Qualifier not yet a certainty

While the chances of Ireland making it into the line-up for next September's World Cup qualifier in France remain good, they are, it has emerged, less certain than previously assumed, due largely to the International Hockey Federation's desire to promote the game worldwide.

If Argentina fail to win the Americas Cup in March (where the US will be their chief rivals) Germany will end up having to qualify for the World Cup, rather than gaining automatic entry to the finals, thus taking another European place in the qualifying tournament line-up. At that point the debate would centre on how many European nations should gain entry to the qualifier with the FIH known to be keen to admit a non-European nation for the last available spot. It is this scenario, that could see Ireland missing out, which would leave them without a major international tournament until 2002. This particular issue will, no doubt, be on the agenda when senior coach Riet Kuper meets with the Irish Hockey Association on Sunday to discuss her future.

The IHA, meanwhile, has announced the re-appointment of Grainne Friel and Erika Henry as under-21 and under-18 coaches.