Ireland’s women’s hockey team will face New Zealand on Tuesday at 11am in a match that could decide their World Cup survival. A draw will keep both sides alive in the tournament, while a loss would end their hopes.
The match takes place at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, where Ireland opened the tournament with a 3-2 defeat to Spain. New Zealand, meanwhile, fell 5-2 to Belgium in their first game. Both teams now need at least a point to keep their main tournament hopes alive, as a classification series will be played for those who finish outside the top two in their group.
Irish captain Sarah Hawkshaw said the pressure is mutual: “Same for them (the pressure), they’d a loss their first game so it’s going to be a real battle on Tuesday.” She added that the team will learn from the Spain loss and focus on a good fight against New Zealand.
Defender Róisín Upton highlighted the tactical similarities between New Zealand and Spain: “I think we’re fortunate that New Zealand play a similar style to Spain so we’ll be well set up.” She noted that New Zealand possess the ball well and that Ireland will aim to keep possession in the New Zealand half and apply pressure. Upton also stressed the importance of goal difference and the unpredictable nature of tournament hockey.
The two sides have met in tight battles before. At the Nations Cup early last year, Ireland won 1-0 in the group but lost to New Zealand on penalties in the final, with Hawkshaw converting one of the two penalties. In 2025, Ireland recorded their first-ever win against New Zealand in their 10th attempt.
Head coach Gareth Grundie praised the second-half performance against Spain, noting that the team was 1-0 down at the start of the second half but fought back. “We got ourselves back into the game, just a little bit disappointing not to be able to seal it,” he said. Grundie said the team will use the lessons from the Spain match to prepare for the New Zealand encounter.
The match will be broadcast on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player, with a live blog available on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. The game is scheduled to start at 9:45am local time, with the 11am slot for the official match time.
The outcome will determine whether Ireland and New Zealand can advance or will be relegated to the classification series, making the Tuesday clash a must-win for both squads.
