Jeroen Hertzberger talks Dutch hockey dominance at Paris 2024
The three-time Olympian & European Hockey League top scorer offers his view
Jeroen Hertzberger, one of the most celebrated forwards in international field hockey, continues to shape the game. With a career spanning nearly two decades, Hertzberger has left an indelible mark on the sport. The all-time top scorer in the European Hockey League (EHL), he has represented the Netherlands in three Olympics (Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Tokyo 2020), three World Cups, and several European Championships, amassing medals and titles along the way. Today, he not only leads the attack at HC Rotterdam in the Dutch premier league (Hoofdklasse), but he also runs the global hockey coaching platform, HertzbergerTV.
On the Dutch teams’ success at Paris 2024...
Both our men’s and women’s teams won gold at Paris 2024, which I think is due to our deep hockey culture at home. Hockey has always been strong in the Netherlands. With 250,000 players, there’s a vast talent pool, and our club-based system develops that talent from a young age.
Unlike countries where hockey is school-based, Dutch hockey revolves around clubs, which fosters a lifelong connection to the sport. So you grow up in a hockey family, playing at a club where everyone shares the same passion, and that creates deep knowledge, dedication and helps sustain a strong talent pipeline.
On the men’s team’s gold-medal run...
The victory in Paris came down to a dramatic shootout against Germany. Our men’s team has always been strong, so reaching the semi-finals wasn’t a surprise, but in the final, it was about the team finding a way to be effective. It’s hard to put your finger on any one thing that a team does better in that situation, but they worked hard and found a way to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
In the last two World Cups and the Olympics it came down to shootouts, which reflects how tightly contested men’s hockey has become. The top four or six teams are so close in terms of skill level. The era of data and video analysis has made it harder to score, which limits creativity in some ways. We see teams defending better, filling the D, and making use of the safety gear to really go out there and be aggressive and confident during penalty corners.
It's part of the natural evolution of high-performance sports, but it also adds to the excitement for fans, because every game feels like it could go either way.
On the tactics that delivered gold in Paris...
Two tactical decisions really made a difference for the men in Paris. For the first time in a long while, they didn’t take two penalty corner specialists, and that gave them more attacking options on the field. They also played with left and right defenders who doubled as attacking wingers, which kept the game wide and made them hard to defend against.
Photo: World Sport Pics
On the Dutch women’s continued brilliance...
It’s incredible how they’ve maintained their dominance. They’ve won five golds in the last six Olympics and World Cups. While other teams like Great Britain, Argentina, and Australia have challenged them, they’ve kept their standard high, even as players come and go, and I think this is due to the strength of Dutch club hockey and that consistent supply of talent.
The women’s team also benefits from having a strong penalty corner specialist in Yibbi Jansen, which is a big advantage, especially in women’s hockey, where there’s more space in the D compared to the men’s game.
Photo: World Sport Pics
On preparing for another hockey season...
It’s my 22nd season with HC Rotterdam, and my passion remains the same. We’re entering this season with high expectations. Last year, we narrowly lost in the finals, which was disappointing, but it shows how strong we’ve become. Our squad includes seven players from the Netherlands’ Paris 2024 gold-medal-winning team and some talented under-21 players.
Our goals are clear—win both the Dutch league and the EHL. It’s going to be tough, because the competition is fierce, but we’ve built a squad that can compete at the highest level.
“My goal with the channel is to help players everywhere and anywhere develop their skills.”
On HertzbergerTV and sharing his expertise with the world...
My YouTube channel, HertzbergerTV, offers hockey coaching to players around the world. We’re closing in on 100,000 subscribers and my goal with the channel is to help players everywhere and anywhere develop their skills. Most of the top-level coaching at the moment is in Western Europe, and I want to share that knowledge with players globally.
It’s a go-to resource for aspiring hockey players and we’re attracting over 2 million views a year. The online courses are designed to be practical—you can take your phone to the turf and train right there with me.
Check out HertzbergerTV and help Jeroen reach 100,000 subscribers at HertzbergerTV. And don’t forget to catch him, and other hockey legends in the hockey documentary The Surface.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games hockey competition took place on Poligras Paris GT zero turf from July 27th to 9th August.
Poligras is available globally through Polytan in EMEA, Asia Pacific and Australasia, and AstroTurf in North and South America as well as our global installer network.