Thursday, June 4: Ireland Men’s head coach Mark Tumilty has announced his 20-player squad for the 2026 FIH Hockey Nations Cup, taking place in Cape Town, South Africa this June 11 – 20.
Luke Roleston and James Milliken get the nod in nets for Ireland following incredible domestic campaigns for both shot stoppers with their respective clubs, Banbridge and Lisnagarvey. Jaime Carr misses out through an injury that he sustained during club duties with Belgian side, Gantoise.
The familiar pairing of captain Kyle Marshall and Peter McKibbin will feature in the centre of Ireland’s defence, flanked by the experienced Lee Cole and Fergus Gibson. Greg Williams maintains his spot having impressed during Ireland’s FIH Hockey World Cup Qualification campaign, scoring three times, and is joined by young Three Rock Rovers defender Ben Ryder.
Sam Hyland also returns, with Nick Page making his first appearance in an Ireland shirt since June 2025 after sustaining a calf injury that sidelined him for nine months.
In midfield, Daragh Walsh makes his return having missed the side’s campaign in Santiago through injury. The Braxgata midfielder will be keen to make an impact this campaign ahead of August’s World Cup. Banbridge duo Peter Brown and Adam MacAllister will marshal Ireland’s midfield, while Evan Jennings joins the squad to make his first appearance at a major tournament and is expected to make his senior international debut.
Upfront, the ever-present figures of Matthew Nelson, Ben Walker, Jeremy Duncan and Ali Empey line out. They are joined by the returning Ben Nelson and Ben Johnson, both of whom make their first Ireland appearances since 2025 after superb seasons in the EY Hockey League and AIG Irish Senior Cups.
Following the announcement, Head Coach Mark Tumilty said:
“I look forward to the FIH Hockey Nations Cup as it is our sole preparation for the World Cup. We have made numerous squad changes from Chile due to injury and player availability. It is beneficial to give other players exposure to games at this level. I expect it to be a highly competitive tournament which is essential as we prepare for our first World Cup match.”
Tumilty’s side have been drawn in Pool B of the competition alongside hosts South Africa (#13), recent rivals France (#10), and tournament debutants USA (#26).
Ireland enter the competition as the top ranked side, sitting ninth in the world after their sensational unbeaten campaign in Santiago’s FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in March where they topped their pool before dispatching Wales to secure qualification, and came from behind to beat France in the final.
The side begin the campaign against USA on Thursday, June 11 followed by a grudge match against France 48 hours later, on Saturday, June 13. They close out their pool stage against South Africa, with a top 2 finish enough to see the side progress to the Semi-Finals on Friday, June 19.
Luke Roleston
James Milliken
Fergus Gibson
Ben Ryder
Lee Cole
Greg Williams
Kyle Marshall
Peter McKibbin
Sam Hyland
Nick Page
Peter Brown
Adam McAllister
Daragh Walsh
Evan Jennings
Ali Empey
Ben Nelson
Matty Nelson
Jeremy Duncan
Ben Johnson
Ben Walker
June 11 – 15:45 Irish Time – Ireland vs United States of America
June 13 – 13:45 Irish Time – Ireland vs France
June 16 – 18:00 Irish Time – Ireland vs South Africa
June 19 & 20 – Crossover Matches