Otago foursome Benji Culhane, Finn Ward, Malachi Buschl and Kane Russell have been named in the Black Sticks squad to compete at the 2026 FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, next month.
The tournament will take place at Hartleyvale Stadium on June 11-20, bringing together the top-ranked teams outside the FIH Pro League as they compete for the opportunity to earn promotion to international hockey’s top tier.
New Zealand enters the competition as back-to-back champions, having claimed the Nations Cup title in 2024 and 2025, and will be looking to attack the tournament again in pursuit of a third consecutive title.
The selected squad features a mix of experience and emerging talent, Ryan Parr set to make his international debut for the Black Sticks.
Parr’s selection marks an exciting milestone for both the player and the programme, as the team continues to build depth and develop talent on the international stage.
Coach Greg Nicol said Parr had ‘‘been on our radar for a while now, having been a consistent performer for the Junior Black Sticks for several years’’.
‘‘He performed at a very high level at the recent VBSM camp and so now looking forward to seeing him debut at Nations Cup in Cape Town,’’ Nicol said.
Competing teams include France, Korea, Japan, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Malaysia, and hosts South Africa. — Allied Media
Black Sticks Men
Nations Cup squad
Aidan Sarikaya, Benji Culhane, Brad Read, Charlie Morrison, Dane Lett, Dom Dixon, Dylan Thomas, Finn Ward, George Baker, Isaac Houlbrooke, Joe Morrison, Jonty Elmes, Kane Russell, Malachi Buschl, Matt Ruetsch, Nic Woods, Ryan Parr, Sam Lane, Scott Boyde, Tim Neild.
