Dates set! Hockeyroos & Kookaburras primed for Olympic Showdown
Published Wed 06 Mar 2024
Four months out from the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the dates have been set for the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras, unveiling a jam-packed world-class schedule.
Hockey’s Olympic schedule was jointly revealed by IOC President Thomas Bach and FIH President Tayyab Ikram at Olympic House in Lausanne today, setting the scene for 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams who will compete for the sport’s most coveted medals.
Highlights include:
- 10 pool games across 8 days before Finals commence on August 4
- Hockeyroos vs. Great Britain, July 30, 1.00am – 2022 Birmingham Comm Games gold medal re-match
- Kookaburras vs. Belgium, July 31, 4.45am - Tokyo 2020 Gold Medal re-match
- Hockeyroos vs. Argentina, August 2, 5.15am – World No. 4 v World No. 2
- Kookaburras vs. New Zealand, August 1, 7.30pm – A classic Trans-Tasman clash acts as a double-header to the Hockeyroos v Argentina on Aug 1
(All times in AEST)
Tokyo silver medallists the Kookaburras kick off Australia’s campaign at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Saturday night on July 27 against Argentina before taking on Ireland two days later.
And it’s that crucial opening match coach Colin Batch has been eager to see, as his side prepares to focus on game one of their campaign.
“To play Argentina first up is exciting for us,” Batch said.
“We get a chance to play them in Europe in May, at the next leg of the FIH Pro League, so that will be important to see how we shape up against them. And the same goes for Belgium, which will be a big match.”
That clash sits in a prime position on the schedule, early on the morning of July 31 and will be the Kookaburras’ biggest test, as it’s the hotly anticipated Tokyo 2020 gold-medal re-match against the World No. 2 side.
With the memory of the devastating penalty shootout loss still fresh in his mind, it’s likely 4-time Olympian, Tassie’s Eddie Ockenden will come up against the world’s most-capped hockey player ever Belgium’s John-John Dohmen, as both battle it out in pool play.
The Kookaburras continue the fight for a spot in the quarterfinals with a classic Trans-Tasman clash against Batch’s former side New Zealand on August 1, before one of the best rivalries is left to last when they take on India the next day.
The Hockeyroos’ plight for gold begins on day two of competition with back-to-back matches against South Africa and Great Britain.
And like Batch, Hockeyroos coach Katrina Powell was eager to see who they would be playing first up.
“The schedule is close to what we expected, we knew the layout of the matches would be tough, we have two back-to-back scenarios, but we’ve been preparing for that and as expected it’s come to fruition,” Powell said.
“It’s interesting to see the timing of our matches, how much rest we’ll have and the time we’ll have to review and go again.”
“Playing on day two is great, it allows for good preparation and acclimatisation, we’ll get a good couple of practice matches in before we commence and I’m happy our players may get to experience the opening ceremony as well.”
They’ll take on the USA in game three on July 31, just hours before the Kookaburras take the pitch against Belgium.
In Paris on August 1, the Hockeyroos will take on World No. 2 Argentina in the prime-time slot of 8.15pm, 28 years to the day since coach Katrina Powell scored in the final in Atlanta, 1996 and led the Australian women to Olympic gold.
The Hockeyroos round out pool play against Spain on August 3, before the quarterfinals get underway on August 4.
The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras are two of Australia’s most successful teams and have a proud Olympic history, combining for 13 medals.
Historic success:
Kookaburras
- All but unbeaten in 2024, winning 7 of 8 matches at the FIH Pro League in India.
- 2023 Oceania Cup champions
- 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games - gold
- 2020 Tokyo Olympics - silver
- Olympic gold medals – 2004
- Olympic silver medals – 1968, 1976, 1992, 2020
- Olympic bronze medals – 1964, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012
- World Cup gold medals – 1986, 2010, 2014
- Commonwealth Games gold medals – 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
Hockeyroos
- 2023 Oceania Cup champions
- 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games – silver
- 2022 FIH Pro League World Cup – bronze
- Olympic gold medals – 1988, 1996, 2000
- World Cup gold medals – 1994, 1998
- Commonwealth Games gold medals – 1998, 2006, 2010, 2014
