England beat New Zealand 2-1 to win the Women’s Over 35s Hockey World Cup, completing a dominant unbeaten campaign in which they scored 35 goals and conceded just two.

The King’s School Canterbury’s Assistant Director of Sport, Sarah Kerly, played a leading role in England’s success, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer after helping her side win all seven matches.

England made their intentions clear from the opening game, beating France 10-0 as Kerly scored a hat-trick. They followed that performance with victories over Scotland (2-0) and the USA (4-0) before producing another attacking display to defeat Belgium 10-1 and finish top of Pool A.

Kerly continued to influence the tournament throughout the group stage, scoring against Scotland, the USA and Belgium, as England combined attacking quality with defensive discipline. They scored 26 goals across the four pool matches while conceding just once.

England carried their momentum into the knockout stages, beating Scotland 6-0 in the quarter-finals before edging past the Netherlands 1-0 in the semi-finals. A resilient defensive display against the Dutch set up a final meeting with New Zealand.

New Zealand provided England with their toughest challenge of the tournament, but England held their composure to secure a 2-1 victory and lift the World Cup trophy.

Kerly scored in five of England’s seven matches, finding the net eight times during the tournament, including her opening-day hat-trick against France, two goals against Belgium and further strikes against Scotland, the USA and Scotland in the quarter-final.

England’s unbeaten run showcased their quality at both ends of the pitch, with their attacking firepower matched by a defence that conceded just two goals across the entire competition.

For Kerly, the tournament marked a remarkable individual achievement, with her goalscoring performances helping England secure the world title and earning her recognition as the competition’s leading scorer.