Gareth Grundie appointed head coach of Ireland women's hockey team
Belfast-born Gareth Grundie has replaced Sean Dancer as the new head coach of the Ireland women’s hockey team.
Dancer stepped down from the role in March following the team’s failure to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Grundie was previously interim women’s coach in 2019 prior to Dancer’s appointment and led the side to qualification for the Tokyo Olympics.
The 46-year-old was also involved in Hockey Ireland’s Junior Age Group programme and was instrumental in the rise of the Ireland senior women’s team, guiding them to an historic silver medal at the 2018 World Cup and helping the team achieve their highest-ever world ranking of eighth.
A statement from Hockey Ireland on Tuesday said: “Gareth brings over 25 years of coaching experience and a proven track record of delivering world-class results at the highest levels of the sport.
“Most recently, Gareth served as Head Coach of the Czech Republic Senior Women's team, leading them to success, including a silver medal at the 2023 European Championships II and a bronze medal at the Indoor World Cup in South Africa, elevating the team to No. 2 in the indoor world rankings.
“His leadership also secured the Czech team’s place at the Olympic Qualifiers for Paris 2024, demonstrating his ability to build and execute long-term performance goals.”
It added: “Known for his athlete-centred approach, Gareth is committed to fostering a high-performance culture and developing elite talent, while also supporting the wider community.”
Grundie will begin his role on November 1 when he will lead Ireland through a busy schedule for 2025 which includes the FIH Nations Cup in Chile in February and the EuroHockey Championships in Germany in August, when Ireland are drawn alongside world number one side The Netherlands, Germany and France.