New Delhi, March 16 – The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced on Monday that New Zealand and South Africa will host the fourth edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup (for men and women, respectively). The winners will be given the opportunity to join the 2026-27 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.
The city of Cape Town, South Africa, will host the men's event, which will feature some of the best teams in the world: South Africa, New Zealand, France, Korea, Japan, Wales, Malaysia, along with Scotland (who qualified through the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2), and Ireland (who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League).
The women's event will take place in Auckland, New Zealand, from June 15 to 21, 2026. The impressive lineup includes New Zealand, USA, Japan, Korea, Chile, Scotland (who qualified through the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2), and India (who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League), along with France.
Following the confirmation of the hosts for the fourth edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, FIH president Tayyab Ikram said, “On behalf of the FIH, I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Hockey Associations of New Zealand and South Africa. We are delighted to have two outstanding host nations and cities for these remarkable tournaments. I'm excited for the thrilling matches and the fantastic atmosphere that will unfold across two continents, as some of the world's top men's and women's teams showcase their talent for hockey fans around the globe.”
The 2025-26 edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup will run from June 11 to 20, 2026, and will mark the return of the competition to South Africa, which hosted the inaugural edition of the men's competition in Potchefstroom in 2022.