Burras team announced for 10th Sultan of Johor Cup

An 18-player Burras (Australian Under 21 Men’s) team has been selected for the upcoming Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia from 22-29 October 2022.

Featuring six hockey nations, the Sultan of Johor Cup is the only junior invitational hockey tournament in the world and will this year celebrate its 10th edition.

The Burras team, which was selected from the National Junior Men’s Squad, consists of eight players aged 20 or younger who are eligible for 2023 National Junior Squad and Junior World Cup selection. The other 10 players are 21 years of age.

“It was difficult to select a team of 18 from the National Junior Squad of 27 because it has incredible depth in it,” said Burras Head Coach Jay Stacy.

“The players selected for this tournament have shown that they are up to this standard. They performed well at the Australian Under 21 Championships and various other technical and tactical camps.”

“Collectively we have selected a very balanced team that has a blend of experience and guys coming through in the younger age bracket.”

“We believe we have picked the best team possible but there was also an eye on the future.

“We have given an opportunity to guys aging out as they haven’t played much hockey in the past couple of years. They have aspirations to play at a higher level so this will be a good indicator of where they sit.”

“Hopefully by the time the tournament comes around we develop into a process driven cohesive unit with the ability to challenge the teams we come up against.”

Malaysia will host the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in December next year, thus the Sultan of Johor Cup provides an excellent opportunity to experience the conditions of the host country and a variety of opponents.

“This tournament will provide vital exposure and experience for all the guys, whether they are aspiring to be selected in next year’s National Development Squad, or for the guys who age qualify for the Junior World Cup, it’s great exposure to play against different structures and styles,” said Stacy.

“Another thing that comes into consideration is the climate. Malaysia is hot and humid so we’ll need to make some adjustments to warm ups and recovery, which is vital experience heading into a Junior World Cup that is being held in the same country at the end of next year.”

The Burras will depart on 16 October for a training camp and practise match against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur before heading to Johor for their opening match of the tournament against Japan on 22 October.

Last held in 2019 due to COVID, this year’s Sultan of Johor Cup will feature Australia, Britain, India, Japan, South Africa and Malaysia. Teams will play in a round robin format with the top two teams on the table playing in the final.

The Sultan of Johor Cup has been played since 2011. Australia has won the tournament twice (2016, 2017). Great Britain are the defending champions.

[Photo features Nathan Czinner (NSW), Laim Henderson (VIC) and Cooper Burns (VIC)]

Burras Team - 2022 Sultan of Johor Cup

2022 Sultan of Johor Cup
Johor, Malaysia
22-29 October 2022
Teams - Australia, Great Britain, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa
Match schedule, tournament format and results