New Zealand national softball team | |
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Information | |
Country | New Zealand |
Federation | Softball New Zealand |
Confederation | WBSC Oceania |
Manager | Thomas Makea |
WBSC World Rank | 7 (26 April 2023)[1] |
Men's Softball World Cup | |
Appearances | 17 (First in 1966) |
Best result | 1st (7 times, most recent in 2017) |
The New Zealand men's national softball team (nicknamed the Black Sox/Black Socks) is the national softball team for New Zealand.[2] They have won the ISF Men's World Championship seven times, becoming World Champions in 1976 (1st = with US and Canada), 1984, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2013 and 2017.[3] They also won the inaugural Commonwealth Championships (a round robin tournament between New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, South Africa and Botswana) in 2006.[4] The "Black Sox" name is one of many national team nicknames related to the All Blacks as well as to famous "Sox" baseball teams. The female team is known as the White Sox
On 16 July 2017, New Zealand (Black Sox) defeated Australia (Aussie Steelers), six runs to four in the final of the 2017 ISF Men's World Championship held in Canada.