The qualifiers in Oceania were played between the men’s and women’s teams of Australia and New Zealand in a three match series, with wins earning three points, while draws gave each team a point apiece. 

In the men’s tournament, Australia came fast out of the gates in the first two contests. They took a 3 goal lead in the first half of the first game and scored 4 unanswered goals to start the second game. Although New Zealand battled back in both encounters, Australia won the games 5-3 and 4-2 to secure 6 out of the 9 available points to seal their qualification to the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup Croatia 2025. New Zealand won the third and final match 3-2, which showed how evenly matched the two teams were, but the three points they earned from it were merely consolation. 

Australia Head Coach Brett Herrington spoke with us after his team’s qualification and said: “To earn our spot in the next World Cup by qualifying as Oceania Champs is very special in itself for our sport! There is lots of work to do now to get ready for the World Cup, but what the Australian Squad have undertaken this week in camp has set the nucleus for our journey to Croatia. I’m very excited and privileged to be able to guide this group forward, and take on the best teams in the world in February 2025.” 

With the end of the 2024 Oceania Indoor World Cup Qualifiers, all qualifications for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup Croatia 2025 are now complete. 

In the men’s tournament the teams competing for the title will be Croatia (hosts), Austria, Belgium, Germany and Poland (Europe), Argentina and Trinidad and Tobago (Pan America), Iran and Malaysia (Asia), Namibia and South Africa (Africa) and Australia (Oceania). 

In the women’s tournament challenging for the title will be Croatia (hosts), Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Poland and Spain (Europe), USA (Pan America), Thailand (Asia), Namibia and South Africa (Africa) and Australia (Oceania).