Major hockey events coming to New South Wales in 2023-24
Published Mon 22 Aug 2022
Select Kookaburras and Hockeyroos international matches, plus an array of Hockey Australia’s premier national events will be held in New South Wales over the next two years.
The renewal of Hockey Australia’s partnership with Destination NSW will see New South Wales play host to the following national and international hockey events through to the end of 2024 (dates are to be confirmed):
- 2023 FIH Pro League (Women) - Hockeyroos, Germany and China (Newcastle International Hockey Centre)
- 2023 Hockey Australia U13 Carnival (Newcastle International Hockey Centre)
- 2023 Hockey Australia U21 Championships (Sydney Olympic Park)
- 2024 FIH Pro League - select Kookaburras and Hockeyroos matches (venue TBC)
- 2024 Hockey Australia U21 Championships (venue TBC)
- 2024 Hockey Australian Women’s Masters Championships (venue TBC)
A block of FIH Pro League matches between the Hockeyroos, Germany and China in Newcastle will kick off the suite of events in early 2023.
Newcastle has only hosted a Hockeyroos match once previously, in March 1997 against Germany.
The FIH Pro League was introduced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 2019 and is a global tournament featuring the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey nations. Australia’s flagship national teams were not part of the last edition due to COVID travel restrictions.
The global tournament will then return to New South Wales in 2024 for select Kookaburras and Hockeyroos home fixtures.
The Newcastle International Hockey Centre will host next year’s Under 13 Carnival, which is the youngest age group event on Hockey Australia’s national calendar.
The agreement will also see Australia’s best under 21 hockey talent converge on New South Wales for the next two national championships.
The Australian Masters Championships round off the list and are among Hockey Australia’s most highly attended events.
Hockey Australia CEO David Pryles thanked the NSW Government for their continued support of hockey in Australia.
“We look forward to bringing some of our premier international and national events and matches to New South Wales over the next two years,” said Pryles.
“New South Wales has a large and passionate hockey community and there is a strong representation of players in both the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos programs who herald from the state.”
“Australian hockey and sports fans have been starved of elite hockey over the past two years, so it is fantastic to confirm our world class national teams will be heading to New South Wales.”
The last time the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos played in New South Wales was in the FIH Pro League in February 2020.
