After a brief hiatus following their maiden Olympic trip, the Irish women’s hockey team will be back in action as preparations begin for next month’s World Cup qualifiers, with only one place to win in Italy.
The event will take place in Pisa from 21-24 October, with the eight participating teams expected to join during the climax of ‘next year’ with co-organizers from the Netherlands and Spain as well as Belgium, England and Germany.
Tournament Seine Dancer, ranked 12th in the world, is set to take on the ever-growing France (27th) in the first round.
The winners of the Russia-Belarus clash will be the winners of the Russia-Belarus clash with the other side of the draw leading up to the semi-finals which will see hosts Italy, Scotland, Poland and Wales.
“It is a brutal tournament – recognized ballerino –. Scotland and Italy in Serie A, then France in Paris. Looking at the next Olympic Games in Paris, things are going well, it will be a really tough tournament and the reality It is that only the winner can go to the World Cup.
“The way things went with the October qualifiers and then we hope to do well in the World Cup, it is really important for us. There will be some withdrawals and many new players will have the opportunity to enter. There is excitement about it and we have to take advantage of it and work hard for the next six weeks.
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