At the 2025 Oceania Cup held in Darwin, both New Zealand’s men and women clinched their spots in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026.The women, known as the Black Sticks Women, emerged as Oceania champions after a tense shoot-out victory over Australia in the final match of the best-of-three series and The men, despite finishing second to Australia, also sealed qualification thanks to the Kookaburras having already qualified through the Pro League.
Women’s Road The Black Sticks Women have written one of the most inspiring chapters in New Zealand field hockey history At the 2025 Oceania Cup in Darwin, they overcame powerhouse rivals Australia in a nail-biting shoot-out to claim the continental crown and book their place at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026 in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Oceania Cup has always been a fierce contest between the two Southern Hemisphere hockey giants, At first game New Zealand struck first, winning 1–0 thanks to captain Olivia Shannon, who scored in the final quarter to give the Black Sticks an early lead in the series. In second game Australia hit back in classic Hockeyroos style. Mariah Williams netted a late goal to secure a 1–0 win, leveling the series and setting the stage for a decisive third match.
The final match was a rollercoaster of emotions,In the 53rd minute, New Zealand’s Jessie Anderson equalized, pushing the clash into a tense deadlock.When the whistle blew, the series headed to a dramatic penalty shoot-out.The Black Sticks Women delivered under pressure, converting five out of five attempts with flawless execution. Goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon emerged as the hero, making a crucial save that secured New Zealand the Oceania Cup title and their humble 2026 World Cup qualification.
After the winning Captain Olivia Shannon reflected on the victory with emotion: She said
“We didn’t qualify for Paris, but this series has shown our fight and resilience. This means everything to us.”
For the Black Sticks Men, the 2025 Oceania Cup in Darwin was a test of resilience against their formidable rivals, Australia’s Kookaburras. While New Zealand were outclassed in the series, finishing runners-up was still enough to secure a coveted spot at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 in Belgium and the Netherlands despite finishing second at the Oceania Cup.
The Oceania Cup has long been dominated by the Kookaburras, one of the most successful hockey teams in history.In first match Australia struck early and controlled the game, defeating New Zealand 2–0. But in second match The Black Sticks showed glimpses of promise but fell short, with the Kookaburras winning 4–1 despite a late consolation goal from New Zealand ,and last match New Zealand didnt stay behind they took the lead through captain Sam Lane , he Provided leadership and attacking spark, including the opening goal in the final game. but Australia responded with four unanswered goals, sealing a 4–1 victory.
Though the Black Sticks Men couldn’t overcome the reigning Oceania champions, their efforts were enough for qualification, but finishing second was enough because Australia had already qualified for the World Cup through their top finish in the FIH Pro League and New Zealand automatically claimed the continent’s second qualification berth.This ensured the Black Sticks Men will join the world’s elite at the 2026 World Cup, held from 14–30 August 2026 in Wavre (Belgium) and Amstelveen (Netherlands).
New Zealand become the seventh team to qualifie so far in both woman and men teams. In Men’s FIH Hockey World Belgium and Netherlands — Automatic entry as hosts, Australia qualified via winning the 2023–24 FIH Pro League, Spain – secured qualification via Pro League standings, Argentina – Champion of the 2025 Pan American Cup and Germany as the finalist at the 2025 EuroHockey Championship, qualifying directly .
And for the Women’s FIH Hockey World teams Belgium and Netherlands automatic entry as hosts, Germany qualified via Pro League standings, Argentina — Qualified via Pro League standings,USA — Earned a spot through the 2025 Pan American Cup. Because Argentina already qualified, the berth transferred to the USA and Spain as Secured qualification via the EuroHockey Championship as Germany Men’s did.
Continental championships in Africa and Asia will determine two more direct qualifiers for the event, with the remaining seven teams qualifying through the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in 2026.To complete the 16-team field per gender, seven additional spots will be decided through two separate eight-team qualifying tournaments and Top three teams from each tournament qualify, plus the highest-ranked fourth-place team across both events.
The lineup for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 is beginning to take shape. With dominant displays in Pro League and continental tournaments, teams like Argentina, Germany, USA, and Spain have already claimed their spots. As the remaining regional championships unfold, all eyes turn to the final qualifiers in 2026 to round off the competition roster.
