# Men's Hoofdklasse Hockey

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.
Kampong are the current champions, having won the 2023–24 season by defeating Rotterdam in the championship final. Bloemendaal has the most titles with 22, followed by Amsterdam with 21.

## 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 | North Holland | Wagener Stadium |
| Bloemendaal | Bloemendaal | North Holland | Sportpark 't Kopje |
| Den Bosch | 's-Hertogenbosch | North Brabant | Sportpark Oosterplas |
| HDM | The Hague | South Holland | Sportpark Duinzigt |
| Hurley | Amstelveen | North Holland | Amsterdamse Bos |
| Kampong | Utrecht | Utrecht | De Klapperboom |
| Klein Zwitserland | The Hague | South Holland | Sportpark Klein Zwitserland |
| Nijmegen | Nijmegen | Gelderland | Radboud Sportcentrum |
| Oranje-Rood | Eindhoven | North Brabant | Sportpark Aalsterweg |
| Pinoké | Amstelveen | North Holland | Amsterdamse Bos |
| Rotterdam | Rotterdam | South Holland | Hazelaarweg Stadion |
| SCHC | Bilthoven | Utrecht | Sportpark Kees Broekelaan |

## 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Not held |
| 44 | 1945–46 | Venlo (4) | HDM (4) |
| – | 1946–47 | Not held | 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 | 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)

| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Top 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. | 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 | | | | |

## Champions
### By club

| Club | Championships | Runners-up | Seasons won |
| Bloemendaal | 22 | 13 | 1918–19, 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, 2021–22 |
| Amsterdam | 21 | 15 | 1924–25, 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 |
| Kampong | 9 | 9 | 1967–68, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1984–85, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023-24 |
| Venlo | 8 | 10 | 1938–39, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1966–67 |
| HDM | 8 | 5 | 1923–24, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1991–92 |
| Klein Zwitserland | 8 | 2 | 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 |
| TOGO | 7 | 2 | 1912–13, 1913–14, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18, 1953–54, 1956–57 |
| Oranje Zwart | 4 | 4 | 2004–05, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16 |
| HHIJC | 4 | 4 | 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52 |
| Haarlemsche HBC | 3 | 3 | 1899–1900, 1902–03, 1904–05 |
| Laren | 3 | 1 | 1955–56, 1960–61, 1968–69 |
| De Musschen | 3 | 1 | 1909–10, 1910–11, 1911–12 |
| HGC | 2 | 10 | 1989–90, 1995–96 |
| HHV | 2 | 3 | 1906–07, 1908–09 |
| Den Bosch | 2 | 2 | 1997–98, 2000–01 |
| HMHC | 2 | 2 | 1903–04, 1905–06 |
| Haagsche HBC | 2 | 1 | 1898–99, 1900–01 |
| Tilburg | 2 | 0 | 1959–60, 1969–70 |
| HTCC | 1 | 5 | 1970–71 |
| Rotterdam | 1 | 3 | 2012–13 |
| Hilversum | 1 | 1 | 1943–44 |
| Pinoké | 1 | 1 | 2022–23 |
| SCHC | 1 | 0 | 1958–59 |
| DSHC | 1 | 0 | 1957–58 |
| BMHC | 1 | 0 | 1937–38 |
| ODIS | 1 | 0 | 1907–08 |
| Deventer | 0 | 7 | |
| PW | 0 | 5 | |
| Breda | 0 | 3 | |
| HOC | 0 | 2 | |
| DKS | 0 | 1 | |
| EMHC | 0 | 1 | |
| Gooi | 0 | 1 | |
| Hattem | 0 | 1 | |

### By province

| Province | Championships | Runners-up | Winning clubs |
| North Holland | 54 | 37 | Bloemendaal (22), Amsterdam (21), Haarlemsche HBC (3), Laren (3), De Musschen (3), Hilversum (1), Pinoké (1), BMHC (1) |
| South Holland | 38 | 34 | HDM (8), Klein Zwitserland (8), TOGO (7), HHIJC (4), HGC (2), HHV (2), HMHC (2), Haagsche HBC (2), Rotterdam (1), DSHC (1), ODIS (1) |
| Utrecht | 10 | 9 | Kampong (9), SCHC (1) |
| North Brabant | 9 | 15 | Oranje Zwart (4), Den Bosch (2), Tilburg (2), HTCC (1) |
| Limburg | 8 | 10 | Venlo (8) |
| Overijssel | 0 | 13 | |
| Gelderland | 0 | 1 | |

## 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.