Australian media has questioned the bravery of the Kiwi women's hockey team, implying players were "soft" after several players wore facemasks during a game at the Rio Olympics. The Daily Mail Australia asked if "this [was] the moment hockey went soft?" Wearing facemasks for protection is common in field hockey during penalty corners, when all teams use them. The masks were worn as Germany took a penalty corner, where they scored the game-clinching goal. The team also took to social media to voice their disapproval of the claim, tweeting that the story was "one of the most ignorant and unbalanced" of the Games.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 10, 2016 02:03 UTC