Men's Hockey NewsWhile the International Hockey Federation was paying a visit to China this week to inspect the venue for April's World Cup Qualifier in Changzhou City, the first time the country will have hosted a world-level men's event, the Irish Hockey Association was confirming the national squad's programme for the build-up to the tournament.
A busy schedule it is too, with trips to Belgium, South Africa, France and possibly Spain. The first of the squad's 12 matches (there may yet be more if a training camp in Spain is confirmed for February) takes place next Wednesday when they travel to Nottingham to play England, followed by two tests against Belgium in Brussels later in the month.
The squad for January's tour of South Africa, where Ireland will play their hosts and New South Wales twice, will be named next month. The build-up will conclude with five matches against France, three in Paris and two in Dublin, in March.
Australia, New Zealand and Fiji compete in the Oceania World Cup Qualifier later this month, with the runners-up joining Ireland, Belgium, Canada, China, Egypt, England, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Pakistan in the line-up in China.
The international players' involvement in the Irish Senior Cup this season will, of course, be limited, although they will be allowed play in the final on March 19th, should their clubs get that far, and miss the fifth of the internationals against France. The competition gets under way tomorrow with just four ties in the first round, the pick of them the meeting of last season's semi-finalists, Bandon, and Weston.
IRISH SENIOR CUP: First round: PSNI v Skerries, Palace Barracks, 2.30; Weston v Bandon, Kings Hospital, 2.0; Raphoe v Newry, Raphoe Royal School, 2.30; Portrane/St Brendans v Queens, DCU, 2.0.
LEINSTER LEAGUE: Division One: Tomorrow: Monkstown v Railway Union, Rathdown, 1.30; Glenanne v Three Rock Rovers, Tallaght, 3.0; Trinity v Pembroke Wanderers, Santry, 2.0; YMCA v Finglas, Claremount Road, 2.0. Division Two: Sunday: Naas v UCD, Naas, 12.0.
