Leon Hayward
Personal information
Born (1990-04-23) 23 April 1990
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club Auckland
Senior career
Years Team
2012–2017 NT Stingers
2019– Auckland
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009 Australia U–21 13 (0)
2014–2015 Australia 13 (0)
2019– New Zealand 12 (0)
Medal record
Men's field hockey
Representing  Australia
Junior World Cup
Bronze medal – third place2009 Malaysia/Singapore
Representing  New Zealand
Oceania Cup
Silver medal – second place2023 Whangārei

Leon Hayward (born 23 April 1990)[1] is an Australian-born New Zealand field hockey player, who plays as a goalkeeper.[2]

Personal life

Leon Hayward was born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory.[2]

He is the older brother of Kookaburras defender, Jeremy Hayward.[3] His mother, Ellie, is of New Zealand descent.[4]

Career

Domestic leagues

Australian Hockey League

Leon Hayward made his debut in the Australian Hockey League for the NT Stingers during the 2012 tournament in Canberra.[5] He was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament during 2014 edition in Adelaide.[6]

New Zealand National Hockey League

In 2019, Hayward represented the Auckland men's team in the New Zealand National Hockey League in Tauranga.[7]

National teams

Australia Under-21

In 2009, Hayward represented the 'Burras' on two occasions; at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival and Junior World Cup, winning gold and bronze medals respectively.[8]

Kookaburras

Leon Hayward made his debut for the Kookaburras in 2014, during a test series against India in Perth, Australia.[2][9] His first and only major tournament for Australia was the 2015 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, where he won a silver medal.[10]

Black Sticks

Due to his mother's ancestry, Hayward was eligible for selection in the NZL Black Sticks. He made the move to play for New Zealand following a four-year absence from Australian senior selection.[4]

He made his debut for the Black Sticks in 2019, during a test series against Japan in Stratford, New Zealand.[11]

He was part of the New Zealand hockey squad which competed in the men's field hockey tournament during the 2020 Summer Olympics.[12] It also marked his maiden appearance at the Olympics.[13] He was also a member of the New Zealand hockey squad which competed in the men's field hockey tournament during the 2022 Commonwealth Games. It also eventually marked his maiden appearance at the Commonwealth Games.

He was also named in the New Zealand squad for the 2023 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup and it also marked his maiden FIH Hockey World Cup appearance.[14][15] During the 2023 Hockey World Cup, he played a clinical and important role which helped New Zealand to qualify to the quarter-final of the competition. He did not start in the playing XI in any of the matches at the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup as he was benched in favour of first-choice goal-keeper Dom Dixon. He played a huge role in New Zealand's stunning victory over hosts India in the crossover match during the 2023 World Cup which ended up in a penalty shootout where he made five saves out of eight penalties which effectively eliminated India out of the tournament.[16][17] He came off the bench as a replacement to Dixon during the course of the decisive penalty shootout after both teams drew level at 3-3 before the final whistle was blown.[18][19]

Accounting

He also holds a job as an accountant at Finnz Chartered Accountants in Waikato, Auckland. Prior to his commitment as an employee at Finnz Chartered Accountants, he plied his trade in plenty of jobs in the field of finance and also had many coaching stints in field hockey. He reportedly admits that being a chartered accountant in day time and playing field hockey for 10 to 15 hours per week is a demanding job.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Team Details – Australia". tms.fih.ch. International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Reid names first squad". hockey.org.au. Hockey Australia. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  3. ↑ "Kookaburras players Jeremy and Leon Hayward's mother Ellie hoping sons make Olympic hockey cut". ntnews.com.au. NT News. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Vantage Black Sticks Men bolstered by former Olympians to take on Japan in Stratford". blacksticks.co.nz. Vantage Black Sticks. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  5. ↑ "HAYWARD Leon". hockeyaustralia.altiusrt.com. Hockey Australia. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  6. ↑ "TAS Tigers, NSW Arrows win". hockey.org.au. Hockey Australia. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  7. ↑ "HAYWARD Leon". hockeynz.altiusrt.com. New Zealand Hockey Federation. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  8. ↑ "Hockey Australia Annual Report 2008-2009" (PDF). clearinghouseforsport.gov.au. Government of Australia. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Kookaburras include five uncapped players in squad for Champions Trophy hockey". ABC News. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  10. ↑ "Black Sticks men beat Australia to win hockey's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup". Stuff. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "HAYWARD Leon". tms.fih.ch. International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  12. ↑ "Exciting youngsters named in Olympic hockey squads". blacksticksnz.co.nz. Hockey New Zealand. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  13. ↑ https://olympics.com/en/athletes/leon-hayward
  14. ↑ https://olympics.com/en/news/all-squads-at-the-2023-mens-hockey-world-cup
  15. ↑ "Team Details New Zealand". tms.fih.ch. International Hockey Federation. p. 8. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Ganesan, Uthra (22 January 2023). "Hockey World Cup | India tumbles out after a dramatic shoot-out against New Zealand". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "IND vs NZ, Hockey World Cup 2023: New Zealand defeat India in a penalty shootout, will face Belgium next in the QFs". The Indian Express. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Meet Leon Hayward- A chartered accountant who knocked India out of FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023". DNA India. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  19. ↑ "India Vs New Zealand Highlights Hockey World Cup 2023: Heartbreak for IND, eliminated after losing to NZ in sudden death". Hindustan Times. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  20. ↑ Prasad, Aashin (23 January 2023). "Hockey World Cup 2023: Chartered accountant Leon Hayward, who plays in 'spare time', knocks India out". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
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