Match report
Netherlands open with commanding victory over New Zealand
The Netherlands began their IKF U21 World Korfball Championship 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating New Zealand 45-7 in Nilai on Saturday afternoon.
In a Group A clash, the Dutch side established early dominance. Rosalie Peet opened the scoring and the Netherlands raced into a 14-4 lead by the end of the first quarter. Roos Hom was particularly influential in the opening period, contributing five of her team’s goals.
By half-time the score stood at 23-6, with Isa Dik, Peet and others maintaining a high tempo. After the break the Netherlands introduced fresh legs and continued to pull away. Seth Roeleven finished with six goals, matching Peet and Dik as joint top scorers, while substitute Gideon Gort added five and Levi van Nieuwenhuizen four.
New Zealand, despite periods of spirited defence, struggled to contain the Dutch attacking rotations. Isabelle Kate Clark led their scoring with three goals, supported by James Mark Harrison (two). Two missed penalties in the final quarter highlighted the difficulty of the afternoon for the Oceanian side. The result gives the Netherlands a strong start and a significant goal difference, while New Zealand will look to regroup for their remaining group matches.
Final score: Netherlands U21 45 – 7 New Zealand U21 (Half-time: 23–6)
Top scorers: Rosalie Peet, Isa Dik & Seth Roeleven (Netherlands) 6 each; Roos Hom & Gideon Gort (Netherlands) 5 each.
The IKF U21 World Korfball Championship 2026 continues in Nilai, Malaysia, until 16 August.
Photos 1
Photos by Marco Spelten
Photos 2
Photos by Eric Chan
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