Ireland’s Men’s and Women’s Indoor Hockey teams have completed a six-match invitational series in Malaysia as part of their build-up to the 2026 EuroHockey Indoor Championships. The tour provided a valuable stretch of competitive international fixtures, with the women winning all six of their matches and the men producing a series of closely fought encounters against the world number 12 ranked Malaysian side.
The Irish Women’s team enjoyed a perfect record across the series, combining strong defensive discipline with clinical finishing. They began with a 5-2 win, led by a four-goal performance from Carol Spence and a goal from Hollai Quinn. That was followed by a 5-0 clean sheet victory, where five different players got on the scoresheet: Quinn, Caroline Spence, Orla Fox, Orla Patton, and Sarah Patton. A 6-1 win in the third match featured braces from both Caroline Spence and Hollai Quinn, with further goals from Laura Graham and Jenna McCarlie.
Ireland continued their form into the second half of the series with a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Orla Patton and Quinn. In the penultimate match, they left it late but secured a 3-1 win with another brace from Quinn and a goal from Laura Graham. The final game saw the women’s side come from two goals down to win 3-2, as Sarah Patton struck twice to level the game before Orla Fox sealed the win with a decisive goal.
The Men’s team also made the most of the opportunity, opening the series with a 3-2 win through goals from Greg Williams (2) and Ollie Kidd. They were involved in a string of tight contests throughout, including a dramatic 6-5 battle in game two, with Ross Canning scoring a hat-trick and further contributions from James Walker and Kidd. Across the remaining fixtures, Canning continued to lead the scoring, joined by regular contributions from Walker, Kidd, and Harry Dagg.
Across the week, both squads benefitted from consistent game time, exposure to a different playing style, and the chance to build cohesion in a high-performance environment. The tour offered ideal preparation for the challenges ahead, and both the Men’s and Women’s teams return home with important insights and momentum as they continue their journey towards the 2026 EuroHockey Indoor Championships.
