Ireland's women's hockey team has secured a vital 3-2 victory over New Zealand in Wavre, Belgium, marking their first Hockey World Cup pool win in eight years. The win, achieved on Tuesday, follows a 1-0 triumph over India in 2018, a tournament where Ireland reached the final and earned a silver medal.
Goals for Ireland came from Sarah Hawkshaw, Roisin Upton, and Katie Mullan. The squad reportedly drew inspiration from the recent medal successes of Irish athletes and swimmers at the European Athletics and Swimming Championships.
The team's captain, Katie Mullan, expressed enthusiasm for their upcoming match against co-hosts Belgium on Thursday evening. Ireland will likely need a positive result from this game to progress further in the tournament.