Ireland’s Women’s Hockey team have been given a tough draw in the World League semi-finals in June. The top three teams from each of the semi final tournaments will earn the right to represent their country at next year’s Rio Olympics.
Ireland won the right to play at this next level up through victory in the World League 2 tournament successfully hosted at UCD last week. That tournament was sponsored by UDG Healthcare, formerly United Drug and now oner of the largest pharmacy support service companies in the world with over 8,000 employees in 20 countries around the world but still headquartered in Dublin.
The first semi final tournament will be held in Valencia between the 10th and 21st of June. Ireland will have to finish in the top three to secure Olympic progress. The teams they will face with their current world rankings in brackets, are Great Britain (6), Germany (7), Argentina (3), USA (8), China (5), South Africa (11), Spain (15), Canada (22) and Uruguay (31).
The Irish team are currently rankled 14th in the world.
The men’s team on on a similar path having won their World League 2 event in San Diego earlier this month. Their next phase of the qualification process for Rio is in Belgium, also in June where their group opponents will be Great Britain (4), Belgium (5), Malaysia (12) and China (28). Ireland are currently 15th in the Men’s World rankings.
