18 Jul, 2025 The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and its partner Endeavor Streaming are delighted to announce that the recent launch of the reimagined Watch.Hockey service was truly successful. The strong overachievement in subscription numbers during June is a clear indicator of the platform’s growing success and global acceptance. Thanks to the Watch.Hockey platform, fans from around the world* were able to enjoy seamless access to live and on-demand coverage of all FIH events held in June, delivering an exceptional viewing experience across devices. They could also benefit from powerful new features such as a playback control enabling them to move back in time within the video, or the possibility to cast videos from their mobile device to Chromecast and Airplay compatible TV. Numerous positive comments were received from every corner of the global hockey community. Team USA player Aki Kaeppeler said: “I really like that Watch.Hockey is back. Makes it super easy to follow everything that is going on and watch all the games and even highlights. Plus, rewatch if I’ve missed something or want to just see something I couldn’t watch because of the time difference or my own trainings etc. It’s also awesome that everything international is on one website so I don’t need to figure out who is streaming what or where to watch it. Plus, the deal at the beginning of the Pro League was nice and affordable.” “The Watch.Hockey app has given us the opportunity to watch hockey from around the world, allowing fans to support their teams and families who cannot travel. It has made the game more accessible and engaging by offering live games and replays. What I love most is the ability to go back and rewatch games, as well as how affordable the app is. I also love staying connected with all the international competitions, such as the Pro League and other tournaments happening globally”, South African player Edith Molikoe. “Watch.hockey this season looked fantastic and worked really well. It was finally fantastic to be able to open the app, click on a live game and watch. Phenomenal improvement on previous years. Really well done FIH!!”, said FIH Coach of the Year Alyson Annan about the new Watch.Hockey. “I watched the games on the new Watch.Hockey platform and was very satisfied with the high video quality and smooth access”, said Yoki Sakamoto, Director General of the Japanese Hockey Association. “The app is very fluid and well-organized. The content is rich, and the fact that you don’t have to use the scores for replays is great!”, emailed a hockey fan from Europe. This positive outcome enabled it to reach much higher audiences than in the past, therefore contributing significantly to one of the main objectives of Watch.Hockey, namely, to promote hockey worldwide. Watch.Hockey is available on web, iOS (App Store), Android (Play Store), Apple TV, Android TV and Amazon Firestick. Beyond live and on demand matches, it also offers live stats, extended match highlights and an extended library of videos on demand. The 2025-26 Season Pass is still available at an Early Bird offer**. In addition to the Season Pass, it will be possible for hockey fans to subscribe to other events shortly, such as the upcoming Pan American Cup*** (24 July – 3 August) and the Asian Cup (Men: 29 August – 7 September / Women: 5-14 September). These two really exciting tournaments are also qualifiers for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup! * except in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka due to broadcasting agreements in place **Early Bird offer valid for a limited period of time *** except in Argentina due to broadcasting agreements in place

17 Jul, 2025 The International Hockey Federation (FIH) today announced the launch of ‘Women Who Thrive’, a new series celebrating the historical and ongoing impact of women in the sport of hockey. It features engaging video profiles and stories spotlighting influential women from hockey’s past and present. The series is part of the Women in Hockey Empowerment Project that FIH launched at its Congress last year. Episodes are available on FIH’s streaming platform Watch.Hockey (direct links: Luciana Aymar; Rani Rampal) FIH President Tayyab Ikram emphasized the organization’s commitment, stating: “Hockey is a gender equal sport and one of our key commitments is to go even further, encouraging women to continue playing and setting the scene for others to join, accelerating opportunities for women to grow within our sport”. In the spotlight: Icons Luciana Aymar and Rani Rampal The series kicks off with two of hockey’s most iconic figures. Argentina’s Luciana Aymar – a four-time Olympic medallist and four-time World Cup medallist, and the only player in history to be elected FIH Player of the Year eight times! – reflects on her illustrious career. India’s Rani Rampal – former captain of the national women’s team and a veteran of over 200 international matches – also shares her inspirational story. Both athletes appear in the inaugural videos to reflect on their journeys and offer advice to the next generation. As Aymar notes: “I feel honoured that my personal story can inspire other girls to keep on playing or to join hockey. Teenage years are not easy, where lack of confidence and doubts can play a major role. I am here to remind girls that anyone can play hockey. We are all equal and worth to play this sport”. Rampal, likewise, underscores the power of self-belief: “As a former player and now a coach I feel I have a responsibility to pass some of what hockey has given me: the passion, the confidence, the strength to overcome challenges. If I could do it, then every girl can. Until you believe in yourself, nobody will believe in you”. The ‘Women Who Thrive’ series will continue to roll out additional episodes throughout the year, each highlighting remarkable women – players, coaches, umpires and administrators – whose leadership and dedication have helped shape hockey globally. Honoring a century of women’s hockey The series places these modern stories in the context of a rich history of women in the sport. In fact, women’s hockey first emerged at British universities and schools in the late 1800s. The sport grew rapidly – a separate International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations was formed in 1927 – and women’s hockey made its Olympic debut in 1980. This long legacy underscores how women’s contributions have always been integral to hockey’s development and spirit. FIH Women’s Empowerment Project and Body Confident Sport Program The series also highlights FIH’s ongoing efforts to advance gender equity in hockey. In late 2024, FIH launched its Women in Hockey Empowerment Project – a transformative platform to uplift and engage female players, coaches, officials and leaders in the sport. The project’s goals include identifying and addressing systemic inequalities, accelerating opportunities for girls and women to advance and lead, and celebrating successful women as role models. A key pillar of the Empowerment Project is the Body Confident Sport programme, supported by a grant from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. This first-of-its-kind coaching toolkit – co-created by Nike and Dove – provides coaches with materials to help increase body confidence, positive body image and self-esteem among young athletes. Research shows that nearly half of girls aged 11–17 drop out of sport due to body image insecurities. Body Confident Sport aims to change this by helping girls and young people of all gender identities feel comfortable and confident in their own bodies while participating in hockey. FIH will champion the programme through its global network of coaches and member associations to maximize its reach. Marijke Fleuren, Chair of FIH’s Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said: “Highlighting the challenges, successes, and lessons of our role models is essential to inspire the next generation of girls and women in hockey. The Women Who Thrive series, which shares the journeys of some of our sport’s most influential women, will serve as a powerful tool to generate confidence, motivation, and a lasting connection to hockey”. Laureus Sport for Good’s Sara Downie commented: “We are proud to continue our partnership with FIH in our shared mission to expand opportunities for girls to play sports globally. We’re especially committed to raising the visibility of the Body Confident Sport programme—a powerful tool that supports not only athletes but also coaches in fostering positive body image and confidence in sport”. Through the ‘Women Who Thrive’ series and its empowerment projects, FIH is reinforcing that every person – regardless of gender – is welcome in hockey and can excel in the sport. The Federation invites the hockey community and the public to follow the series and join the conversation on social media using #MadeForHockey. All related information is available on the FIH website (see madefor.hockey). Source: FIH.hockey

02 Jul, 2025 After an intense month of June for international hockey that included half of the FIH Hockey Pro League season, the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup and the inaugural FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2, here’s a snapshot of the current world rankings (outdoor) as we’ve reached the half of the year: In the women’s world rankings, the final stages of the 2024-25 FIH Hockey Pro League season have not led to any changes for the participating teams. Netherlands (3682) remain at the top of the rankings, followed by Argentina (3221) and Belgium (3027). Beyond the podium, the next six teams are the remaining teams in the Pro League, namely China (2813), Australia (2724), Germany (2631), Spain (2585), England (2481) and India (2243). The inaugural FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2 however enabled France and Uruguay to benefit the most from their excellent performances. With 1607 points, Champions Les Bleues are now ranked 17th. This is no less than their best-ever position! Runners-up Las Cimarronas have also reached their best ever ranking (22nd) with 1479 points. On the other side, South Africa (1442) and Malaysia (1404), finishing 8th and 7th in the tournament respectively, are enduring their lowest ranking ever. In the men’s world rankings, the FIH Hockey Pro League matches played in June caused a number of changes in the rankings. On the plus side, Germany (3076) moved up to the second spot and Spain (2883) – who qualified to the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup thanks to their successful Pro League campaign – to the fourth one. On the contrary, England (2874), India (2733) and Ireland (2125) all dropped in the rankings to the 5th, 8th and 11th positions respectively. Olympic champions and FIH Hockey Pro League winners Netherlands (3382) continue to top the rankings. Winning the recent FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Malaysia, New Zealand is now back in the top 10 (9th with 2172 points). However, South Africa (1948), who were relegated to the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, lost three places whilst Japan (1782) lost two compared to the March rankings. To see the complete FIH World Rankings, please click here. The rankings calculations model that FIH introduced on 1st January 2020 moved away from the previous tournament-based rankings system to a dynamic, match-based method where opposing teams exchange points in official, FIH sanctioned games. The number of points exchanged depends on the result of the match, the relative ranking of the teams and the importance of the match. More information about the new rankings model can be found below. How the FIH World Rankings work: The number of points exchanged depends on the result of the match, the relative ranking of the teams and the importance of the match. FIH World Rankings explained: Based on the Elo rating system, which is used as the basis of many other sports ranking systems When two nations play against each other, a number of ranking points are exchanged between them In every match, the number of points gained by one team is exactly matched by the number of points lost by the other Teams will win more points for beating teams ranked above them, and therefore teams will lose more points for losing to a team ranked below them Teams will win less points for beating teams ranked below them, and therefore teams will lose less points for losing to a team ranked above them If a draw occurs, the lower ranked team will gain a small number of points and the higher ranked team will lose the same number of points The number of points exchanged is dependent on the result of the match (win, lose, shootout win/loss or draw), the importance of the match (part of a major tournament, or a test series for example), and the relative difference in ranking points between the teams before the match. More details about the formula used in the algorithm, weightings of matches and other factors can be found HERE together with a Frequently Asked Questions document HERE. Source: FIH.hockey