Following the completion of the women’s tournament at the TriFinance EuroHockey Championships in Boom, Belgium, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) can reveal that China have become the latest team to be confirmed as qualifiers for the 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup. The greatly anticipated joint men’s and women’s event takes place at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague, Netherlands from 31st May to 15th June next year.
China – who just missed out on direct World Cup qualification by finishing fourth at the recent Investec Hockey World League Semi-Final in London, England – were promoted from first reserves to guaranteed participants courtesy of Germany’s success in the TriFinance EuroHockey Championships on Saturday.
Like all of the continental championships, the big prize on offer at the Euros was direct qualification for next year’s Hockey World Cup. However, with Germany having already achieved World Cup qualification thanks to a first place finish at last month’s Hockey World League Semi-Final in Rotterdam, a ticket to the World Cup was immediately handed to first reserves China.
China become the eighth women’s team to qualify for the 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup, with four more places up for grabs at the upcoming Asian, Oceania, Pan American and African continental championships.
More information about the women’s World Cup qualifiers and the qualifying process can be found below. An update regarding the men’s qualifiers for the 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup will be released on Sunday following the completion of the men’s TriFinance EuroHockey Championship final.
Rabobank Hockey World Cup – Women’s Qualifiers.
Netherlands: Hosts
Australia: 1st place – Investec Hockey World League Semi-Final, London (ENG)
England: 2nd place – Investec Hockey World League Semi-Final, London (ENG)
Argentina: 3rd place – Investec Hockey World League Semi-Final, London (ENG)
Germany: Continental Champions Europe
Korea: 3rd place – Rabobank Hockey World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam (NED)
New Zealand: 4th place – Rabobank Hockey World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam (NED) *
China: 4th place – Investec Hockey World League Semi-Final, London (ENG) **
* Netherlands finished second in the Hockey World League Semi-Final event in Rotterdam. As they are already pre-qualified as the host, this means that the highest ranked fourth place finisher from both Semi-Final events earns direct qualification to the Rabobank Hockey World Cup. This place goes to New Zealand, who were fourth in Rotterdam and currently sit third in the FIH World Rankings.
** China qualified as first reserve courtesy of Germany’s victory in the TriFinance EuroHockey Championships.
World Cup Qualification - The Next Stage
The remaining places at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup for women will be filled by the winners of the final four continental championships. However, if any of the above listed teams also becomes continental champion, this opens the door to the teams that finished outside the top three at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals that have not already qualified for the World Cup. These teams can be found below, in order of their placing in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals.
Japan: 5th in Rotterdam / 2nd reserve for World Cup *
USA: 5th in London / 3rd reserve for World Cup *
Belgium: 6th in Rotterdam / 4th reserve for World Cup
* Japan named second reserve ahead of USA courtesy of a superior placing in the FIH World Rankings.
