third quarter, with Spain taking the lead before adding two more goals late in the match to secure a 3-0 victory.
The result sees the Vantage Black Sticks Women finish fourth in Pool C and move into the Classification Stage.
While the group will be disappointed not to progress into the top eight, the tournament is far from over. The women will now join Ireland, USA and Scotland in Pool H, with their result against Ireland carrying through from pool play.
New Zealand will next face the USA on Sunday 23 August at 12:30am NZT before taking on Scotland on Monday 24 August at 9:00pm NZT.
Both teams now have a clear focus for the remainder of the World Cup. There are still important international matches ahead, valuable experience to gain and plenty to fight for as the Vantage Black Sticks look to finish their World Cup campaigns as strongly as possible.
New Zealand Goal Scorers: MEN
13' Kane Russell - Penalty Stroke Goal