Ireland women’s hockey team braced for retirements

As many as six players who took part in the Women’s 2018 World Cup final in London against the Netherlands are expected to retire from international hockey over the coming weeks.

As the Irish team gathered at their base in Abbotstown on Monday for the first time following the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Irish coach Sean Dancer must now hastily prepare the squad for a World Cup qualifying event next month in Italy.

Normally there would be an extended down period following the Olympic Games. However, the pandemic-hit international schedule and postponed Olympics means the players have just a short time to commit or take a step back from the international game. It is expected that as many as four players who travelled to Tokyo may not continue.

The World Cup qualifier will take place in Pisa from October 21st to 24th with eight teams taking part from which only one side will earn a place at next summer’s showcase event.

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The format is a winner-takes-all scenario as each game is a knock-out match with top-ranked Ireland (12th in the world) - barring any late changes in entry list - set to face the ever-improving France (27th) in the opening round.

Lying in wait in the semi-finals will be Russia (20th) and Belarus (21st) with the other side of the draw provisionally featuring hosts Italy (17th), Scotland (19th), Poland (23rd) and Wales (25th).

“The way things have unfolded with the qualifiers in October and then hopefully doing well in the World Cup is really important for us,” said Dancer. “There will be some retirements and plenty of new players will get an opportunity to come in. That brings excitement and we need to harness that and push hard for the next six weeks.

“It’s a cut-throat tournament. Scotland and Italy from the A division and then France with a lot to play for given the next Olympics in Paris, progressing well, it will be a really tough tournament and the reality is only the winner gets to go to the World Cup. Every game is a must-win.”

Ireland missed out on automatic World Cup qualification when the team finishing sixth at the EuroHockey Championships in the Netherlands earlier this year.

FIH Women’s World Cup 2022 - European qualifier (October 21st to 24th, all in Pisa):

Thursday, October 21st, quarter-final: Ireland v France, 11.30am

Saturday, October 23rd, semi-final: to be confirmed

Sunday, October 24th, final: to be confirmed