The Hockeyroos and New Zealand will have a further opportunity to test each other before the 2012 London Olympics, with Fiji withdrawing from the Oceania Cup-Olympic Qualifier event to be held in Hobart from October 5-9.
Originally planned as a three team tournament, Fiji’s withdrawal means that the Hockeyroos and New Zealand will now play in a best of three series to determine who is the Oceania Cup champion.
Fiji will still compete in the men’s competition of the tournament taking on the Kookaburras and New Zealand, with each team playing each other once before the top two teams meet in the final to decide the winner of the Oceania Cup.
As both the Hockeyroos and New Zealand are the top two ranked teams in the Oceania Federation, they will now receive automatic qualification to the 2012 London Olympics.
However despite this, there will still be plenty on the line for both teams.
Not only will the Hockeyroos be seeking revenge after New Zealand defeated them at the 2011 Champions Trophy, but with the two teams set to be placed in the same pool at the London Olympics, both teams will be keen to observe one another and gain a psychological edge ahead of the Games.
Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens said that with the team not competing in the 2012 Champions Trophy in January, any opportunity to play a quality team with something on the line was a positive.
“The reality is that New Zealand are currently ranked ahead of us (New Zealand 6 – Australia 7). We aren’t competing at the Champions Trophy next year, so the fact that we will get another game against a higher ranked team will help our development towards the London Olympics,” said Commens.
