Kookaburras and Hockeyroos back for ‘Hockey at its best’

The return of the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras to the FIH Pro League has been confirmed following the release of the schedule for the fourth season of the prestigious global hockey competition.

Season 4 of the FIH Pro League will run from October 2022 to July 2023 and comprise a series of date blocks and ‘mini tournaments’ where several teams will gather at one venue and play each other twice.

The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos are not competing in the current FIH Pro League season due to COVID related government travel restrictions and uncertainty in Australia when the tournament started.

Currently ranked second in the world, the Hockeyroos will open their FIH Pro League campaign with a flurry of matches in Australia against China, Germany, the USA and Argentina between 10 February and 4 March 2023.

The world number one ranked Kookaburras’ first block of matches are on home soil against Argentina and Spain beginning on 28 February 2023.

The Kookaburras’ remaining 12 matches are all overseas as they take on Germany, India, New Zealand, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The Hockeyroos’ away blocks of matches are in New Zealand, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Hockey Australia CEO David Pryles said it was exciting to have the FIH Pro League and high calibre internationals locked in, particularly in Australia.

“The last time the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras featured in the FIH Pro League was in June 2021, so it is tremendous to have the schedule out and that both of our national teams are starting their campaigns with home matches,” said Pryles.

“Not only our national teams, but the Australian hockey and sporting community have been starved of international matches since COVID, so hosting Pro League matches in the first quarter of next year is something we are really looking forward to.”

“Now that the schedule is confirmed, we can start to plan the locations for our home matches and announce these details in due course.”

Outside of the Olympic Games and World Cups, the FIH Pro League is the biggest prize in world hockey with results having a significant impact on world rankings.

“The FIH Hockey Pro League is still a relatively ‘young’ competition. Therefore it is our duty, together with the participating nations, to proceed to a regular review and make adjustments as appropriate for the enhancement of the experience,” said FIH (International Hockey Federation) CEO Thierry Weil.

“This new schedule will be better for athletes, better for hosts, better for fans and better for the environment.”

The Kookaburras won the inaugural FIH Pro League in 2019, with the Hockeyroos finishing runners up.

Season 2 was cut short due to COVID, the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos only getting through ten and eight of their matches respectively.

For the first edition with the new schedule, matches will be hosted in the following seven nations: Australia, Argentina, Belgium, England, India, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Locations and start times for the matches in Australia will be confirmed at a later date.

Full men’s FIH Pro League Season 4 match schedule.
Full women’s FIH Pro League Season 4 match schedule.

FIH Pro League Season 4 - Australia home and away matches
Hockeyroos matches
In Australia
Friday 10 February 2023 v China
Sunday 12 February 2023 v Germany
Monday 13 February 2023 v China
Wednesday 15 February 2023 v Germany

Tuesday 28 February 2023 v Argentina (double header with Kookaburras)
Wednesday 1 March 2023 v USA (double header with Kookaburras)
Friday 3 March 2023 v Argentina (double header with Kookaburras)
Saturday 4 March 2023 v USA (double header with Kookaburras)

In New Zealand
Friday 21 April 2023 v Great Britian
Saturday 22 April 2023 v New Zealand (double header with Kookaburras)
Friday 28 April 2023 v Great Britain
Saturday 29 April 2023 v New Zealand (double header with Kookaburras)

In the Netherlands
Thursday 8 June 2023 v Netherlands
Sunday 11 June 2023 v Netherlands

In Belgium
Friday 16 June 2023 v Belgium
Monday 19 June 2023 v Belgium

Kookaburras matches
In Australia
Tuesday 28 February 2023 v Argentina (double header with Hockeyroos)
Wednesday 1 March 2023 v Spain (double header with Hockeyroos)
Friday 3 March 2023 v Argentina (double header with Hockeyroos)
Saturday 4 March 2023 v Spain (double header with Hockeyroos)

In India
Saturday 11 March 2023 v Germany
Sunday 12 March 2023 v India
Tuesday 14 March 2023 v Germany
Wednesday 15 March 2023 v India

In New Zealand
Saturday 22 April 2023 v New Zealand (double header with Hockeyroos)
Sunday 23 April 2023 v Great Britain
Saturday 29 April 2023 v New Zealand (double header with Hockeyroos)
Sunday 30 April 2023 v Great Britain

In the Netherlands
Friday 9 June 2023 v Netherlands
Monday 12 June 2023 v Netherlands

In Belgium
Saturday 17 June 2023 v Belgium
Tuesday 20 June 2023 v Belgium

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.