Despite 132 hockey matches, totalling 297 hours of hockey coverage around the world, there has been no change at the top of the world ranking, with Australia men and Netherlands women holding their positions.
As both the men’s number one and the women’s number one sides won their Hockey World League Semi-Final matches in style that comes as no surprise. And by winning their respective Semi-Finals, both the Kookaburras and the Oranje have increased their lead as they each gained 25 points for the victories. The four Semi-Final events have also made an impact upon the world rankings lower down the order.
In the women’s rankings the biggest slider has been the USA, a fifth place finish at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Valencia has seen the Pan-American team slip from fifth to eighth, allowing Germany, China and England to all move above them, now sitting at fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.
This is the tightest area of the women’s world ranking as only 19 points separate four teams – Germany 1553, China 1548 and England 1539, USA 1535. Further down the rankings, Spain has moved back ahead of Ireland from 15th to 14th.
With four continental championships still to be played – Pan-American, European, Oceania and Africa – and the Hockey World League Final later this year, then plenty more movement can be expected.
For the men’s rankings, India have moved up one place to eighth in the table, and Canada – who put in a magnificent performance in Buenos Aires at the first Hockey World League Semi-Final event – move up two places to 13th in the world. South Africa men slip down the rankings from 13th to 15th.
Belgium and England, who rank fourth and fifth respectively, have only 27 points separating them, giving this year’s European Championships extra emphasis. The Championships also offer an opportunity for Spain to jump into the top 10 if they perform well in London, they currently sit in 11th place, just 12 points from Pakistan.
While Australia continues to sit at the top of the rankings, the European giants are queuing up behind them – Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and England. Argentina continues to hold sixth place after their good performance in Buenos Aires, while New Zealand will be looking nervously over their shoulder at the Asian teams of India and Korea, who are less than 50 points below.
The Netherlands dominate the women’s scene. The chasing pack is a truly cross-continental affair with Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Germany and China all giving chase. South Africa hold their position at 11, but a good performance in Europe by Belgium will see the youthful but ambitious Red Panthers snapping at the heels of the African number one team.
The next rankings update will take place at the completion of the continental championships at the end of October and then following the Hockey World League Finals in December.
Click here to see the latest World Rankings
