Hockeyroos back in action in Sydney FIH Pro League return

The Hockeyroos will take to the pitch in an international match for the first time in 187 days when they face China and Germany over the next six days in the FIH Pro League at the Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre.

The Hockeyroos’ last match was when they claimed the silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. These Pro League matches will be the first time the Hockeyroos have played in Sydney in three years.

Head Coach Katrina Powell said the players were eager to return to the international arena, particularly after spending the past week in a high intensity selection camp that included a host of intra-squad matches.

“It’s a challenge to step straight into a Pro League match after not having played for a considerable time,” said Powell.

“However, the excitement around it, firstly being back in the Pro League and secondly playing in Australia again, the athletes have been training really hard over the break to make sure they’re in great condition physically.”

“We have been playing intra-squad matches leading into this series…there is no substitute to playing international matches but we’re as ready as we can be.”

“I’m sure Germany are keen to play against us after we defeated them in the bronze medal match at the World Cup last year. 

“China is more of an unknown because we haven’t played against them for a while but we’re certainly looking forward to that challenge of the different styles coming at us and how we adapt and problem solve on the pitch.”

In a special reunion of sorts, Powell will come up against her fellow Hockeyroos teammate Alyson Annan, who currently coaches China, for the first time.

Adding to the sentimentalism is it comes at the venue where they won Olympic gold together in 2000.

“It will be a lot of fun to coach against Alyson, and of course Ric (Charlesworth) who she has as her assistant coach…it will be a fun reunion,” said Powell.

“Alyson’s level of experience…there is none greater than hers and her success rate as a player and a coach speaks for itself, so she is formidable and then you put Ric in her corner as well, they are quite the combination.”

“Having that understanding of the way they like to play maybe helps and I’m super excited about the challenge.”

“There is nowhere else I would rather be than coaching the Hockeyroos and having really tough competition not just on the field but tactically.”

“I’ve coached and trained on this pitch since the Olympics were here, but being back leading the Hockeyroos at Sydney Olympic Park is something I’m very proud to do, and to coach against Alyson is a great opportunity.”

New South Wales trio defender Maddison Smith, goalkeeper Zoe Newman and striker Grace Young will all make their Hockeyroos debut in this series.

“It is really exciting to be introducing some new players into the team and we also have players just outside the group who are knocking on the door as well, so we’re going to give as many as possible the opportunity to show what they can do,” said Powell.

Defender Karri Somerville will miss the Sydney and Hobart tournaments through injury, while Hannah Cullum-Sanders contracted COVID in Brisbane and will miss the Sydney matches but has been included in the team for the Pro League series in Hobart.

“Playing for your country at home…there is nothing like it,” said Powell. 

“The Hockeyroos haven’t had a lot of international competition over the past three years, particularly in Australia, so the opportunity for family, friends and the general sporting public is exciting for the athletes.

Midfielder Kaitlin Nobbs, who reached her 100-game milestone at the Commonwealth Games and has been playing club hockey in the Netherlands, was thrilled to be back playing in the green and gold.

“The girls are really excited to play and particularly starting off in Australia with a home crowd will be fun,” said Nobbs.

“I hope there will be big crowds here. A number of our players are from regional areas as well so hopefully we can get a lot of people to get to Sydney Olympic Park to watch these games.”

For Annan, it is a special homecoming. After success coaching the Netherlands’ women’s team from 2015-2022, she was appointed coach of China’s women’s team.

Annan has been in the role for the past eight months and similarly to the Hockeyroos are yet to play a Pro League match this season. Now she is back at a venue she had some of her fondest hockey memories. 

“I thought it was amazing coming back onto this pitch, walking up into the stands…it brought back a lot of memories,” said Annan.

“It has been a while since I’ve been home…and to be able to share my experience with the Chinese players is special because 2000 was the first Olympics that China competed in women’s hockey.”

When asked about how she would combat being up against Powell in the opposition coaches box, Annan acknowledged it was a special occasion but said the focus was on the respective teams. 

“I’ll just think about how she used to be when she was my roommate on Hockeyroos tours,” Annan quipped.

“It’s not between Triny and I as coaches, it’s between two teams who are very good…we’re number 10 in the world, they’re number three so I think we have to be realistic about that.”

“This is not a battle between two roommates from 20 years ago, it’s about two teams who are growing, learning and playing some good hockey.”

Germany enter this mini tournament after four Pro League matches against Argentina and Belgium.

Head Coach Valentin Altenburg said their time in Australia would be crucial as they draw inspiration from the men’s team that recently won the World Cup.

“We want to continue our journey to attractive and successful hockey and these games will help us a lot with that,” said Altenburg.

“We talked about the Men’s World Cup triumph as a team. It’s a huge inspiration for us that shows the system in Germany is working and can make us world champions.”

The FIH Pro League, which is a global tournament featuring world class hockey with world class rivalries, returns to Australia for the first time since 2021.

The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras missed out on competing in the last season due to the COVID pandemic.

The FIH Hockey Pro League is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW. 

The FIH Pro League is broadcast in Australia on FOX Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

FIH Pro League 2022-2023
Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre, NSW (Women’s Teams only)
Friday 10 February 2023 - Hockeyroos v China (6:30pm AEDT)
Saturday 11 February 2023 - China v Germany (4:30pm AEDT)
Sunday 12 February 2023 - Hockeyroos v Germany (4:30pm AEDT)
Monday 13 February 2023 - Hockeyroos v China (6:30pm AEDT)
Tuesday 14 February 2023 - Germany v China (6:30pm AEDT)
Wednesday 15 February 2023 - Hockeyroos v Germany (6:30pm AEDT)

Tickets available now through Ticketek.

The full FIH Pro League 2022-2023 match schedule is available here.

Hockeyroos Team for FIH Pro League matches in Sydney (10-15 Feb)

About the FIH Pro League
The FIH Hockey Pro League is an annual global home and away league involving the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey nations. The best team of the season – having accumulated the highest number of points at the end of the League - is crowned Champion and receives the FIH Hockey Pro League Trophy. The first edition of the FIH Pro League was in 2019. The Kookaburras won the inaugural Men’s competition and the Hockeyroos finished runners up. 
More information on the FIH Pro League.