Team lists have been confirmed for the women’s Samsung Hockey Champions Trophy in Canberra, Australia, starting next Saturday, 26 November.
Attached is a Media Guide for the event. The guide contains team line-ups, statistical and contact information, and the result of every women’s Champions Trophy match ever played. The guide is also available to download from the FIH tournament website, http://samsungchampionstrophy.worldhockey.org.
In the year between the Olympic Games and World Cup, all teams have named vastly different outfits from the ones that competed in Athens, with coaches using this year to introduce new players into their squads.
The tournament will feature the world’s top women’s teams – Netherlands, Argentina, Germany, Australia, China and Korea – competing in a round robin format before the playoff matches on the final day.
This year will be the 13th staging of the event and Australia has been the dominant nation in tournament history with six titles, including five in a row from 1991 to 1999 (prior to 2000, the women’s Champions Trophy was held every two years after the inaugural tournament in 1987 in Amstelveen).
The Hockeyroos have also won the women’s Champions Trophy on both occasions the event has been held in Australia (1999 and 2003), but will face their most challenging campaign in Canberra to preserve their perfect home record.
The Netherlands have built an impressive record since the Athens Olympic Games, including victories at the 2004 BDO Hockey Champions Trophy and 2005 European Nations Cup. They will enter the tournament as favourites alongside Argentina, with coach Marc Lammers having unleashed a group of ‘young guns’ onto the world stage in the past 12 months.
Argentina will again be a major drawcard. A major bonus for Las Leonas is that they are the most experienced team in the tournament with an average of 95 international matches per player.
Germany have named seven players from their Athens line-up. The core of their team remains intact however, providing them with the necessary base of experience and cohesion needed for success in the high-pressure atmosphere of a Champions Trophy.
China always presents a well-drilled and committed team. With their focus now squarely on success at the 2008 Olympic Games, every tournament until then is viewed as a chance to develop and prepare for their Beijing mission.
Korea’s victories at the past two Junior World Cups illustrate their deep pool of talent. With the youngest team in the competition in Canberra, their performances, along with that of China, are the largest unknown factors heading into the tournament.
With world rankings points up for grabs, the Champions Trophy will decide the end of year number one women’s ranking. Netherlands currently lead the race just 48 points ahead of Argentina, with Germany and Australia trailing in third and fourth respectively.
The tournament will be the centrepiece of a busy schedule of activities, with the annual WorldHockey Players of the Year awards one of the highlights. The awards have become a major event on the international calendar and with the worlds best players lining up in Canberra, performances at the Champions Trophy will help determine the winner.