Dates For Your Diary - International Hockey Events In 2022

A new year is upon us and, after seeing international hockey return in abundance over the last 12 months, there’s even more to look forward to in 2022.

England’s senior men and women have a numbers of tournaments and fixtures to look forward to, with the latter building up to competing in their World Cup in July, where they will be aiming to win their first medal at the event since 2010.

Both teams will be then looking to secure more pieces of silverware at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham just a couple of weeks later. Each side won bronze at the 2018 Games in Australia’s Gold Coast but will be hoping to finish higher up on the podium in front of what promises to be an adoring home crowd.

England’s women will also have plenty of home support when they contest the EuroHockey Championship Qualifiers in August. That event is taking place at Durham University’s Maiden Castle, the first time that senior international hockey matches will be held in that region of the country.

This all follows on from both teams participating in their first FIH Hockey Pro League campaigns between February-June, as they take the place of Great Britain for the 2021/22 season. They start with a series of away fixtures before four big weekends of hockey are held in London in May and June. The first sets of visitors will be Canada and South Africa’s men and China and Spain’s women on 21-22 and 28-29 May. After the success of Big Stadium Hockey in 2019, the FIH Hockey Pro League will return to Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop again this year when England’s double header against The Netherlands is hosted there on 4-5 June. Finally, both sides then play Belgium at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in what promises to be a thrilling climax to the league.

The U21 teams are set to return to action in 2022 too, after the men couldn’t take part in the Junior World Cup last year due to Covid-related travel restrictions while the women’s event was postponed. Both teams are scheduled to compete in the Junior EuroHockey Championships in Belgium between 24-30 July, with the men hoping to repeat or even improve upon their stunning silver medal from 2019. The aforementioned Women’s World Cup could also be re-arranged to be contested this year, although this is still very much TBC.

England’s masters teams will also return to international action, with Nottingham playing host to the men’s and women’s O35s and O40s World Cups in August. The men’s and women’s O45s, O50s and O55s World Cups will be contested in South Africa in October before the men’s O60s, O65s, O70s, O75s and O80s World Cups will take place in Japan.