The Black Sticks Women have opened their Oceania Cup campaign in the best possible way, edging Australia 1-0 in Darwin.
In her debut for New Zealand, Dutch recruit Josephine Murray wasted no time making an impact, setting up captain Olivia Shannon for the only goal in the victory over their trans-Tasman rivals.
The win kept their World Cup hopes alive, and underlined why Murray’s arrival has already been labelled a game changer.
The winner of the three-match series secures automatic World Cup qualification.
Her selection had been kept under wraps by coach Phil Burrows, with the Black Sticks deliberately keeping their lineup secret till the last minute.
“We’ve been pretty coy with our lists to be honest,” Burrows admitted. “We haven’t let anything out the bag.”
That's because Murray is a huge "get" for the rebuilding side. Murray, who born in Christchurch but raised in the Netherlands, brings serious pedigree.
She previously has won a junior world title for the Netherlands in 2021, and was part of their wider national squad before choosing to represent New Zealand, following in the footsteps of her father, former New Zealand cricketer Darrin Murray.
“It’s not that I couldn’t play for the Netherlands anymore,” she explained. “But when I got asked about the Black Sticks, and I talked to some of the coaches and people at Hockey New Zealand, it just felt really good to give it a go.”
Her decision is already being felt across the team. “The most exciting thing is she really can push the rest of the players, influence them with how she understands the game and how simple she keeps it,” Burrows said.
For her family, seeing her in black is a special.
“It is a big thing to all of a sudden jump up from playing in the Netherlands, and sort of a month later you’re making your debut for New Zealand. It’s all happened quite quickly," said Darrin Murray.
Josephine Murray added with a smile: “I think mainly my grandpa’s maybe most thrilled about it.”
It was also a night to remember for goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon, who stood tall against Australia’s attacking onslaught and was named player of the match.
While the women celebrated victory, the Black Sticks Men were beaten 2-0 by the world number five Kookaburras.
The Black Sticks Men have already qualified for next year's World Cup, but these matches in Darwin are less about results and more about valuable time on the turf, with funding cuts reducing international opportunities.
Both sides are back in action on Saturday in Darwin. The women are set to play at 4.30pm, and the men at 6.30pm (NZ time).
To catch the games free, live or on-demand, head to TVNZ+.
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