2023 Oceania Cup: who will join France in Paris?

From 10-13 August, the 2023 Oceania Cup (men and women) will be played in Whangarei, New Zealand, with the winners being the first qualified teams for the 2024 Olympic Games, joining the hosts France, in Paris.

The Oceania Cup will be played between the men’s and women’s teams from Australia and New Zealand, who are the only participants in the event. The teams will face each other three times over the 4 days, with 3 points awarded for a victory, while a draw results in both teams earning a point apiece. If the two sides are tied on points at the end of the three matches, the team with the better goal difference will take the top spot, and if this is equal, then the winner will be decided by a shootout.

The team that finishes on top will become the first direct qualifier for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, joining hosts, France. The team that finishes in second place will move on to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024, where they will have a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games. 

In the men’s competition, Australia’s dominance has been absolute, since the inception of the Oceania Cup, back in 1999. Since then, the event has been held 11 times and Australia have been the winners of the event in every single edition, gaining direct qualification to every Olympic Games since Sydney 2000. New Zealand will be hoping to break Australia’s stronghold on the Cup and directly qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Despite never having won the Oceania Cup, New Zealand have been a regular feature at the Olympic Games, having qualified for every edition since the 2004 games at Athens. The New Zealand men’s team were also the first non Asian or European team to win a gold medal in men’s Olympic Hockey, back in 1976! 

In the women’s competition, Australia possess a stellar record, but have been upstaged by New Zealand on multiple occasions. Australia have been winners in 7 editions of the Oceania Cup, while New Zealand have claimed gold in 4. New Zealand come into the 2023 Oceania Cup as defending champions, having won the 2019 edition, which gave them direct qualification to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. In the 2019 edition, across the three matches each side won a game apiece, while the third game ended in a draw. New Zealand secured the top spot and Olympic qualification, thanks to a superior goal difference that lifted them above the Hockeyroos. 

A total of 12 teams, in each of the men’s and women’s categories, will compete in Hockey at the Olympic Games. The hosts France have gained direct qualification, leaving 11 spots up for grabs. The continental championships in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania are held in the build-up to the Olympic Games and the winner of each of these five events gains direct qualification to the upcoming Olympic Games. The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024, which will be held in January 2024, provide a second opportunity for teams to qualify for the remaining 6 spots at the Olympic Games. 

Please visit www.olympics.hockey for the latest news and all the information from FIH about the Paris 2024 hockey Olympic tournaments!