News for 07 February 2018
All the news for Wednesday 7 February 2018
FIH reveals 2019 Hockey Pro League schedule
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has revealed the full schedule for the inaugural season of the Hockey Pro League which begins on 19 January 2019.
152 matches have been scheduled between January and June across the world as part of this new game-changing competition.
Nine women’s and nine men’s teams will be competing for the Hockey Pro League title, playing eight home and eight away matches throughout the first six months of every year. The top four teams will then compete to determine the winner in a Grand Final later in June.
Spain men will get things underway as they host Rio 2016 and EuroHockey Championship silver medallists Belgium in the opening match of the Hockey Pro League.
A busy schedule then follows, with the majority of early matches played in the southern hemisphere.
As one of the early season highlights, Argentina women will be eagerly anticipating the arrival of reigning Hockey World Cup and World League champions Netherlands as the EuroHockey title winners head south to take on Las Leonas on 24 February.
Shortly afterwards the spotlight turns to Australia as their men and women challenge Oceania rivals New Zealand for continental bragging rights over the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend – 17 March. The teams return matches then take place in New Zealand on Anzac Day – 25 April.
Another continental duel sure to get fans buzzing will be Argentina women’s visit to the USA. The Pan American rivals, who have taken wins against each other in recent months, go head to head on 12 May.
The teams then follow the summer by returning to the northern hemisphere. An exciting end to the League awaits as nations compete to finish in the top four to guarantee qualification for the Grand Final.
"Fans can now lock dates into their diary to ensure they don’t miss any of the world’s top nations visiting their home turf."
Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, FIH President
With Pakistan men playing in Glasgow, Scotland, their match against Great Britain on 25 May is bound capture the imagination of fans. A large local Pakistani crowd will be looking forward to the friendly rivalry with their British opponents as they aim to defend their home turf in one of Great Britain’s most multi-cultured cities.
European neighbours Germany and Netherlands men always provide lots of goals and drama, and in the Hockey Pro League nothing less can be expected. Whilst Netherlands fans will be looking forward to backing their team in their homeland on 5 March, Germany will be aiming for victory against the European champions on their turf on 26 April.
In what will be a unique, double-header weekend, due to their proximity - Belgium men and women will play at home to Netherlands on the Saturday before replaying the match the following day in the Netherlands over the weekend of 8 and 9 June.
Another highlight in the women’s competition will be the game between continental rivals Great Britain and Netherlands in what will be a rematch of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games final. As the world’s number one ranked team, the Dutch will look to gain psychological advantage from their first encounter against the Olympic champions at their home turf on 1 June, before heading to Great Britain on 15 June.
Similarly, Argentina and Belgium men also have an ongoing rivalry following their Rio 2016 Olympic Games gold medal match. On that occasion Argentina men emerged victorious therefore Belgium will be wanting to turn the tables in what will be a dramatic end to their season on 23 June – the very last day of League competition.
Speaking about this announcement, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said: “We’re delighted to publish this schedule as the world can now visualise the scale of this new global home and away league. Organising such a complex timetable involving a number of stakeholders took some time but it was refreshing to witness to amount of collaborative working throughout the process by both participating teams and broadcasters.”
He continued: “This announcement means that fans can now lock dates into their diary to ensure they don’t miss any of the world’s top nations visiting their home turf. It also allows both our participating nations and FIH to really push on with the development of this competition as we look to finalise broadcast and commercial partnerships across the world over the coming months ahead of next January’s launch.”
For the full Hockey Pro League schedule, please click here.
For further information about the Hockey Pro League, visit the Q&A section on the FIH website by clicking here.
Note that the schedule provided is subject to change depending on changes requested by broadcasters and participating teams.
Grand Final: 144 matches will take place as part of the League stage. A further eight matches will then take place at the Grand Final. This will take place in the Netherlands in June 2019 on dates yet to be confirmed. FIH will issue a press release once dates and a venue have been approved.
#HPL2019
FIH site
Spain Seal Victory In Opening Fixture Of Series
Spain very nearly opened the scoring inside the first 90 seconds when a goal mouth scramble from their first penalty corner saw the ball go in but the umpire disallowed it much to Ireland’s relief. But in the third minute Lucia Jimenez swept home from close range to give the hosts the lead. Katie Mullan and Kate Lloyd linked up nicely down the right side and into the circle to earn the Green Army a corner of their own but the defence were out quick to smother Roisin Upton’s shot and send it wide. Grace O’Flanagan was called upon at the other end as the Spanish earned another PC but she made a smart low save. The lead was doubled by Berta Bonastre in the 10th minute as she slotted home from close range following a darting run along the baseline into the circle. O’Flanagan was again forced into another reflex save as Bonastre’s close range shot bounced high and looked destined for the net before O’Flanagan flicked it away with her stick. Chloe Brown won Ireland’s second short corner as she spun the ball into her marker but again the Spanish were out to deal with the danger. Brown very nearly got the Irish on the score board on the cusp of half time following a first time pass from Lloyd but the close range shot was well saved.
The Green Army came out stronger in the second half, commanding more of the possession with Deidre Duke and Lloyd gliding into the circle to draw the save from Melanie Garcia. Berta Bonastre got her second goal courtesy of a stroke high into the right corner following a shot stopped on the line by an Irish body. Shirley McCay and Lena Tice were directing passes through the heart of the Spanish mid field but the Spanish defence, fresh off 3 impressive draws against world number 5 Australia, were alert to the danger. Naomi Carroll continued with the Irish effort on her 100th cap and Zoe Wilson was dispossessed by 3 defenders moments before she could release her shot. But the Spanish put the game to rest with 4 goals in the final quarter with Begona Garcia scoring twice on her reverse, Lola Riera with a powerful PC drag flick and a well worked field goal from Maialen Garcia in the final minute.
The second game of the series takes place on Thursday at 12pm (Irish time).
Ireland 0
Spain 7 (Jimenez, Bonastre x2, B Garcia x2, Riera, M Garcia)
Starting: G O’Flanagan, Z Wilson, L Tice, S McCay, L Colvin, R Upton, G Pinder, K Mullan, N Carroll, N Evans, K Lloyd
Subs: C Cassin, H Matthews, Y O’Byrne, A Meeke, E Beatty, C Brown, D Duke
Match Details vs Spain in CHP Benalmadena:
February 6th at 4:30pm Ireland 7 vs 0 Spain
February 8th at 1pm Ireland vs Spain
February 10th 1pm Ireland vs Spain
February 11th 12pm Ireland vs Spain
*All times listed are local
Irish Hockey Association media release
Star turn but Van Doren and Merino look to future success
Arthur van Doren and Delfina Merino. Credit: FIH / World Sport Pics
Delfino Merino of Argentina and Arthur van Doren of Belgium both enjoyed a great 2017 season.
For Van Doren, the year included a silver medal at the EuroHockey Championships in Amsterdam and a first place finish at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Johannesburg, where the defender was voted Young Player of the Tournament.
For Merino, a gold medal at the Pan American Cup was the highlight of the year but the incredibly skilled forward was also joint top scorer at the Hockey World League Final in Auckland and received player of the match votes on numerous occasions as she led her team from the front.
However, both Merino and Van Doren have something else in common, they are both seeking a big win on the global hockey stage. For Merino, Argentina is still a team that is rebuilding after some high profile retirements, most notably Luciana Aymar and Carla Rebecchi. A fifth place finish at the Sentinel Homes Hockey World League Final in Auckland was way off their best and they also slipped down the FIH Hero World Rankings from second to third in the world. Merino is determined her team will be ready for the challenge in London later this year.
"As a team I think we grew throughout 2017", said 28-year-old Merino. "At the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Johannesburg we were okay but we were much better at the Hockey World League Final in Auckland. Even though we finished fifth I think we did a really good job as a team, so I’m really looking forward to the coming year with Las Leonas. The World Cup is a really big event and it is going to be tough because every team trains hard to be successful there, but we will fight really hard to win that title."
Belgium have made huge strides forwards as they have moved up the rankings and regularly find themselves on the podium but, while a string of silver medals is pleasing, the colour the Red Lions most crave is gold. Van Doren is delighted to have won both the Player of the Year award and the Rising Star Award, for the second time, proclaiming: “I really didn’t see this one coming, especially because of the fact that the other nominees are such talented athletes.”
But while Merino and Van Doren are celebrating a good 2017 from a personal point of view, both athletes are determined their teams will enjoy on an even better 2018.
#HockeyStarsAwards
FIH site
Van Doren’s double delight at FIH awards
©: Fih/getty Images
KHC Dragons Arthur van Doren received a massive double prize last night at the 2017 Hockey Stars Awards at stilwerk in Berlin, Germany.
The Belgian defender – who was the EHL FINAL4 ambassador last June – was named both Male Player of the Year and Rising Star of the Year, the latter for the second year in a row.
Van Doren was not the only star to build on last year’s success. Argentina’s Maria Jose Granatto won the Female Rising Star of the Year for the second consecutive year after picking up the same award in India just over 12 months ago while Delfina Merino was the Female Player of the Year.
England and Great Britain’s Maddie Hinch was another to secure back to back success as she was named Female Goalkeeper of the Year while Vincent Vanasch added to Belgium's awards as he was voted Male Goalkeeper of the Year.
In addition to the athletes, awards were given to the best Coaches for 2017. Australian legend Alyson Annan won Female Coach of the Year as she led the Netherlands to both the Hockey World League and Rabobank EuroHockey Championship titles.
The Male Coach of the Year was split. Argentina’s Max Caldas, who steered Netherlands men to the Rabobank EuroHockey Championship trophy, and New Zealand’s Shane McLeod, who guided Belgium to a triumphant victory at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Johannesburg, South Africa, both shared this year’s award.
The world’s top officials were also recognised. Sarah Wilson from Scotland was voted by her peers as Female Umpire of the Year and South Africa’s John Wright, who retired after the Hockey World League Semi-Final in his homeland, won Male Umpire of the Year.
Whilst the Coach and Umpire awards were a result of a peer vote - the Player, Rising Star and Goalkeeper awards consisted of both a peer vote, which included fellow players and coaches, as well as a fan vote in which over 100,000 votes were received through the FIH website.
Euro Hockey League media release
SA's Wright named hockey umpire of the year
John Wright © Gallo Images
Northerns Cricket Union President, John Wright, has been named International Male Hockey Umpire of the Year for 2017.
Wright, who served as an international official between 1995 and 2017, received the prestigious award at the International Hockey Federation's 2017 Hockey Stars Awards, in Berlin, on Monday night.
Having announced his retirement at the end of last year, he receives the accolade after umpiring at the highest level for over two decades.
The 47-year-old is one of only four umpires to officiate in more than 200 matches, including three World Cup finals and five Olympics, including the Rio Olympic final in 2016.
Speaking at the awards, Wright said: "I am very pleased to receive the award and very grateful to all the hockey umpires who voted for me. It's a great way for me to end my career.
"I've had a wonderful 20-odd years of international umpiring. I've been able to travel the world. Hockey has been really great to me and I'm really appreciative of it."
Titans Cricket CEO Jacques Faul said: "On behalf of Northerns Cricket Union (NCU), I would like to congratulate John on a phenomenal achievement. The award is a culmination of his hard work and dedication, and to be internationally recognised as the best in his field is a huge accomplishment.
"At NCU we pride ourselves on sporting excellence and John, both in his capacity as President and a former match official, leads by example. He and his family should be immensely proud."
Wright has served as NCU President since 2013, and is currently Chairman of the Easterns Titans Cricket Board.
Supersport
Sarah Wilson wins FiH Female Umpire of the Year
Scottish Hockey umpire Sarah Wilson has been voted FiH Female Umpire of the Year.
It is a tremendous success for Sarah, and all at Scottish Hockey, to see recognition of her exceptional work as an umpire.
From umpiring at the Olympics, including the bronze medal match between Germany and New Zealand, to being promoted to the FIH top umpiring group – putting her in the top 16 umpires in the World. It’s been a time of great success for Wilson.
Sarah Wilson said, “I just feel incredibly humbled by being nominated and receiving this award. I really feel I receive this on behalf of all the girls on the FiH circuit because they work incredibly hard and give up a lot of time, so I feel like this is for them.
“There’s an incredibly busy year ahead; Commonwealth Games, World Cup – there’s so much to look forward to and I just can’t wait to get my teeth stuck into it, I’m really looking forward to the future.”
Scottish Hockey CEO David Sweetman said, “I’m delighted Sarah Wilson has been voted FiH Female Umpire of the Year. This is a fantastic achievement, and very well deserved. Sarah is a great role model for young umpires, and we wish her all the best success for a busy 2018 including the Commonwealth Games, Hockey World Cup, and Indoor World Cup.”
Scottish Hockey Union media release
New Zealander Shane McLeod shares World Hockey coach of the year award
Former Black Sticks coach Shane McLeod has been named coach of the year at the International Hockey Federation 2017 awards in Berlin. Michael Bradley
After coaching Belgium to victory at the Hockey World League semifinal in Johannesburg, McLeod shares the award with Netherland's coach Max Caldas, originally from Argentina.
McLeod is a former Black Stick himself and coached the side at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games before taking up a coaching opportunity with Belgium club Waterloo Ducks Hockey Club.
Kiwi Shane McLeod coaches the Begium Hockey team and is world coach of the year. Dianne Manson
Argentina's Delfina Merino was voted 2017 female player of the year while Belgium's Arthur Van Doren won both male player of the year and rising star of the year, the latter for the second year in a row.
Australian Alyson Annan won female coach of the year as she led the Netherlands to both the Hockey World League and Rabobank EuroHockey Championship titles.
The federation have also released the full schedule for the Hockey Pro League which begins next year.
The Black Sticks men will have home games against the Netherlands, Belgium, England, Germany, Pakistan, Spain, Argentina and Australia.
The Black Sticks women play at home the Netherlands, Belgium, England, Germany, China, USA, Argentina and Australia.
A total of 152 matches have been scheduled between January and June across the world as part of the new competition.
New Zealand's first taste of action at home comes on Sunday 27th January hosting a double header against Netherlands.
AT A GLANCE
Black Sticks at home 2019
Sunday 27th January
Black Sticks MEN vs Netherlands
Sticks WOMEN vs Netherlands
Friday 1st February
Black Sticks MEN vs Belgium
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Belgium
Sunday 10th February
Black Sticks MEN vs England
Black Sticks WOMEN vs England
Friday 15th February
Black Sticks MEN vs Germany
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Germany
Sunday 17th February
Black Sticks MEN vs Pakistan
Black Sticks WOMEN vs China
Friday 8th March
Black Sticks MEN vs Spain
Black Sticks WOMEN vs USA
Sunday 10th March
Black Sticks MEN vs Argentina
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Argentina
Thursday 25th April
Black Sticks MEN vs Australia
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Australia
Black Sticks away 2019
Sunday 17th March
Black Sticks MEN vs Australia
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Australia
Friday 22nd March
Black Sticks WOMEN vs China
Sunday 14th April
Black Sticks MEN vs Argentina
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Argentina
Saturday 1st June
Black Sticks WOMEN vs USA
Tuesday 4th June
Black Sticks MEN vs Netherlands
Sunday 9th June
Black Sticks MEN vs Germany
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Germany
Wednesday 12th June
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Netherlands
Friday 14th June
Black Sticks MEN vs Spain
Sunday 16th June
Black Sticks MEN vs Belgium
Black Sticks WOMEN vs Belgium
Friday 21st June
Black Sticks MEN vs Pakistan
Sunday 23rd June
Black Sticks MEN vs England
Black Sticks WOMEN vs England
Stuff
Batch Thrilled With Kookaburras’ Competition For Selection
Ben Somerford.jpg)
Kookaburras coach Colin Batch concedes selection for next month’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia is going to be fierce in a sign of things to come ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Australia enjoyed a tough four-match Test Series with the Netherlands which concluded with a 6-1 win at Perth Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
The Kookaburras are next in action at the Azlan Shah Cup which runs from Saturday 3 March to Saturday 10 March against hosts Malaysia, Rio Olympics gold medallists Argentina, England, India and the Republic of Ireland.
Click here to purchase Hockey tickets at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
The Kookaburras are expected to confirm the team for the Azlan Shah Cup early next week.
“Azlan Shah is always a very good tournament to play in,” Batch said.
“It’s challenging conditions. This year’s line-up with Argentina, England, Ireland, India and Malaysia is a very competitive one. We’re pleased to play those teams.
“We don’t play Ireland very often. We played Argentina in World League Four but it’s an opportunity against them. They’re a slightly different team again.
“It’s challenging coming up against different sides again. We’ve got the Asian teams, some European teams and a South American team.
“It’s really nice to get the opportunity to do that and it’ll be a tough tournament.”
Batch acknowledged the return from injury of Tom Craig, Trent Mitton and Flynn Ogilvie, who all missed the World League Final in December, along with strong performances of the likes of goalkeeper Andrew Charter along with relative newcomers Jake Harvie and Lachlan Sharp against the Dutch will make selection tough for the Malaysian trip.
“We want to keep progressing our group,” Batch said.
“Of course we’ve got to do selection for that and there will be some disappointed players.
“The competition for selection is very strong at the moment.”
Batch also reflected on the Netherlands Tests where the side edged the series on goal difference, after each side claimed one win along with two draws.
The Australia coach was delighted with the ability of players to step up, particularly given skipper Mark Knowles missed three games, having come down with illness ahead of the two Tests in Perth.
Batch said the side learned good lessons during the Test series, including closing out a game, having been 3-0 up against the Dutch in Game Three, only to draw 3-3.
Australia responded with a 6-1 win in the next match, closing out the game well after leading in similar circumstances in the third quarter.
“We weren’t happy with the way we finished some games at World League Four,” Batch said.
“We spoke about that even before the series started. We failed a few times but we keep learning from those situations, maybe it all came together on Saturday, I’m not sure.
“A lot of things worked for us on Saturday and the Dutch never gave up trying, but we had an answer.
“Being 3-0 up in the third game, Holland came back hard and levelled the score. We learned a lot from that. We tried to put some of that into place for the final game.”
Batch added he felt the opportunity to play the Dutch ahead of the Commonwealth Games, where the Kookaburras will chase a sixth straight gold medal, was ideal.
“We’re really pleased that Holland could come here and play the four test matches,” he said.
“We learned a lot right through the series and that’s the value of playing a quality side like Holland.
“Being 3-0 up in the third game, Holland came back hard and levelled the score. We learned a lot from that. We tried to put some of that into place for the final game.
“All the way through there’s some good lessons for us. We’re developing the team still.
“We’ve got a big year ahead of us. Azlan Shah is coming up soon, but there’s Commonwealth Games not too far away and we’re developing the group for that.
“We’ve got some exciting players, so we’re really pleased with the series. To finish on such a high note like we did on Saturday night is full marks to everyone.”
Kookaburras’ Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Fixtures:
Saturday 3 March 9pm AEDT - Australia v England
Sunday 4 March 11:30pm AEDT - Malaysia v Australia
Tuesday 6 March 9pm AEDT – India v Australia
Wednesday 7 March 7:05pm AEDT – Australia v Republic of Ireland
Friday 9 March 7:05pm AEDT – Argentina v Australia
Saturday 10 March TBC - Finals
Hockey Australia media release
NextGEN Team Departs for California Training Tour
Twenty-six athletes were selected in January to represent Canada as members of the NextGEN program. Roughly between the ages of 16-21, these players could potentially become Canada’s future Olympic hopefuls. They depart this week on a 10-day training tour to Chula Vista, California.
In addition to the 26 players, the team will also feature coaching staff representing three major hockey hubs in Canada: Alberta, Ontario and BC. Alongside national team coach, Steph Andrews, a number of assistant coaches will be working with the athletes on strategy, skill and structure. They include Andrea Gibson, Peter Taylor, Krista Thompson and Simone Brown.
According to Andrews, it makes a big difference to be able to bring coaching staff in from across the country to work with the young athletes.
“It’s great to have them coming in from the three major hubs,” she said. “It’s really good to have them working with the players. The coaches can also bring this experience back to their provincial programs.”
Although there will be no official international matches during this training tour, Andrews said the opportunity to tour and get 10 days of quality training together will prepare the team for hosting Chile in the summer.
The venue, Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Centre, is a state of the art training facility near San Diego, California. It is home to several US national sport federations and offers an elite training environment for athletes. The Chula Vista training centre is a common destination for touring and international teams of many sports.
The senior national team will join the NextGEN athletes in Chula Vista on February 13 and play a few test scrimmages against the NextGEN squad while the two teams overlap. Andrews said these scrimmages provide the opportunity for the young athletes to get a taste of the speed and skill of the senior international game.
“The players will get good exposure and experience with those games,” she said. “It sets some of the older NextGEN players up to potentially transition well into the senior team soon.”
According to Andrews, these kind of training tours have multiple goals and can offer valuable training opportunities for the young athletes.
“Not only will this help prepare them for their summer series against Chile, it will just be another great chance to work on skills and strategy,” she said. “And these are skills and tactics they can bring with them back to their daily training environment and forward with them in their career.”
Field Hockey Canada media release
Hockey Olympian Salman Akbar takes up coaching in Japan
Sohail Imran
Salman Akbar in his coaching role in Japan
Former Pakistan hockey captain and Olympian Salman Akbar has begun utilising his wealth of experience in a new coaching role in Japan.
In his latest stint as coach, the hockey veteran is training three goal-keepers at a hockey camp in the Japanese city of Nagoya, ahead of Japan’s participation in Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Oman later this year.
Salman Akbar at Japan hockey camp
Akbar is also conducting a coaching course at the camp, which is being attended by 13 trainers along with players.
Salman Akbar is training goal-keepers in Japan
The Asian Hockey Champions Trophy will be held in Muscat, Oman from October 18 to 28, 2018. Pakistan will be among the nations participating in the tournament.
Geo TV News
It ain’t over till it’s over
By Kng Zheng Guan
Way to go: UniKL players celebrating their win over Terengganu during the TNB Cup semi-final first leg match on Sunday.
PETALING JAYA: Let’s fight back like true champions.
With that clarion call, Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division champions Terengganu are ready to triple the effort to overcome a three-goal deficit against University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the TNB Cup semi-final second leg today.
UniKL won the first leg 4-1.
Though Terengganu, four-time TNB Cup winners, have their work cut out, coach Sarjit Singh believes his charges have the quality to prevail in the do-or-die clash at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
“My team didn’t play so well in the first leg because they were a little tired.
“They had a tough match against the KL Hockey Club (KLHC) earlier and the effects of that showed,” said Sarjit.
“Even KLHC didn’t do so well in the first leg of the semi-finals as they lost to Tenaga.
“I’m not too worried because I’m confident about the quality of the players I have.
“We must score as many goals as early as possible in order to gain the advantage.
“We must also earn more penalty corners, so that our penalty corner specialist Gonzalo (Peillat) can play his part.
Argentine Peillat has been on fire with 13 goals in the MHL.
Besides the 25-year-old Peillat, Terengganu can also rely on their brother act Faizal and Fitri Saari.
The 27-year-old Faizal also has a knack for scoring crucial goals, netting eight so far.
He was also Terengganu’s star in the 2-1 win over KLHC that won them the Premier Division title on Feb 2.
Meanwhile, KLHC are out to bounce back from a one-goal deficit against Tenaga in today’s other TNB Cup semi-final second leg.
KLHC trail 2-3 but boast the firepower to pull though.
The Star of Malaysia
125 Year Anniversary Of IHU Formation
Hockey Ireland celebrates its 125th birthday today, February 6th marking the day that the Irish Hockey Union first officially came into being in 1893.
It is the perfect time to celebrate with the Irish men and women’s senior teams both building up to World Cups later in 2018, a high point in the storied history of the game on the island.
The origins of the sport in Ireland and the organisation itself arose at a time of the formalisation of rules of the various stick and ball games played across the home nations.
In Scotland, there was shinty; in England hockey while Ireland had “hurley” in the 1860s and 70s, an adaptation of the ancient sport of hurling run by the Irish Hurley Union.
The formation of the GAA in 1883, meanwhile, led to a revival of an older form of hurling which had previously been in danger of dying out, leading to a split from hurley.
Numbers dwindled but for a few supporters in two clubs at King’s Hospital and High School. But for the intervention of W.E. Paterson, the sport may have disappeared completely. He was credited with introducing hockey to Ireland, starting a new club that adopted the new rules as laid out by the Hockey Association in England.
The game spread quickly with Dublin University taking on the sport, quickly followed by Three Rock Rovers, Corinthian, Dundrum, Donnybrook and Monkstown.
Representatives from the leading clubs duly convened in the Wicklow Hotel to form the Irish Hockey Union to look after the interests of the sport in the country.
First IHU President Rev TB Gibson
The Irish Ladies Hockey Union would follow a year later – and will be celebrated in due course – beginning their international hockey life on a high with a 2-0 win over England in 1896.
The men’s Irish Senior Cup was inaugurated for the 1893-94 season, making it the oldest hockey cup competition in the world with the Irish Junior Cup following in a year later.
Regional branches of the Irish Hockey Union set up soon after in the four provinces, spreading the gospel with many leagues starting up in each region.
And, on January 26th 1895, Ireland would win the first ever international hockey match when they traveled to Rhyl to beat Wales 3-0.
First International Hockey Match 1895
In the early years, the Home Nations tournament was the be-all and end-all with the Triple Crown the most coveted award for many years. The first was won in 1904 while the golden era came either side of World War II with Ireland winning the Triple Crown three years in a row from 1937 to 1939 with Denis Coulson lauded as one of the greatest players in the world at the time.
Indeed, had the War not broken out, more glory may have followed but they did follow up with another clean sweep in 1947and they only missed out on another in 1948 due to a 2-2 draw with Scotland.
The 1949 success against England was played out in front of 7,000 fans at Londonbridge Road, the home of the Irish Hockey Union. The venue was purchased in 1929 at a cost of £3,000 and it would be the home venue of the Union until the 1980s.
Outside of the Home Nations, the Olympic Games was the other main event on the hockey calendar. Ireland was only able to compete in the 1908 edition where they ultimately won silver,
Initially, the Hockey Association (England) proposed a British team should enter, incorporating Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
This idea was not received favourably by the Irish Hockey Union who successfully argued that “Ireland should be regarded as a separate country in the Olympic Games”. They went on to beat Wales before losing 8-1 to England in the final.
A further invitation was extended and accepted by Ireland to the Antwerp Games in 1920 but hockey was subsequently removed from the list of events. As such, the wait for representation at the Olympic Games would go on for over a century to 2016.
Over the course of the 20th century, the international game was to expand, particularly with the International Hockey Federation unifying and evolving the rules of the game, opening up more opportunities to develop the sport. Ireland joined the FIH in 1950.
By the late 1960s, the players were calling for a “more professional approach” and George Glasgow was appointed the first coach with the task of selecting an Irish panel for the first European Championships in 1970. The side finished ninth of 19 teams.
With an Intercontinental Cup silver medal in Rome, they qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 1978, playing the Argentinean hosts in Buenos Aires in front of 10,000 boisterous home fans.
Team Ireland in Buenos Aires 1978
Ireland qualified for the World Cup again in 1990 in Pakistan, losing 2-1 to the hosts in the huge Lahore stadium with 50,000 onlookers. It was part of an eventual 12th place finish.
Team Ireland in Lahore 1990
Soon after, the Irish Hockey Union moved home to its next permanent home in Belfield in time for the centenary celebrations with the construction of the purpose-built National Hockey Stadium at a cost of an estimated £2 million for the women’s World Cup in 1994 and the men’s European Championships in 1995.
The two Unions merged in 2000 into the Irish Hockey Association and then the Hockey Ireland organisation that exists today.
It also hosted the sold out Olympic qualifiers in 2012, the genesis of Ireland’s most recent rise and one of the golden eras for the men’s game. They missed out on a ticket to London in the most agonising fashion with a Korean goal seven seconds from full-time denying them their shot.
But it did spark the passion for future success, culminating in a glorious 2015. Olympic qualification was won via a fifth place finish at the World League Semi-Final in Antwerp and was quickly followed by a maiden European Championships bronze in London, beating the hosts 4-2 for the medal.
Since then, the “Green Machine” secured top ten status with victory over Canada at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a ranking they have grasped firmly.
Green Machine at Rio Olympics 2016
They backed up that status with a first ever win over New Zealand last summer in Johannesburg to earn their ticket to the 2018 World Cup with the hope of making even more history in the 125th year of Irish hockey.
Irish Hockey Association media release