Black Sticks Take Third

December 1, 2025

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The New Zealand men’s hockey team, the Black Sticks, claimed third place at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia by beating the host team 6-1. The match took place during the tournament’s final round, where Belgium went on to win the title after a close 1-0 victory over India.

Sam Lane was the star of the match, scoring five of New Zealand’s six goals. He began strongly with two goals in the first quarter. Later, he added three more in just 15 minutes—one from a penalty corner, one from open play, and another from a penalty stroke. Lane finished the tournament as the top goal scorer with nine goals in total.

James Hickton also had a moment to remember, scoring his first-ever international goal after a 60-metre run and a tricky reverse-stick shot.

Two players reached important milestones during the match. Malachi Buschl played his 50th game for the Black Sticks, and Lane’s performance took him to 51 international goals in his career.

This strong finish was a proud moment for the New Zealand team, ending the tournament on a high note

Article written by Shem Banbury - Kiwi Kids News Editor

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research, writing, and proofreading.
The te reo Māori version of this article was translated with AI assistance. While care has been taken to keep it accurate, if you spot anything that doesn't read quite right, please let us know

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

On the last day of camp, the Year 8 group packed their gear in near silence. The sky over the ranges was thick with grey cloud, and the wind kept tugging at the tents. When the teacher asked who wanted to stay for the evening walk, only a few hands went up. The rest of the group stayed near the dining shelter, sipping hot chocolate and watching the rain move in across the field. Later, everyone rushed to help tie down the loose tarpaulin before it could blow away.

What can you infer about the students’ feelings on the last day of camp?

They were excited to explore in the rain after dinner. They were tired and uneasy because the weather was getting worse. They were annoyed because the teacher cancelled the evening walk. They were bored because the camp activities had finished early.