What you need to know about the Women’s World Cup in Amsterdam and Terrassa

The women’s world championship in the Netherlands and Spain is about to start. The Orange Ladies are in search of the third world title in a row and the fourth in the last five editions. To prepare you for this global clash, we have listed a number of things so that you are well prepared for the tournament.

What happened in the last edition?
The previous edition was in 2018 in London. The Orange Women extended their world title by beating surprising Ireland 6-0 in the final. The Netherlands got through the group stage in London without difficulty. In three matches, then-national coach Alyson Annan’s team scored no less than 26 goals and conceded just two (7-0 against South Korea, 7-1 against China and 12-1 against Italy). In the quarter-finals, hosts England were beaten 2-0, before reaching the final after winning a penalty shootout against Australia. The Australian women then lost the bronze medal to Spain, who won the first-ever World Cup medal.

Game locations
The Wagener Stadium, which was renovated in 2017, dates from 1938. At 342,000 guilders, the stadium was 100,000 guilders more expensive than the 1934 Ajax stadium. The stadium, named after the former president of Amsterdam Joop Wagener senior, was the first hockey stadium in the Netherlands and is perhaps the best known and most traditional hockey stadium in the world. Over the years, the Wagener has been the battleground for many international hockey matches and tournaments such as the European and World Championships. The last world championship was held in 1986 in the stadium, which has belonged to the KNHB since 1980. Apart from the national teams, the Amsterdam Hockey Club is the regular player at the Wagener Stadium.

In Terrassa, the game is played at the Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa. The stadium, with a capacity of 11,500 spectators, is normally the home of football club Terrassa FC and was inaugurated on August 21, 1960. During the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the hockey tournament was played at the ‘Estadi Olímpic, where the Spaniards and the Germans won gold. The two orange teams then fell outside of the Olympic medals.

The Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa where the World Cup final is played. Photo: FIH/David Ramirez

Who participates?
Sixteen countries participate in the world championship, divided into four groups of four countries each. In Group A, the host countries and title holders are the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and Chile, debuting in the World Cup. England, New Zealand, India and China form Pool B. Both groups play their matches in Amsterdam. Pools C and D have Terrassa as location. In C, the host country, Spain, Argentina, South Korea and Canada play each other and D includes Australia, Belgium, Japan and South Africa.

Previous editions
The ladies are competing in the fifteenth edition of the World Cup, officially on the calendar of the International Hockey Federation since 1974. Only four countries have won world gold in history: the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia and Germany (West). The Netherlands have become world champions eight times (1974, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1990, 2006, 2014 and 2018), making them the record holder. In addition, the Orange Women have been runners-up four times (1981, 1998, 2002 and 2010) and the bronze medal has been won once (1976). The Netherlands only missed once in history, that was in 1994. Then Orange only finished sixth. Argentina, Australia and Germany (West) have each won the world title twice.

Overview of the last five editions:
2002: 1.Argentina, 2. Netherlands3.China
2006: 1. Netherlands2.Australia, 3.Argentina
2010: 1.Argentina, 2. Netherlands3.England
2014 : 1. Netherlands2.Australia, 3.Argentina
2018: 1. Netherlands2.Ireland, 3.Spain

Eva de Goede and Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel hug the World Cup after winning the 2018 World Cup Final in London. Photo: Koen Suyko

Tournament Setup
The sixteen participating countries are divided into four groups of four countries each. In the group stage, all countries in the group play each other once. The number ones from each group will qualify directly for the quarter-finals. Numbers two and three from each group play a crossover for the other four quarter-final spots. The number fours in each group play against the losers of the crossovers for places nine through sixteen. The winners of the quarter-finals advance to the semi-finals. The winners of this semi-final will play the final, the losers will meet in the duel for the bronze medal.

Where to see?
Ziggo Sport has acquired the rights to the World Cup. This means that Orange Women matches can be followed live via Ziggo Sport. Almost all other World Championship matches are also broadcast live on the various Ziggo Sport channels. To be kept for the exact programming the Ziggo Sport TV guide Watch carefully.

The NOS offers a long summary of every match of the Oranje Dames, as well as interviews and reports in the NOS Sportjournaal and the NOS Studio Sport.

Kitty Van Male scores in the 2018 World Cup final against Ireland. Photo: FIH/Kate McShane/Getty Images

Group ranking

World Cup Schedule