The FIH has today published the Qualification System for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014, which will be played in The Hague in the Netherlands between 2 and 15 June 2014.
In total 12 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams will take part in the biggest hockey-only event in the four-year cycle.
As in previous years, the host nation is automatically qualified along with the five Continental Champions. What is new for the 2014 World Cup is that the remaining qualified teams will come through the Hockey World League. In total, six teams will qualify through the Hockey World League.
The Qualification System reflects the importance of the Hockey World League as at least six teams from each gender will qualify from the Semi-Final. Previously, three teams qualified under a continental quota system and an additional three teams made the cut from qualifying tournaments.
The new qualification system puts an emphasis on creating a qualification process that is truly global and involves as many teams as possible. Essentially, any team that enters the Hockey World League has a chance to get to the top hockey tournaments, whether it is the World Cup or the Olympic Games.
For further details about the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 qualification process and criteria, please click here for the official document that outlines the system.
