The Men's Hoofdklasse Hockey, currently known as the Tulp Hoofdklasse Men for sponsorship reasons, is the men's top division of field hockey in the Netherlands. The league ranks first in the European league ranking table. The league was established in 1973, and before the league existed the champions of the several district played in a championship pool to determine the national champion.
Rotterdam are the current champions, having won the 2025–26 season by defeating Amsterdam in the championship final. Amsterdam and Bloemendaal have the most titles with 22 each.
Format The season starts in August or September each year and is interrupted by the indoor hockey season from November to February. The outdoor season resumes from March. The league is played by twelve teams who play each other twice, competing for four spots in the championship play-offs. The number one and four and the number two and three play each other in the semi-finals and the winners qualify for the final where the winner will be crowned champion. Each semi-final and the final consist of two-leg matches, with the winner determined by the highest aggregate score over both home and away games. The last placed team is relegated to the second division, the Promotieklasse. The eleventh-placed team plays in a relegation play-off against the runners-up of the Promotieklasse and the tenth-placed team plays a relegation play-off against the third-placed from the Promotieklasse. The winners of these matches will play the next season in the Hoofdklasse.
Teams
Accommodation and locations Team Location Province Accommodation Amsterdam Amstelveen Wagener Stadium Bloemendaal Bloemendaal Sportpark 't Kopje Den Bosch 's-Hertogenbosch Sportpark Oosterplas HDM The Hague Sportpark Duinzigt Kampong Utrecht De Klapperboom Klein Zwitserland The Hague Sportpark Klein Zwitserland Oranje-Rood Eindhoven Sportpark Aalsterweg Pinoké Amstelveen Amsterdamse Bos Rotterdam Rotterdam Hazelaarweg StadionSCHC Bilthoven Sportpark Kees Boekelaan Schaerweijde Zeist Sportpark Krakelingsweg HC Tilburg Tilburg Sportpark Oude Warande
List of champions National champions (1897–1973) No. Season Champions Runners-up 1 1898–99 Haagsche HBC (1) Haarlemsche HBC (1) 2 1899–1900 Haarlemsche HBC (1) Haagsche HBC (1) 3 1900–01 Haagsche HBC (2) Haarlemsche HBC (2)– 1901–02 Not held 4 1902–03 Haarlemsche HBC (2) HMHC (1) 5 1903–04 HMHC (1) Haarlemsche HBC (3) 6 1904–05 Haarlemsche HBC (3) HMHC (2) 7 1905–06 HMHC (2) Amsterdam (1) 8 1906–07 HVV (1) Amsterdam (2) 9 1907–08 ODIS (1) HHV (1) 10 1908–09 HVV (2) Amsterdam (3) 11 1909–10 De Musschen (1) HHV (2) 12 1910–11 De Musschen (2) HHV (3) 13 1911–12 De Musschen (3) TOGO (1) 14 1912–13 TOGO (1) De Musschen (1) 15 1913–14 TOGO (2) Hilversum (1) – 1914–15 Not held 16 1915–16 TOGO (3) HOC (1) 17 1916–17 TOGO (4) Amsterdam (4) 18 1917–18 TOGO (5) Bloemendaal (1) 19 1918–19 Bloemendaal (1) HDM (1) 20 1919–20 Bloemendaal (2) HOC (2) 21 1920–21 Bloemendaal (3) TOGO (2) 22 1921–22 Bloemendaal (4) Bloemendaal (2) 23 1922–23 Bloemendaal (5) HDM (2) No. Season Champions Runners-up 24 1923–24 HDM (1) Bloemendaal (3) 25 1924–25 Amsterdam (1) Bloemendaal (4) 26 1925–26 Amsterdam (2) Deventer (1) 27 1926–27 Amsterdam (3) Deventer (2) 28 1927–28 Amsterdam (4) Deventer (3) 29 1928–29 Amsterdam (5) Deventer (4) 30 1929–30 HDM (2) Deventer (5) 31 1930–31 HDM (3) Deventer (6) 32 1931–32 Amsterdam (6) PW (1) 33 1932–33 Amsterdam (7) Deventer (7) 34 1933–34 Amsterdam (8) PW (2) 35 1934–35 HDM (4) Breda (1) 36 1935–36 HDM (5) PW (3) 37 1936–37 Amsterdam (9) Breda (2) 38 1937–38 BMHC (1) Breda (3) 39 1938–39 Venlo (1) Gooi (1) – 1939–40 Not held 40 1940–41 HDM (6) Venlo (1) 41 1941–42 HDM (7) & Venlo (2) 42 1942–43 Venlo (3) HDM (3) 43 1943–44 Hilversum (1) PW (4) – 1944–45 Not held 44 1945–46 Venlo (4) HDM (4) – 1946–47 Not held 45 1947–48 HHIJC (1) Venlo (2) No. Season Champions Runners-up 46 1948–49 HHIJC (2) Venlo (3) 47 1949–50 Venlo (5) HHIJC (1) 48 1950–51 HHIJC (3) Venlo (4) 49 1951–52 HHIJC (4) Venlo (5) 50 1952–53 Venlo (6) HHIJC (2) 51 1953–54 TOGO (6) Venlo (6) 52 1954–55 Venlo (7) HHIJC (3) 53 1955–56 Laren (1) DKS (1) 54 1956–57 TOGO (7) HTCC (1) 55 1957–58 DSHC (1) Venlo (7) 56 1958–59 SCHC (1) Venlo (8) 57 1959–60 Tilburg (1) Laren (1) 58 1960–61 Laren (2) Venlo (9) 59 1961–62 Amsterdam (10) EMHC (1) – 1962–63 Not held 60 1963–64 Amsterdam (11) PW (5) 61 1964–65 Amsterdam (12) HTCC (2) 62 1965–66 Amsterdam (13) Hattem (1) 63 1966–67 Venlo (8) Kampong (1) 64 1967–68 Kampong (1) HTCC (3) 65 1968–69 Laren (3) Venlo (10) 66 1969–70 Tilburg (2) HTCC (4) 67 1970–71 HTCC (1) HGC (1) 68 1971–72 Kampong (2) HHIJC (4) 69 1972–73 Kampong (3) HTCC (5)
Hoofdklasse era (1973–present) SeasonChampionsRunners-upTop goalscorer (Club)Goals 1973–74 Kampong (4) Amsterdam (5) Paul Litjens (Kampong) Patty Mundt (Hattem) 20 1974–75 Amsterdam (14) Klein Zwitserland (1) Paul Litjens (Kampong) 28 1975–76 Kampong (5) Klein Zwitserland (1) Paul Litjens (Kampong) 28 1976–77 Klein Zwitserland (1) Kampong (2) Paul Litjens (Kampong) 18 1977–78 Klein Zwitserland (2) HGC (2) Paul Litjens (Kampong) 26 1978–79 Klein Zwitserland (3) HGC (3) Paul Litjens (Kampong) 24 1979–80 Klein Zwitserland (4) Kampong (3) Paul Litjens (Kampong) 38 1980–81 Klein Zwitserland (5) HGC (4) Ties Kruize (Klein Zwitserland) 57 1981–82 Klein Zwitserland (6) Kampong (4) Ties Kruize (Klein Zwitserland) 42 1982–83 Klein Zwitserland (7) Amsterdam (6) Ties Kruize (Klein Zwitserland) Hidde Kruize (Klein Zwitserland) 26 1983–84 Klein Zwitserland (8) Amsterdam (7) Maarten van Grimbergen (Klein Zwitserland) 25 1984–85 Kampong (6) Bloemendaal (5) Rick Volkers (Kampong) 21 1985–86 Bloemendaal (6) Kampong (5) Patrick Faber (Amsterdam) 25 1986–87 Bloemendaal (7) HGC (5) Floris Jan Bovelander (Bloemendaal) 27 1987–88 Bloemendaal (8) HGC (6) Floris Jan Bovelander (Bloemendaal) 25 1988–89 Bloemendaal (9) Amsterdam (8) Floris Jan Bovelander (Bloemendaal) 36 1989–90 HGC (1) Kampong (6) Floris Jan Bovelander (Bloemendaal) 24 1990–91 Bloemendaal (10) HGC (7) Floris Jan Bovelander (Bloemendaal) 32 1991–92 HDM (8) Bloemendaal (6) Gijs Weterings (HGC) 28 1992–93 Bloemendaal (11) HGC (8) Taco van den Honert (Amsterdam) 27 1993–94 Amsterdam (15) Bloemendaal (7) Floris Jan Bovelander (Bloemendaal) 28 1994–95 Amsterdam (16) HDM (5) Taco van den Honert (Amsterdam) 42 1995–96 HGC (2) Bloemendaal (8) Bram Lomans (HGC) 26 1996–97 Amsterdam (17) Den Bosch (1) Bram Lomans (HGC) 33 1997–98 Den Bosch (1) Amsterdam (9) Bram Lomans (HGC) Piet-Hein Geeris (Den Bosch) Richard de Snaijer (HDM) 29 1998–99 Bloemendaal (12) Oranje Zwart (1) Bram Lomans (HGC) 29 1999–2000 Bloemendaal (13) Den Bosch (2) Paul Robert Lankhout (Kampong) 31 2000–01 Den Bosch (2) Oranje Zwart (2) Teun de Nooijer (Bloemendaal) 24 2001–02 Bloemendaal (14) Amsterdam (10) Sander Dreesmann (Klein Zwitserland) 24 2002–03 Amsterdam (18) Oranje Zwart (3) Taeke Taekema (Klein Zwitserland) 33 2003–04 Amsterdam (19) Bloemendaal (9) David Mathews (Amsterdam) 34 2004–05 Oranje Zwart (1) Bloemendaal (10) Roderick Weusthof (SCHC) 27 2005–06 Bloemendaal (15) Amsterdam (11) Roderick Weusthof (SCHC) 34 2006–07 Bloemendaal (16) HGC (9) Christopher Zeller (Bloemendaal) 47 2007–08 Bloemendaal (17) Amsterdam (12) Taeke Taekema (Amsterdam) 43 2008–09 Bloemendaal (18) Amsterdam (13) Roderick Weusthof (SCHC) 34 2009–10 Bloemendaal (19) HGC (10) Ashley Jackson (HGC) 29 2010–11 Amsterdam (20) Bloemendaal (11) Taeke Taekema (Amsterdam) 27 2011–12 Amsterdam (21) Rotterdam (1) Roderick Weusthof (Rotterdam) 34 2012–13 Rotterdam (1) Oranje Zwart (4) Jeroen Hertzberger (Rotterdam) 26 2013–14 Oranje Zwart (2) Bloemendaal (12) Mink van der Weerden (Oranje Zwart) 36 2014–15 Oranje Zwart (3) Kampong (7) Justin Reid-Ross (Amsterdam) 34 2015–16 Oranje Zwart (4) Amsterdam (14) Gonzalo Peillat (HGC) 33 2016–17 Kampong (7) Rotterdam (2) Jeroen Hertzberger (Rotterdam) 28 2017–18 Kampong (8) Amsterdam (15) Jeroen Hertzberger (Rotterdam) 28 2018–19 Bloemendaal (20) Kampong (8) Jeroen Hertzberger (Rotterdam) 23 2019–20 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. Tim Swaen (Bloemendaal) 18 2020–21 Bloemendaal (21) Kampong (9) Alexander Hendrickx (Pinoké) 21 2021–22 Bloemendaal (22) Pinoké (1) Alexander Hendrickx (Pinoké) 25 2022–23 Pinoké (1) Bloemendaal (13) Jeroen Hertzberger (Rotterdam) 32 2023–24 Kampong (9) Rotterdam (3) Jip Janssen (Kampong) 24 2024–25 Amsterdam (22) Kampong (10) Timo Boers (Den Bosch) 28 2025–26 Rotterdam (2) Amsterdam (16) Timo Boers (Den Bosch) 31
Champions By club ClubChampionshipsSeasons wonAmsterdam22161924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1936–37, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1974–75, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2024–25Bloemendaal131918–19, 1919–20, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22Kampong9101967–68, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1984–85, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023-24Venlo8101938–39, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1966–67HDM51923–24, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1991–92Klein Zwitserland21976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84TOGO721912–13, 1913–14, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18, 1953–54, 1956–57Oranje Zwart442004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16HHIJC41947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52Haarlemsche HBC331899–1900, 1902–03, 1904–05Laren11955–56, 1960–61, 1968–69De Musschen11909–10, 1910–11, 1911–12HGC2101989–90, 1995–96HHV31906–07, 1908–09Rotterdam32012–13, 2025–26Den Bosch21997–98, 2000–01HMHC21903–04, 1905–06Haagsche HBC11898–99, 1900–01Tilburg01959–60, 1969–70HTCC151970–71Hilversum11943–44Pinoké12022–23SCHC01958–59DSHC01957–58BMHC01937–38ODIS01907–08Deventer07PW5Breda3HOC2DKS1EMHC1Gooi1Hattem1
By province ProvinceChampionshipsRunners-upWinning clubs5638Bloemendaal (22), Amsterdam (22), Haarlemsche HBC (3), Laren (3), De Musschen (3), Hilversum (1), Pinoké (1), BMHC (1)3934HDM (8), Klein Zwitserland (8), TOGO (7), HHIJC (4), HGC (2), HHV (2), HMHC (2), Haagsche HBC (2), Rotterdam (2), DSHC (1), ODIS (1)1010Kampong (9), SCHC (1)915Oranje Zwart (4), Den Bosch (2), Tilburg (2), HTCC (1)810Venlo (8)0131
Media coverage Since 2015, almost every Sunday, one match from either the men's or the women's league is broadcast live by either Ziggo Sport or the NOS.
The 2025 finals were streamed live on the Tulp Hoofdklasse YouTube channel.
See also Women's Hoofdklasse Hockey
References