Nickname: The Oranje

Previous FIH Hockey Pro League placements: 2019: 3rd. 2020-21: 5th. 2021-22: 1st. 2022-23: 1st

Notable honours: 2x Olympic gold medallists (1996, 2000), 3x FIH Men’s World Cup winners (1973, 1990, 1998), 2x FIH Hockey Pro League champions (2021-22, 2022-23), FIH Hockey Pro League bronze medallists (2019), 8x FIH Champions Trophy winners (1981, 1982, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006), Hockey World League winners (2012-14 Edition), 7x European champions (1983, 1987, 2007, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2023).

Under the watchful eye of head coach Jeroen Delmee, the celebrated Dutch defender who won two Olympic gold medals as a player, the Netherlands have found a consistency in their performance levels that is reaping rewards. Upon taking charge in the latter part of 2021, Delmee boldly injected a significant amount of fresh talent into the Oranje squad, a move that has paid off handsomely. In addition to winning the last two FIH Hockey Pro League competitions, the Netherlands took World Cup bronze in India at the start of the year before recently becoming continental champions for the seventh time by winning the EuroHockey Championships 2023 in Monchengladbach, Germany. 21-year-old striker Duco Telgenkamp made a big impression in the competition, scoring winning goals in the semi-final and final to be named Young Player of the Tournament as well as finishing top of the scoring charts. There were also impressive individual performances from outstanding attacking midfielder Jorrit Croon, striker Koen Beins and team captain Thierry Brinkman, a player who has fully embraced the leadership responsibilities given to him by coach Delmee.

This season, the Netherlands will take to the field for FIH Hockey Pro League ‘mini-tournaments’ in Santiago del Estero (ARG), Bhubaneswar (IND), Rourkela (IND), Utrecht (NED) and Amsterdam (NED).

One to watch: Thierry Brinkman. A creator and scorer of goals, Thierry Brinkman inspirational figure who is a key part of the ongoing revolution being led by head coach Jeroen Delmee, The Netherlands captain, who was nominated for the FIH Hockey Stars Player of the Year 2022 award, has played a crucial role in all of the Oranje’s recent successes.