Shootout pain for Ireland against New Zealand in FIH Nations Cup final

Ireland suffered shootout heartbreak in the final of the FIH Women's Hockey Nations Cup as New Zealand triumphed in Chile on Sunday.

Having trailed 1-0 since the first quarter of the game held in Santiago, the Irish side showed resilience to equalise deep into the fourth through former captain Katie Mullan to force the deciding shootout.

But New Zealand would win that 4-2 and earn promotion to the 2025–26 Women's FIH Pro League at Ireland's expense.

Gareth Grundie's side will take heart from their winning run to the final - including an earlier pool win over New Zealand - which saw the Irish team finish with a 100% record from the opening stage with successes against Scotland, the Black Sticks and Korea, before a semi-final victory over USA.