The Oceania Cup came to a conclusion last week with Australia Men and NZ women winning their respective competitions to become Continental champions. The win earned the Black Sticks women direct entry to the 2026 World Cup being held in Belgium and the Netherlands.
As the 2024 FIH Pro League Champions for 2024, the Kookaburras had already qualified for the upcoming World Cup, meaning that the Black Sticks men have qualified due to coming second.
The women’s 3 match series was incredibly tight. The Black Sticks won game one 1 nil after a field goal to Olivia Shannon early in the 4th quarter. The Hockeyroos responded in game two with a 1 nil win after Mariah William slotted a penalty corner goal late in the 4th quarter.
The Hockeyroos went up 1 nil early in the series decider with a field goal from Morgan Mathison, but consistent pressure from the Black Sticks provided them with the equaliser off a penalty corner from Jessie Anderson, sending the game to a shootout.
The New Zealand strikers scored all 5 attempts, and combined with a crucial save by goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon meant they won the Oceania Cup along with direct entry to the World Cup. Australia will have another opportunity to qualify through a qualifying tournament to be held early next year.
In the men’s 3 match series, Australia were dominant, winning all three games. Game one was the closest with NZ holding on after an early goal to Australia until the Kookaburras scored a second goal late in the 4th quarter to win 2 nil. Games two and three demonstrated Australia’s prowess with 4-1 wins across both games.
However, as the Kookaburras had already qualified through the FIH Pro League, New Zealand gained the Oceania direct entry spot to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
