From youngster Akkerman to veteran Menini: all the stats from the 24 squads

Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse Women

Akkerman just seventeen
Yara Akkerman is the youngest player in the Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse at the start of the league. The Amsterdam forward, who joined from HDM, celebrated her seventeenth birthday on Thursday (24 September), three days before her team kick off the season at home against Oranje-ROOD.

Akkerman is one of four 17-year-olds across the twelve squads. Lotte Ruts (SCHC), Roos Alkemade (Amsterdam) and Sofie Tonino (Oranje-Rood) are also still 17 at the start of the competition.

Top five youngest players at the start of the league season

• Yara Akkerman (Amsterdam): 17 years and 3 days
• Lotte Ruts (SCHC): 17 years and 263 days
• Roos Alkemade (Amsterdam): 17 years and 345 days
• Sofie Tonino (Oranje-Rood): 17 years and 349 days
• Leoniek Vercauteren (Kampong): 18 years and 82 days

In total, the teams comprise 45 teenagers. HGC has the most young players in its squad, with eight teenagers. The club from Wassenaar also has the most players under the age of 21: ten.

Experience gained at Den Bosch
At the other end of the age spectrum is Laura Nunnink. The Den Bosch midfielder, back after more than a year out with a serious knee injury, is 31 years and 244 days old at the start of the season, making her the oldest player in the Hoofdklasse this season.

The experience is clearly concentrated at Den Bosch. The second and third-placed players on the age list, Maartje Krekelaar and Josine Koning, also play for the reigning national champions. Sanne Koolen is the fourth player in her thirties in the Den Bosch squad.

Top five oldest players at the start of the league season

• Laura Nunnink (Den Bosch): 31 years and 244 days
• Maartje Krekelaar (Den Bosch): 31 years and 83 days
• Josine Koning (Den Bosch): 31 years and 25 days
• Anne Veenendaal (Amsterdam): 31 years and 20 days
• Myrthe van Kesteren (Rotterdam): 30 years and 224 days

Of the nine players in their thirties in this season’s squad, four play for Den Bosch. Amsterdam, HDM, Hurley, Rotterdam and SCHC each have one player in their thirties. At Bloemendaal, Kampong, Pinoké and Victoria, no one has reached the age of thirty.

Den Bosch has the oldest squad on average
It will therefore come as no surprise that Den Bosch has the oldest squad. The average age of the 21 Den Bosch players is 25.81 years. HGC has the youngest squad at 22.35 years, followed by Oranje-Rood (23.13 years) and Kampong (23.26 years).

Amsterdam boasts a striking mix of youthful talent and international experience. The team features five teenagers, including the league’s youngest player, whilst also counting ten international players among its ranks. There is an age difference of over fourteen years between veteran Anne Veenendaal and Yara Akkerman.

Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse Men

Schoofs is the youngest player
The title of youngest player in the Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse goes to Olivier Schoofs this season. The Den Bosch player is 18 years and 25 days old at the start of the league season.

Arnoud Raymakers of Schaerweijde is just eight days behind. Pelle de Ruiter of Tilburg completes the top three at 18 years and 86 days.

Top five youngest players at the start of the season

• Olivier Schoofs (Den Bosch): 18 years and 25 days
• Arnoud Raymakers (Schaerweijde): 18 years and 33 days
• Pelle de Ruiter (Tilburg): 18 years and 86 days
• Marijn van Staa (Den Bosch): 18 years and 88 days
• Ian van Beurden (Klein Zwitserland): 18 years and 100 days

In total, there are 37 teenagers on the official squad lists. Tilburg and HDM have the most young players in the group, with six teenagers each. HDM also has eight players who will be under 21 at the start of the season.

Menini the oldest
Joaquín Menini can call himself the oldest player in the Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse this season. The Argentine-Spanish player from Rotterdam will be 35 years and 40 days old on the first round.

Belgian Florent van Aubel follows in second place. The Pinoké forward will be 34 years and 337 days old at that time. Oranje-Rood goalkeeper Tomás Santiago is in third place at 34 years and 104 days.

Top five oldest players at the start of the season

• Joaquín Menini (Rotterdam): 35 years and 40 days
• Florent van Aubel (Pinoké): 34 years and 337 days
• Tomás Santiago (Oranje-Rood): 34 years and 104 days
• Stijn Draaijer (Schaerweijde): 32 years and 165 days
• Aki Käppeler (Klein Zwitserland): 32 years and 79 days

Young Tilburg, experienced Rotterdam
Tilburg starts the season with the youngest squad. The average age is 22.14 years. HDM follows with 23.25 years, whilst Schaerweijde is in third place with 23.55 years.

Rotterdam has the oldest squad, with an average age of 25.59 years. Den Bosch follows with an average of 25.21 years. The difference between the youngest and oldest squads averages just over 2.8 years.

At Rotterdam, there is also a significant age gap within the squad. There is a difference of almost seventeen years between the oldest player, Joaquín Menini, and the youngest players, Floris Rap and Jack Buddingh. Incidentally, Rap and Buddingh were born on exactly the same day: 6 June 2008.

52 foreign players
The Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse Men has 52 foreign players this season. Germany and Spain provide the largest foreign contingents, with nine players each. They are followed by Belgium with seven, Argentina with seven and England with five players.

Oranje-Rood and Klein Zwitserland have the most international squads, with ten and nine foreign players respectively, followed by Pinoké with seven. Tilburg is the only team with exclusively Dutch players.

For the purposes of this report, players listed as ‘on-call’ on the squads have been excluded. These are mostly players who have recently retired from top-flight hockey but could make a comeback in an emergency.

View the complete overview of the Hoofdklasse players for the 2026/2027 season here.