WHILE ALL FOCUS remains on the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Irish women’s hockey team have learned more about their World Cup qualifying fate.
Sean Dancer’s side, contesting their first-ever Olympics later this month having landed silver at the last World Cup in 2018, will play their 2022 FIH Hockey World Cup qualifier in Rome from 21-24 October.
Ireland failed to qualify automatically at June’s EuroHockey Championship, after missing out on a top-five finish.
October’s qualifying competition provides a final opportunity to reach the finals, with the Green Army confirmed as top seeds for the Italian job.
It will be an eight-team tournament running on a straight knockout format, with just the winner qualifying for the World Cup in Spain and Netherlands from 1-17 July 2022.
The small matter of an Olympic Games to come first, BUT dates & destination for the Irish women’s 2022 Hockey World Cup Qualifiers have been announced - they’ll be off to Rome in October to play for their place… pic.twitter.com/MMX7dGob6d
— Elaine Buckley (@ElaineBucko) July 14, 2021
Italy and Scotland are confirmed participants, while the five remaining opponents will be finalised in mid-August after the EuroHockey Championship II in Prague.
The Irish men’s team are targeting a top-five finish at the EuroHockey Championship II in Gniezno, Poland, from 16-25 August, and should they secure that, they’ll contest the 2023 World Cup qualifiers in Cardiff in late October.
