Day two of the FIH Hockey World Cup delivered plenty more action on Sunday, with significant wins, brave draws and spirited comeback efforts across the two venues in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Germany’s men and the Netherlands’ women got their FIH Hockey World Cup title defence off to the perfect start with opening day victories as the tournament kicked off across two host venues – in Belgium and the Netherlands.

As we count down to the highly anticipated FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, we take a closer look at the competing men's and women's teams ready to battle for global supremacy. In this special preview series, we profile each nation's journey to the tournament, examining their road to qualification, historic achievements, key players to watch, and the tactical minds leading them into the ultimate hockey showcase. In today’s story we take a look at the South African men’s team, ranked #13 in the world.