Tickets have gone on sale for the Irish Women’s Hockey team’s crucial EuroHockey Championship qualifiers which will take place at the Sport Ireland Campus from August 18th to 21st.
It will be the first home-based series of international competition games for the Green Army since the 2019 Olympic qualifiers in Donnybrook with Ireland in action against the Czech Republic (World Ranked 23rd), Poland (27th) and Turkey (33rd).
The winner of the competition will qualify for the top tier of 2023’s European Championships which is, in turn, a vital stepping stone on the road to Paris 2024. The Euros in Monchengladbach next year will offer the first direct qualification ticket to the Olympic Games.
In addition, the places in the Olympic qualifying tournaments will also be determined by performances at the 2023 Euros and so reaching the top table is crucial for Ireland.
As such, the Irish hosts this week are looking to put on a big show at the Sport Ireland Campus to progress their Olympic hopes in front of a buzzing home crowd.
Over 1,200 seats have been installed at the venue, augmented by a fan village and children’s skill zone to add to the atmosphere.
Perfect Scene
“With the stands in place, it looks class and looks a different pitch altogether from the one we train on,” said Sarah Hawkshaw who grew up nearby the Sport Ireland Campus.
“It sets the perfect scene for what will be a really tough tournament but one which, for our campaign to Paris, we absolutely must win.”
“We would love to do it in front of lots of our fans who always give us a huge boost. The campus is such a good complex and is easy access for people coming down from the north and just off the M50.”
“What they have done with the stands, the structure above the dugouts and the people they have around the ground supporting it makes the environment enjoyable to come here and play hockey,” added Coach Sean Dancer.
“The challenge would be to get this all the time because this group really want to be here. Walking out, it is a different kettle of fish. Credit to everyone because they have got it right and it would be amazing to have it here full-time. It can help Ireland get to the next level.”
Ireland finished in 11th place at the World Cup in Amsterdam in the summer having taken on the eventual champions the Netherlands and fourth place finishers Germany in the group stages.
This time around, they are the highest ranked side at 13th giving a different dynamic to the games.
Ireland take on Poland at 7:30 PM on Thursday 18th, the Czech Republic at 1 PM on Saturday 20th and Turkey at the same time on Sunday 21st.
The Irish Women’s Hockey Team’s primary commercial partner is Sport for Business member Softco.
