VANTAGE BLACK STICKS MEN ARRIVE IN EUROPE AHEAD OF WORLD CUP

The Vantage Black Sticks Men have officially arrived in Europe, with the squad touching down in Belgium to begin the final phase of preparations for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup from 15–30 August.

After a 44-hour journey from New Zealand, the team landed at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport before travelling by bus to Leuven, Belgium, where they will be based for the next 10 days.

The squad will use Leuven as its training base ahead of the tournament, fine-tuning preparations before relocating to Amstelveen in the Netherlands for the opening matches of the World Cup.

Following today's recovery and team connection activities, the Vantage Black Sticks will begin training in Belgium as they adapt to local conditions and build towards the tournament.

The preparation camp will also include valuable international hit-outs against France and Belgium, providing the squad with quality opposition before the World Cup gets underway.

Drawn in Pool A, the Vantage Black Sticks Men will face host nation Netherlands, Japan and Argentina, with all pool matches to be played at the iconic Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

Vantage Black Sticks Men's World Cup Schedule (NZT)

• vs Netherlands – 17 August, 2:00am

• vs Japan – 18 August, 7:30pm

• vs Argentina – 20 August, 10:30pm

Fans can follow every match of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup live on Watch.Hockey, the International Hockey Federation's official streaming platform. A tournament pass is available for NZD $79.99, providing access to every match across the men's and women's competitions.