The Oceania Junior World Cup Hockey Qualifiers are set to take place in Auckland at Lloyd Elsmore Park this weekend with World Cup places already confirmed.
The tournament will feature both our NZ U21 men’s and women’s teams competing against main rivalry Australia, the NZ Maori team and an invitational team to be confirmed.
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The event is smaller than first hoped after the withdrawal of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea both unable to compete meaning New Zealand Australia qualify automatically.
The women's team will be looking towards the likes of Riana Pho, Emma Findlay, and Mezzy Surridge, who are part of the current Black Sticks women's team and will bring high-performance experience with them to the U21 level.
The tournament still acts as an ideal opportunity for the teams to practice together and strengthen their cohesion and strategies ahead of the end of the year.
The FIH Men’s Junior World Cup is scheduled to be held in India and the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup is to be held in Chile, both in December 2025.