Current season, competition or edition: | |
| Sport | Field hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Continent | Oceania (New Zealand) |
| Most recent champion(s) |  |
| Most titles | |
| Official website | hockeyfestival.nz |
The Hawke's Bay Cup is an international women's field hockey tournament, held annually in the New Zealand city of Hastings. [1]
Field hockey is a team game of the hockey family. The earliest origins of the game date back to the Middle Ages in Pakistan. The game can be played on grass, water turf, artificial turf or synthetic field as well as an indoor board surface. Each team plays with eleven players, including the goalie. Players use sticks made out of wood, carbon fibre, fibre glass or a combination of carbon fibre and fibre glass in different quantities to hit a round, hard, plastic ball. The length of the stick depends on the player's individual height. Only one face of the stick is allowed to be used. Goalies often have a different kind of stick, however they can also use an ordinary field hockey stick. The specific goal-keeping sticks have another curve at the end of the stick, this is to give them more surface area to save the ball. The uniform consists of shin guards, shoes, shorts, a mouth guard and a jersey. Today, the game is played globally, mainly in parts of Western Europe, South Asia, Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and parts of the United States. Known simply as "hockey" in many territories, the term "field hockey" is used primarily in Canada and the United States where ice hockey is more popular. In Sweden, the term "landhockey" is used and to some degree also in Norway where it is governed by Norway's Bandy Association.
New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, and the South Island —and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.
Hastings is a New Zealand city and is one of the two major urban areas in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The population of Hastings is 70,600, with 45,000 living in the contiguous city and Flaxmere, 13,950 in Havelock North, 2,210 in Clive, and the remainder in the peri-urban area around the city. Hastings is about 18 kilometres inland of the coastal city of Napier. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities". The combined population of the Napier-Hastings Urban Area is 134,500 people, which makes it the sixth-largest urban area in New Zealand, closely following Tauranga (141,600).
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Founded in 2014, the Hawke's Bay Cup is an initiative backed by the Hawke's Bay Region tourist industry and many local businesses. The tournament plays a major role in the annual Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey, which showcases the top talent from around New Zealand. [2]
Hawke's Bay Region is a region of New Zealand on the east coast of the North Island. It is governed by Hawke's Bay Regional Council, which sits in the city of Napier. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke.
Of the four tournaments held so far, three teams have lifted the title. New Zealand are the most successful team, having won the title twice. Australia and Argentina are joint second best team, each having won the title once, with Argentina taking home the trophy in the tournament's inaugural year.
The New Zealand women's national field hockey team is also known as the Black Sticks Women. The team's best performances include a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a third placing at the 2011 Champions Trophy, and fourth placings at the 1986 World Cup, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics. As of December 2017, the team ranks fourth on the International Hockey Federation (FIH) world rankings.
The Australia women's national field hockey team are, as of September 2015, ranked second in the world. Having played their first game in 1914, and their first Olympic game in 1980 they are one of Australia's most successful sporting teams, boasting three Olympic Gold Medals from the past six Games as well as winning two World Cups and four Commonwealth Games Gold Medals. The Hockeyroos have been crowned Australia's Team of the Year five times and were unanimously awarded Best Australian Team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
The Argentina women's national field hockey team is governed by the Argentine Hockey Confederation (CAH). The current coach is Carlos Retegui, who was appointed after Agustín Corradini. The team is currently fourth in the FIH World Rankings since August 2018 after their 6th place at the 2018 Hockey World Cup.
The size of the tournament has changed throughout its four years, with 6 teams participating in the 2014 tournament, 8 teams participating in the 2015 and 2016 tournaments, and 4 teams taking part in the 2017 tournament.
The 2014 Hawke's Bay Cup was the 1st edition of the invitational Hawke's Bay Cup competition. It took place between 5–13 April 2014 in Hastings, New Zealand. A total of six teams competed for the title.
The 2015 Hawke's Bay Cup was the 2nd edition of the invitational Hawke's Bay Cup competition. It took place between 11–19 April 2015 in Hastings, New Zealand. A total of eight teams competed for the title.
The 2016 Hawke's Bay Cup was the 3rd edition of the invitational Hawke's Bay Cup competition. It took place between 2–10 April 2016 in Hastings, New Zealand. A total of eight teams competed for the title.
New Zealand won the 2017 tournament, taking on teams from Japan, Australia and the United States.
The Japan women's national field hockey team represents Japan in the international field hockey competitions.
The United States women's national field hockey team, coached by Janneke Schopman since 2017, made its first international appearance in 1920 when a touring team visited England, coached by Constance M.K. Applebee. The team made several international appearances in the early 20th Century, leading to the United States hosting the eighth International Federation of Women's Hockey Associations Tournament in 1963. Once the IFWHA merged with its counterpart on the men's side, the United States' first appearance at an FIH-sanctioned tournament was the 1983 Women's Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the Americans ended up in sixth place. They have won bronze at the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics and bronze at the 1994 World Cup.
