Olympic medallist to join men’s coaching team

Olympic silver medallist Robert van der Horst will be joining the England and GB coaching team as assistant coach for the men’s programme.

Van der Horst, who will officially take up his role in July, represented the Netherlands for 12 years and earned 272 caps. He won silver at the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as two World Cup medals and six European medals.

He took up coaching when he announced his retirement from international hockey and has been coaching for Oranje-Rood for the past six years.

Van der Horst will join Zak Jones and Kwan Browne at the EuroHockey Championships as his first major event.

On his new appointment, van der Horst said: “I’m thrilled to be part of the GB and England programme. From the very start, I felt a strong connection with the vision and with everyone involved. I hope to inspire and grow alongside the team, as we work together to take our game to the next level and drive English hockey toward even greater success.”

England and GB Hockey Performance Director Bobby Crutchley added: “We're delighted to welcome Robert to the men's coaching team. Throughout the selection process, he stood out for his insight, and coaching acumen.

"His extensive playing experience speaks for itself, but it's his ability to translate that into his coaching that truly impressed us. I’m confident he'll be a strong addition to the team and will work especially well alongside Zak."