US Field Hockey News

USA Awarded 2005 Rabobank Hockey Champions Challenge Tournament

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has awarded the 2005 Champions Challenge tournament to USA Field Hockey and the City of Virginia Beach following a review of bids at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

One of the FIH’s premier events, the bi-annual tournament features the world’s 7^th-12^th ranked teams. The USA will host the Rabobank Hockey Champions Challenge in late June 2005 at the USA Field Hockey National Training Center in Virginia Beach.

“I think it’s terrific,” said USA Field Hockey President Sharon Taylor. “It’s a great privilege to host six of the world’s outstanding teams while showcasing a major international event at our National Training Center in Virginia Beach. It is also a great opportunity for involvement by the Virginia Beach community, our school populations, our college coaches and field hockey athletes as volunteers and as participants in clinics, coaching workshops and any other programs that may be part of this great event.”

City of Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf joined Taylor in welcoming the international tournament to USA Field Hockey’s hometown.

“I'm delighted that Virginia Beach will have the opportunity to host the Champions Challenge and see world-class field hockey competition in 2005,” said Mayor Oberndorf. “All of Virginia Beach is excited that teams from around the world will compete on our fields. Virginia Beach has a worldwide reputation for sun-warmed sand and surf, and we're very eager to meet and greet the athletes, coaches and spectators who will visit our community for this memorable tournament.”

The teams joining the USA at the tournament are based on international rankings and will not be known until after this summer’s Olympic Games and the conclusion of continental World Cup qualifying tournaments in 2004. The winner of the tournament is elevated to the Champions Trophy tournament featuring the world’s top six ranked teams.

The Virginia Beach event marks the third Champions Challenge after the inaugural tournament in 2002 (postponed from late 2001) in Randburg, South Africa and the 2003 tournament in Catania, Italy. The USA finished fifth in both the 2002 and 2003 tournaments and was joined by England, Korea, India, South Africa and Russia in 2002 and Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Italy in 2003.

With the awarding of the bid to Virginia Beach, major international tournament field hockey returns to the United States for the first times since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. In addition to the Olympic Tournament, the USA hosted the 1989 men’s World Cup qualifier (Intercontinental Cup) in Madison, New Jersey, and the 1993 women’s World Cup qualifier in Philadelphia.

“The USA has very strong participation in women’s hockey and it is both FIH’s and USFHA’s intention that the Rabobank Hockey Champions Challenge will add significant impetus to our common objective of hockey development there,” said FIH President Els van Breda Vriesman.

In addition to awarding the USA bid, the FIH also awarded the 2006 Men’s World Cup qualifying Tournament to Guang Zhou province, China in March 2006.