The Rio 2016 Olympic Games will ultimately be the highlight of the year, but with the Champions Trophy, Junior Hockey World Cup and Hockey World League Round One events all taking place over the next 12 months, hockey fans will be able to follow world class hockey action throughout the year, across the world.
The second edition of the Hockey World League came to dramatic and action-packed finales in Raipur, India (men) and Rosario, Argentina (women) in December, with Australia crowned as the men's champions and Argentina the women's.
The two-year long journey starts again this April as the first Round One Hockey World League events take place at venues around the globe. The ultimate prize at stake for the fifty-plus teams taking part is a place in the 2018 World Cup, as well as the chance to compete in the glittering end of season Hockey World League Final against the world's best teams.
Nine venues have been announced as hosts for the third edition of Round One events, with joint men's and women's events to be held in Accra (Ghana), Singapore, Prague (Czech Republic), Salamanca (Mexico), Chiclayo (Peru) and an Oceania venue, which is still to be announced. A women's event will also take place in Cambrai (France), while Antalya (Turkey) and Glasgow (Scotland) will host men-only events.
Excitement is also building around the prospect of the men's and women's Champions Trophies. The men's event takes place from 11-19 June at a location in Argentina yet to be confirmed, while the women's event runs from 18-26 June and will be held at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England.
These are the last major international hockey competitions before the Olympic Games in what will be one of the final opportunities for teams and management to try out their squads before hockey's pinnacle event in Rio.
The six men's and six women's teams who will take part in the Champions Trophy will be confirmed shortly. This will be the 36th edition for the men's Champions Trophy and the 22nd holding of the women's event.
From Argentina and England, all attention then turns to Brazil as the Rio 2016 Olympic Games get under way. Two weeks of back-to-back hockey will keep even the most passionate hockey fan satisfied.
With all the qualification slots now filled, the teams are preparing to take their places at one of the most important events in the sporting world. Netherlands women might well be chasing their third consecutive gold medal but a host of teams are lining up to attempt to end the Dutch supremacy in the event, while the men's competition will see holders Germany facing stiff opposition from a raft of teams led by the World Cup holders and current world number one ranked team Australia.
While today's superstars will be gracing the blue turf in Rio, the stars of the future will be showcasing their skills later in the year in Chile and India. The women's Junior Hockey World Cup will take place from 24 November to 4 December, while the men's Junior World Cup runs from 1-11 December.
In the men's competition, Germany are the most successful team, they have won six of the 11 editions, while in the women's competition, the Netherlands are the most successful team with three titles to their name, just ahead of Korea who have won gold twice at the Junior Hockey World Cups.
This year also sees the 45th International Hockey Federation (FIH) Congress. This important event in the hockey calendar takes place in Dubai on 12 November. Delegates from around the globe will come together to discuss the future of our sport and its direction of travel over the next few years.
At the heart of discussions, formal and informal, will be the Hockey Revolution, which is transforming the way hockey is being played, viewed and supported across the world.
2016 certainly has a lot of exciting events taking place. We hope that you join us as part of the Hockey Revolution and continue to show your remarkable support for the sport again this year.
