Danny Newcombe to step away from Wales men’s programme

Hoci Cymru can confirm that Wales Men’s Head Coach Danny Newcombe will step away from the national programme, bringing to a close an outstanding chapter in the history of Welsh men’s hockey.

Newcombe’s association with Hoci Cymru spans more than 15 years, beginning in 2009 as Assistant Coach with the Wales U16 Boys before progressing to the senior men’s programme as Assistant Coach in 2011 and ultimately taking over as Head Coach in August 2020.

Across that time, Danny has become a pivotal figure in the growth and transformation of Wales Men’s hockey. His journey through the Welsh coaching pathway has run alongside a remarkable period of progression for the programme, from competing in the second tier of European hockey to establishing Wales on the world stage and qualifying for back-to-back World Cups. His contribution, commitment and leadership have been integral to what has become one of the most successful periods in the history of the Wales Men’s programme.

As Assistant Coach, Newcombe was part of the team that claimed silver at the 2017 EuroHockey Championship II, securing promotion to the top tier of European hockey for 2019.

At the 2019 EuroHockey Championship, Wales went on to finish sixth in Europe, equalling their best-ever finish in the competition. Crucially, the result also saw Wales retain their place in the top tier of European hockey – something the nation had not achieved for two decades. It represented another significant step forward for the programme and established Wales as a team capable of competing and remaining among Europe’s leading nations.

After becoming Head Coach in 2020, Danny continued to drive the programme forward and oversaw a series of historic milestones.

Wales finished seventh at the 2021 EuroHockey Championship before securing qualification for the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup for the first time in the country’s history. That breakthrough was followed by a sixth-place finish at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, another standout result for the programme.

In 2023, Danny led Wales into their maiden World Cup in India, where the team finished joint 11th in an impressive tournament debut. Later that year, Wales competed at a third consecutive top-flight EuroHockey Championship, producing another memorable moment with a historic draw against hosts Germany.

The programme continued to progress. After successfully navigating European qualification in 2024, Wales produced a memorable EuroHockey Championship II campaign in 2025, becoming champions after defeating Ireland in a dramatic shootout in the final. The victory secured promotion back to the top tier of European hockey for 2027 and a place at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

In Santiago in 2026, Wales finished third at the World Cup Qualifier, defeating Poland 2–1 in the third-place match to secure a second consecutive FIH Hockey World Cup appearance. In doing so, Danny became the Head Coach responsible for leading Wales to both World Cups in the history of the men’s programme – an extraordinary achievement for Welsh hockey.

The 2026 World Cup provided another opportunity for Wales to test themselves against the very best on the world stage. A tournament of ups and downs included some outstanding performances, with Wales earning a draw against Pakistan and pushing a highly ranked India side in a closely fought encounter. The tournament concluded with Wales overcoming Malaysia in a shootout to secure 15th place.

While results provide many of the headline moments, Danny’s contribution to Welsh hockey extends far beyond them. Across his time within the programme, Wales have achieved European promotions, established themselves at the top level of European hockey, recorded a sixth-place Commonwealth Games finish, won a EuroHockey Championship II title and, most significantly, qualified for the first two World Cups in the history of the men’s programme.

Alongside these team achievements, Danny has played an important role in the development and progression of Welsh players, helping a number of athletes move through to the Great Britain Elite Development Programme and ultimately represent the Great Britain Men’s team. His commitment to developing individuals as well as the wider programme has helped strengthen the pathway for Welsh players and leaves a lasting impact on the future of men’s hockey in Wales.

His commitment, belief and passion for Wales have been instrumental in raising the standards and ambitions of the programme and helping change the perception of what Wales Men can achieve on the international stage.

Hoci Cymru Performance Director Katie Glynn said:

“Danny’s contribution to the Wales Men’s programme has been immense. He has been pivotal in its progression, helping take the team from the second tier of European hockey to back-to-back World Cups and regularly competing against some of the best nations in the world.

“The results and historic firsts speak for themselves, but Danny’s impact goes far beyond them. He has given an incredible amount to Welsh hockey, and his passion for the programme, the players and representing Wales has always been clear. The expectations and belief around Wales Men’s hockey have changed significantly during his time, and he deserves enormous credit for the role he has played in that journey.

“What makes his contribution even more remarkable is the commitment behind it. Danny has achieved all of this while raising a young family, working full-time as a Senior Coach Development Manager at the Premier League and coaching Hampstead & Westminster in the England Hockey League. The time and energy he has committed to Wales alongside those responsibilities has been exceptional and consistently above and beyond what could reasonably be expected.

“I also want to recognise Danny’s family, whose support and sacrifices have enabled him to give so much to the programme. High-performance sport asks a great deal not only of those directly involved, but also of the people around them, and we are incredibly grateful to his family for supporting Danny and the programme throughout this journey.

“On behalf of everyone at Hoci Cymru, I want to thank Danny for everything he has given to Welsh hockey. He leaves having played a hugely significant role in changing the trajectory of the men’s programme and leaves it in a considerably stronger position.

“We are incredibly grateful for everything he has done and wish Danny and his family every success for the future.”

Danny Newcombe said:

“It’s difficult to put 15 years into a few words. It has genuinely been one of the greatest privileges of my life to be alongside these players and staff and to represent Wales together.

"We’ve been through a lot. There have been incredible highs, life changing experiences that I’ll never forget, and most importantly, so much fun.

"This group has always been a family. We care about each other, we’ve grown up together in many ways, and we’ve always tried to stand together when it matters.

"I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved, but probably even more proud of the way we’ve gone about it and what this group has come to represent.

"Stepping away is hard, because this team has been such a huge part of my life. But I leave with enormous pride in what we’ve built and huge belief in where this group can go next.

"I’ll be forever grateful to Zak who gave me the opportunity all those years ago.

"Thank you to all the staff, players and families who have shared in the journey.

"Fifteen years, countless memories, one family. Ein Gilydd.”

Hoci Cymru would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Danny for his outstanding commitment and contribution to the Wales Men’s programme and to Welsh hockey more broadly.

Further information regarding the next steps for the Wales Men’s programme will be communicated in due course.