Paris 2024: Mix Of Experience + Youth In Men’s Hockey Team

Sixteen athletes have been selected to the New Zealand Men’s Hockey Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

New Zealand will begin their Olympic campaign against India, July 28, before also facing defending champions Belgium, Australia, Argentina, and Ireland in the pool stage.

The side will feature two athletes at their fourth Olympic Games (Hugo Inglis, Simon Child) and six at their first, showcasing a good blend of experience and youth which has been developed over the last three years, culminating in the team’s impressive tournament victory at the FIH Nations Cup in Poland earlier this month.

Head Coach Greg Nicol says the team is peaking at the right time with a lot of work having been done to get Games ready.

“We have worked exceptionally hard to get ourselves to the physical level we need to be at, but we have also worked hard on supporting each other on and off the pitch,” said Nicol.

“One of our themes is kotahitanga - unity - and the notion that we are all climbing this mountain together and are helping each other become the best versions of ourselves.”

Nic Woods has been named to captain the team and agrees they're in a good space and coming into the Games on form.

“We’ve had some excellent preparation this year and we’re coming into Paris with belief in our abilities as a team,” said Woods.

“We will definitely be the underdogs but we relish the challenge and opportunity to try and do something truly special.”

Team members were this afternoon presented with their playing kit by members of New Zealand’s gold medal winning hockey team from the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games. The kit features a homage to the 1976 side, featuring the names of the athletes inside the shirt, as well as a similar design to that worn in Montreal.

NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol extended her congratulations to the athletes.

“Well done to all the athletes named today. It was fantastic to see the New Zealand hockey team win the FIH Nations Cup earlier this month and we wish the team all the best with the rest of its preparation ahead of Paris 2024,” said Nicol.

The team is:

• Nic Woods (Captain)
• Dom Dixon
• Charlie Morrison
• Kane Russell
• Blair Tarrant
• Simon Yorston
• Sean Findlay
• Isaac Houlbrooke
• Joe Morrison
• Hayden Phillips
• Scott Boyde
• Simon Child
• Sam Lane
• Jake Smith
• Hugo Inglis
• Dane Lett

Leon Hayward, Brad Read and Malachi Buschl have been selected as travelling reserves. George Enersen, Benji Culhane, David Brydon, Aidan Sarikaya, George Baker, Jonty Elmes and Sam Hiha have been selected as non-travelling reserves.

Athlete Bios:

Nic Woods

Paris 2024 will be Woods’ third Olympics after attending Rio and Tokyo.

Woods is a brave and effective play-making defender with good distribution skills. He also possesses a powerful drag flick. A leader with actions rather than words he took over the captaincy from Blair Tarrant in November 2022.

Blair Tarrant

Paris 2024 will be Tarrant’s’ third Olympics after attending Rio and Tokyo.

A tough defender with good distribution skills, a vocal presence on the field and an extremely hard worker. He debuted for the Black Sticks in 2010.

Tarrant, Hugo Inglis, Kane Russell, and former Black Stick Nick Ross all grew up together in Otago and were coached together by Ross’ dad

Jake Smith

Paris 2024 will be Smith’s second Olympics after being part of the side in Tokyo

The Wellingtonian is a strong and direct striker who receives the ball well and also cleverly sets up his team-mates. A dedicated player on and off the field - he gives it his all.

Kane Russell

Paris 2024 will be Russell’s third Olympics after attending Rio and Tokyo

The Otago defender is a powerful and explosive player with good elimination skills, a strong aerial ball, and he is the team's number one drag flick option currently the 5th highest goal scorer for New Zealand.

Dane Lett

Wellington's Dane “Danger” Lett is a late bloomer in the sport after playing rugby through most of his school years. Paris will be his second Olympics after being part of the team in Tokyo.

From Carterton in the Wairarapa, Lett is a solid presence in the back with excellent distribution skills. He is also helping develop talent in the Wellington region to bring up the next generation of Black Sticks.

Sam Lane

Canterbury striker Sam Lane will be off to his second Olympics after being part of the side in Tokyo.

The boy from Temuka has an unbelievable engine, regularly topping the aerobic fitness tests, and is a good receiver and connector with a strong drag flick. He is also quickly becoming a goal scoring machine averaging a goal every other game in the last 24 months, and up until an injury he was the leading goalscorer in the Dutch Hoofdklasse (first division).

Hugo Inglis

Otago striker Hugo Inglis will be heading to his fourth consecutive Olympics

Inglis is one of NZ's premier goal scoring threats and has the ability to turn the game on its head with his speed, vision, and skill.

Sean Findlay

With his Olympic debut coming as an 18 year old in Toyko, Paris will be Findlay’s second Games.

The Hawke's Bay midfielder is a real energiser on the field, with good skills and versatility to play across multiple positions.

Hayden Phillips

The Manawatu midfielder made his debut at the age of 18 in 2016 and was selected for the Rio Olympic Games that year, before an absence from the international side for several years, finally making his return in 2022.

Now a mainstay of the side Phillips brings experience and poise in the midfield, and you can often find him at the top of the D looking to bang in a powerful shot.

Simon Yorston

The tall timber from Christchurch will make his Olympic Games debut in Paris.

The defender has some incredible skills while also possessing the courage to put his head down and make his way forward shown by the fact that he led the Canterbury competition in goal-scoring despite playing from the back in 2022.

Charlie Morrison

A proud Cantabrian, Morrison belies his age with his composure in defence. He made his debut at the World Cup in January 2023 and has played almost every game since, gaining recognition as a future world class talent.

Paris 2024 will be his first Olympic Games.

Scott Boyde

Paris 2024 will be Boyde’s first Olympic Games.

Changing allegiance to NZ from Australia, Boyde made his international debut in 2016 in green and gold against NZ. But now the Brisbane native’s Kiwi parents proudly wear the black shirt after he debuted for NZ in April 2023.

Boyde has the knack to score incredible goals and was the hero during the Paris Olympic qualification campaign, scoring 2 goals in the 3-2 do-or-die victory over Pakistan to secure the teams place in Paris.

Simon Child

Simon Child is widely regarded as one of the all-time great New Zealand hockey players. Child made his debut in 2005 against Malaysia in his hometown of Auckland.

Paris will be his fourth Olympic games after being part of the sides in Beijing, London, and Rio. He is also chasing down Phil Burrows’ scoring record of 150 international goals for NZ - Child is currently on 146.

Isaac Houlbrooke

Houlbrooke will be attending his first Olympic Games in Paris.

Debuting in 2023, and also having represented NZ in Indoor Hockey, Houlbrooke has become a key contributor in the side with huge potential to become a world class player. He displays excellent speed and control on the ball.

Dom Dixon

Paris 2024 will be Dixon’s first Olympic Games.

Having started as the third choice keeper under Head Coach Greg Nicol when he came on in 2022, Dixon has had a meteoric rise to now be the first choice keeper in Paris. He is a strong keeper with good fundamentals and a calm head in high pressure moments.

Joe Morrison

Joe Morrison will have his Olympic Games debut in Paris alongside his brother Charlie.

Often described as “not the biggest dog in the fight, but the dog with the biggest fight,” Morrison makes up for his lack of size with the strength and determination to better any opposition he comes up against. You will also see him all over the park as he gives maximum effort to win the ball and then set up his teammates.

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