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Highlights include: 

-    10 pool games across 8 days before Finals commence on August 4
-    Hockeyroos vs. Great Britain, July 30, 1.00am – 2022 Birmingham Comm Games gold medal re-match
-    Kookaburras vs. Belgium, July 31, 4.45am - Tokyo 2020 Gold Medal re-match
-    Hockeyroos vs. Argentina, August 2, 5.15am – World No. 4 v World No. 2
-    Kookaburras vs. New Zealand, August 1, 7.30pm – A classic Trans-Tasman clash acts as a double-header to the Hockeyroos v Argentina on Aug 1

(All times in AEST)

Tokyo silver medallists the Kookaburras kick off Australia’s campaign at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Saturday night on July 27 against Argentina before taking on Ireland two days later.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are in Paris, and the Australian Kookaburras and Hockeyroos are aiming for gold in hockey.

This booklet is your ultimate guide to becoming a hockey champion!

• Become a hockey whiz: Understand the game, learn the skills and become a hockey master.
• Meet the stars: Get to know our amazing hockey players!

Click on the book to download the full document and print your copy!

Click on each image to download a printable PDF!

Today, Hockey Queensland (HQ) thrives with more than 16,000 members and 24 local associations extending across the vast expanse of the state. Notably, hockey is a family-friendly sport with a 51% female membership statewide, welcoming participants of all ages from 5 to 85.

In the realm of global competition, hockey stands out as Australia's most triumphant Olympic team sport, boasting an impressive tally of four Gold Medals, four Silver and five Bronze. During the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, it's often remarked that Australians from all walks of life unite as fervent hockey enthusiasts, rallying behind our formidable Hockeyroos (Women) and Kookaburras (Men) as they vie for supremacy against the world's elite.

Queensland, consistently exceeding expectations, has made a significant contribution to our Olympic Teams, with its athletes comprising a remarkable 24% of the total. This equates to an impressive 62 members of the Queensland Hockey community proudly donning the iconic Green and Gold attire on the Olympic stage.

The future for hockey in Queensland remains bright, with Queensland winning back-to-back Under 15 Boys and Under 15 Girls National Championships, in 2022 and 2023.

Many factors go into producing future Hockeyroos and Kookaburras; athletic ability, dedicated parents, great coaching, dedication and commitment – just to name a few.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL QUEENSLAND OLYMPIANS

The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras are two of Australia’s most successful Olympic teams, with a combined 13 Olympic medals between them.

Men (The Kookaburras) 

Australia’s record in Olympic hockey is exceptional. The first Australian men’s team, the Kookaburras competed at Melbourne 1956 and since then they have finished no lower than sixth. 

The men have stood on the Olympic podium 10 times in 16 appearances, and as one of the nation’s most successful sporting teams, are arguably amongst the favourites to win gold in Paris.  The Kookaburras dominated on the world stage between 1992 and 2012, becoming the only Australian team, in any sport, to receive medals at six-straight Olympic Games.  They won bronze medals at Tokyo 1964, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, silver medals at Mexico City 1968, Montreal 1976 and Barcelona 1992 and finally the gold medal at Athens in 2004.

Having won five bronze medals and three silver up until Athens 2004, it was an illustrious run that ended in 2016 when the Kookaburras placed sixth in Rio. Now in a resurgent era, the Kookaburras came agonisingly close at the Tokyo Olympic Games, when they went down to Belgium 2-2 (3-4) in a penalty shootout. 

At Tokyo 2020 the Kookaburras returned to the podium, claiming the silver medal, their 10th medal from 16 appearances. Ten medals is the second highest by any nation at the Olympics in men's hockey. At full-time in the Tokyo final, Australia and Belgium were locked at 1-1, sending the game to a shootout to decide the gold medal, with Belgium winning 3-2.

The Kookaburras go into the Games in stellar form, recently crowned 2024 FIH Pro League champions, winning 12 from 16 matches. The Pro-League title came on the back of a five-match clean sweep over India at the 2024 Perth International Festival of Hockey Champions.

Women (The Hockeyroos)

The Hockeyroos first competed at the Olympic Games in 1984, one edition after hockey was introduced for women at the Olympics in 1980, which Australia boycotted. They quickly followed the tracks of the Kookaburras, winning gold in 1988, 1996 and at their home Games in 2000. Since then, the Hockeyroos have recorded consistent results with fifth at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics. In 2016 and 2021 they finished sixth. They are coached by triple Olympian Katrina Powell, who was a part of the winning sides in 1996 and 2000.

The Hockeyroos come into the tournament looking to improve on their fifth place from the 2020 Tokyo Games. They claimed silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games going down 2-1 to England.

Sport Format

There are 11 players allowed on a hockey field, including the goalkeeper.

Olympic rosters are limited to 16 players but substitutions can be made throughout the game. The format previously involved two 35-minute halves however the format was changed to 15 minute quarters prior to Rio 2016, with a 2 minute break after the first and third periods, but teams are not allowed to leave the field of play.

If scores are level at the end of a final or play-off, matches go into extra time. Two, seven-and-a-half minute "sudden death" periods are played, with the first goal ending the match. If a result is still not reached each team selects five players for a penalty stroke shoot-out.

At the Olympic Games there are 12 teams in the men’s and women’s competition. Teams are split into two pools of six for the preliminary rounds. The top four teams in each pool proceed to the quarter-finals, with the remaining four teams eliminated at this stage.

The winners of the quarter-finals progress to the semi-finals, the winners of which meet in the gold medal match. The losers of the semi-finals will play for the bronze medal.

Historic success:

Kookaburras 
-    All but unbeaten in 2024, winning 7 of 8 matches at the FIH Pro League in India.
-    2023 Oceania Cup champions
-    2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games - gold
-    2020 Tokyo Olympics - silver 
-    Olympic gold medals – 2004
-    Olympic silver medals – 1968, 1976, 1992, 2020
-    Olympic bronze medals – 1964, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012
-    World Cup gold medals – 1986, 2010, 2014
-    Commonwealth Games gold medals – 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022

Hockeyroos
-    2023 Oceania Cup champions
-    2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games – silver
-    2022 FIH Pro League World Cup – bronze
-    Olympic gold medals – 1988, 1996, 2000
-    World Cup gold medals – 1994, 1998
-    Commonwealth Games gold medals – 1998, 2006, 2010, 2014