Dravid and Waugh attend India’s 3-1 loss to Netherlands at Wagener Stadium in FIH Hockey World Cup 2026
Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh were in the crowd as India lost 3-1 to the Netherlands at Wagener Stadium in the second round of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 on August 22, 2026. The Dutch won after a decisive second-half display to claim victory.
Dravid's appearance carried added context: he played hockey as a midfielder at St Joseph's Boys' High School in Bengaluru and shared that school side with Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh. In July 2026 he recalled those formative years, saying he "loved playing hockey" and praising India's incredible history, legacy and tradition in the sport. A post was shared by Hockey India (@hockeyindia).
Dravid's public support for the sport has surfaced before. In January 2018, while coaching India's Under-19 cricket team at the World Cup in New Zealand, he attended the senior hockey team's Four Nations Invitational match against Japan in Tauranga; India won that game 6-0 and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh publicly thanked Dravid for coming across to support the hockey side.
The Netherlands' second-half scoring began when Telgenkamp opened the tally in the 41st minute. Hoedemaekers increased the lead six minutes later, Harmanpreet Singh pulled one back from a penalty-corner in the 52nd minute, and Thijs van Dam restored the Dutch two-goal lead three minutes after that to complete the 3-1 scoreline.
The Dutch entered the match as defending champions and, with this result, secured their place in the semifinals. The outcome represented a significant setback for India's chances of progressing from the group stage.
For Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh the match provided a crossover moment between cricket and hockey; for the Indian team it raised questions as their World Cup campaign reached a decisive phase.
