Jeroen Hertzberger has announced he will retire from the HC Rotterdam men’s first team following a record-breaking 22 seasons with the club.

It includes – at time of writing – 377 goals in the Hoofdklasse and he currently has 47 in the EHL, records in both competitions.

Confirming the decision on Instagram, he posted: “At sixteen, I was given the opportunity every young player dreams of: my debut in HC Rotterdam’s men’s first team.

“I still remember exactly how it felt – so much tension and pride, but above all, the realisation that something special was beginning. That moment changed my life.

“Now, after 22 seasons, I have decided that this will be my final season as a player. Since my debut in 2003 and my start at the club in 2002, I have worn the Rotterdam shirt with pride.

“This season feels like the right time to stop at my peak. I don’t just want to participate – I want to perform and make a difference, a mindset that fits this club and this team.“HC Rotterdam is deeply woven into my life. My children play hockey here, as do my brother and sister with their families, my friends. I have not only been a player and teammate here, but also a husband, son, father, brother, uncle, friend, and supporter.

“Sometimes standing on the sidelines with a coffee in hand, enjoying a youth match, and moments later stepping onto the field myself. This is not just a club to me; this is my home.“My career has been shaped by inspiring players such as Mark Knowles, Phil Burrows, and my brothers. I hope I have been able to pass on the same mentality and high-performance culture to the current generation.

“When I look at the new leaders, like Thijs van Dam, I see how strong this club continues to evolve. That makes me incredibly proud. Even though I still feel like I belong among the best, I believe in the flow and growth of a team.

“That’s why this decision feels right at this moment. Last weekend it really hit me that this is my last weeks and games in this jersey. I want to enjoy every minute and perform to the max with this great team.

“I will end my time just like I started. With full commitment and from the heart! Thank you for your support!”

He will be leading the Rotterdam line at the ABN AMRO EHL FINALS at Easter when his club come up against Old Georgians on April 18th at Den Bosch.

Bloemendaal and SV Kampong played out a stunning 4-4 draw in the men’s Hoofdklasse as the home side came back from 2-0 and 4-2 down to rescue a point.

It sees Bloemendaal sit in third spot, three points off leaders AH&BC Amsterdam with Den Bosch now in second spot. Kampong, meanwhile, cling onto fourth spot, one point ahead of HC Rotterdam in the race for the playoff places.

In a rollercoaster battle, both sides were missing key men with Teun Beins out for the hosts while David Harte had an ankle injury so Estiaan Kriek stepped into goal for the Utrecht outfit.

It comes just over two weeks out from their ABN AMRO EHL FINAL8 fixtures where Bloemendaal face Club de Campo and Kampong meet Surbiton.

Kampong did burst into the lead with a corner goal from Jip Janssen and Duco Telgenkamp’s sweet shot on the spin.

Bloemendaal fought back, Nathan Ephraums picking up the pieces from close range on two occasions to make it 2-2.

Telgenkamp, though, retored the Kampong lead before half-time and Janssen extended that lead from another corner.

Bloemendaal, though, showed their resolve with Jasper Brinkman cutting the gap with a corner drag and Marc Miralles levelled from the penalty spot for 4-4.

It has been a tricky spell for Michel van den Heuvel’s side since the restart after Christmas with three defeats in their previous five games saw their healthy advantage in the table dissipate.

But Van den Heuvel points to Bloemendaal’s young age profile and says the side is learning all the time. With Teun Hogenhout (17), Jan van ‘t Land (19), Gijs ter Braak (20), Casper van der Veen (20), Lars Leistra (21) and Lucas Veen (21) there were six relatively young players on the pitch.

“We need these kinds of games to grow. Especially with the young group we have,” he told hockey.nl.

“Some of our boys are not used to this level of competitive hockey. Important weeks are coming up now with big games. We have to show mental and physical toughness in those. In that respect, this game was good for our development. We are on the right track.”

Elsewhere, Rotterdam came undone 4-1 at the hands of Den Bosch with Timo Boers adding two goals to his growing tally, leaving them in fifth place ahead of a vital game against Amsterdam next week.

Den Bosch and SCHC shared the spoils in the meeting of the top two in the women’s Hoofdklasse, a preview of potential fireworks from both sides at Easter’s EHL.

The home team seemed to be on its way to victory for a long time, but seven minutes before the end Yibbi Jansen struck and snatched a point from the fire for SCHC, her 150th goal in the top league 

With the draw, Den Bosch is probably the happiest especially considering they were shy the services of Rosa Fernig (ankle) and Joosje Burg (hamstring) along with Frédérique Matla due to a foot injury.

It gave an opening for under-18 talents Josephine Bekkers, Valentine Hulsbergen and Kim Peters for this topper.

Maartje Krekelaar fired a backhand into Elodie Picard’s goal after five minutes with the pick of the early chances while new Dutch senior call-up Maud van den Heuvel had caused the first danger of the match.

Charlotte Englebert broke the deadlock just after half-time when the Belgian star hit the target from close range with her backhand, 1-0.

It was the signal for SCHC to shift into the next gear and they started to build a corner count but could not get the injection and stop working initially.

That was until their sixth set piece from which Jansen powered home. SCHC then went close to winning it in the final plays of the game as Xan de Waard’s strong running almost unlocked the door.

But it remained 1-1 and so Den Bosch stay five points clear with five rounds of matches to be played.

The two sides could meet again in the EHL FINAL8 at Easter should SCHC get past the challenge of Ireland’s Railway Union on April 16th.

Club Egara’s women proved the surprise package at the Copa de la Reina as they not only qualified for the final for the first time but, in front of their home fans, defeated reigning champions Club de Campo.

The club made it through to the decider when they edged out UD Taburiente and Real Sociedad en route to the final in which they eventually prevailed in a shoot-out.

Normal time had ended 1-1 after a superb performance from Mariona Girabent between the posts and she delighted the Pla del Bon Aire crowd with some defining moments..

After a scoreless first half, Egara took the lead in the third quarter as they used an overload to set up Sofía Keenan who beat María Tello for 1-0.

Campo replied with Maria Lopez scoring from a penalty corner, making it level with 13 minutes to go and they looked more likely to grab a winner before the final whistle, but for the heroics of Girabent.

In the shoot-out, Egara held their nerve as they eventually won 4-3 with Julieta Jankunas scoring the vital winner.

For Campo, their next challenge will be the EHL at Easter when they face Braxgata in the FINAL12. Real Club de Polo saw their Spanish Cup challenge end at the hands of Campo in a shoot-out in the quarter-finals.

Club de Campo’s men stormed to the Copa Del Rey title for the 15th time as they defeated hosts Club Egara 3-0 in the final on Sunday.

Egara had reached the final after defeating Atlètic and Polo in a somewhat surprising way, while Club de Campo got by Junior via a shoot-outs before crushing RS Tenis in the semi-finals.

The Madrid side duly dominated the early phases of the final. In the last minute of the first quarter, Ricky Sánchez had the clearest chance, diving to hit the post.

But Andrew Wilson’s team grew into the contest and had their first clear chance came midway through the second quarter as half-time arrived at 0-0.

The deadlock was eventually broken with Quique Zorita’s ball into the box eventually fell to Thijs van Pelt who snapped up the chance.

Egara had an equaliser chalked off on video review and they took off their goalkeeper in the closing minutes to try and chase a levelling goal.

The plan backfired as Campo profited twice in those closing minutes with Manuel Rodríguez and Ignacio Abajo scoring into an empty net.

Campo also swept through the individual honours from the tournament with Rafael Revilla named goalkeeper of the tournament, Rafael Vilallonga the player of the final; Romain Delavignette the player of the tournament while Abajo was the top scorer.

It puts them in good shape for their EHL challenge when they will meet Braxgata in the FINAL8 at Easter.

Robbert van de Peppel will become head coach of SCHC’s women, starting in the 2025-2026 season, switching from his current role with Hurley along with his current assistant Fergus Kavanagh.

Van de Peppel is a familiar face at SCHC, playing several seasons in the men’s first team and training various youth teams.

Van de Peppel said of the move: “I am very happy at Hurley and am grateful for the opportunities I have been given. I am proud of what we have achieved in recent years. Stichtsche is a step up, though, and I am looking forward to competing for the national championship based on my hockey vision, with attractive but result-oriented play.”

Willem Boot, board member top hockey: “Robbert has always been very involved with the club since he played here. He shares our vision on talent development and, through his work with our girls Under-16s, he has a very good view of the players who can join the selection of first team in the coming years.”

The arrival of Van de Peppel means that Gilles van Hesteren and his assistants Wouter van der Kloet and Frank Balvers will say goodbye to SCHC after this season.

Boot thanked them for their work: “We are very happy that Gilles, after the departure of Lucas Judge last year, took on this job. He was and is the right man at the right time for this group. But from the start we agreed that it would be for a year.

“This also with a view to Gilles’ busy job. The team is doing well and we are convinced that together we can still achieve great successes this season.”

Van Hesteren added: “I enjoy working with these players every day. I knew it would be for a year in principle. Together with the players, I am now focusing on a strong end of the season that we can hopefully crown with the main prize!”