So, after months of uncertainty and reflection, Ireland’s women’s hockey team has found its new leader. Gareth Grundie, the Belfast-born coach with a knack for quiet transformation, is back at the helm, stepping into a role that will feel both familiar and dauntingly fresh. Starting next month, Grundie inherits a team that once tasted World Cup silver and Tokyo Olympic qualification but most recently missed qualification for Paris 2024.
The Green Army will enter a demanding 2025 calendar under his command, with challenges lurking in Chile’s FIH Nations Cup and Germany’s EuroHockey Championships, where they’ll face a gauntlet that includes the world’s top-ranked sides.
It is, on paper, a daunting task. Pool A of the EuroHockey Championships pits Ireland against the best of the best: reigning champions and World No. 1 Netherlands, the always formidable Germany, and the Olympic hosts, France. But Grundie, now 46, is a man who has never shied away from a challenge. His track record speaks for itself. He recently steered the Czech Republic women’s team to a silver medal at the European Championships II and a bronze in the Indoor World Cup, lifting them to second in the global indoor rankings. That grit, that steady hand on the tiller — these are qualities that may serve Ireland well as they navigate their transition period.
In many ways, it feels like Grundie’s homecoming was always on the cards. He was instrumental in Ireland’s 2018 World Cup run, when they claimed that historic silver, and had a guiding hand in their Tokyo Olympics qualification campaign as interim head coach. Understated and tactical, Grundie brings an athlete-centered approach to coaching. Deirdre Duke, a cornerstone of the Green Army, once said of him, “He just sees the game in a different way which we learned a lot from.” Her words hint at a subtle brilliance that might just be what this team needs to reclaim its edge on the world stage.
There will be no easing into the role for Grundie. The stakes are high from the outset, with the Nations Cup and EuroHockey Championships demanding focus and fortitude. Yet for all the pressure, Grundie’s legacy with the Green Army offers a sliver of optimism. He’s been here before, in a different capacity, true, but always with an eye on pushing Irish hockey to its peak. His return comes at a time when the team, currently ranked 12th in the world, needs a steady, seasoned hand to rebuild and reignite their ambitions.
Gareth Grundie’s appointment feels like more than just a managerial shift; it’s a chance to rekindle a team spirit that once inspired a nation. With his wealth of experience and a history that intertwines with Ireland’s biggest moments, Grundie knows the landscape and the stakes. Now, with his return, Ireland looks to him to plot the course back to prominence, to orchestrate the quiet, methodical resurgence that has become his hallmark. The pieces are all there. Now it’s time to see how Grundie will put them together.
