After a massively successful competition in 2019, the FIH Pro League will be returning next year.
The FIH 2020 is a men and women’s league of the best field hockey nations.
In the inaugural running of the league, London played host to a series of sell-out games – including the biggest crowd for a hockey match since the 2012 Olympics – when Great Britain’s men and women made history by taking hockey to the Twickenham Stoop in front of nearly 12,000 people.
This ground-breaking global hockey competition returns in 2020, bringing together the world’s best men’s and women’s teams and renewing some fierce rivalries as nations battle it out ahead of Tokyo 2020.
Next year’s tournament will see a change in the structuring of fixtures, with countries playing eight double-headers over four big weekends. They will also play eight international double headers away from home too. Furthermore India will join the men’s competition and there will be no Grand Final.
FIH 2020: New season, new format
Earlier this year the FIH outlined a refined format for the 2020 and 2021 FIH Pro League campaigns following suggestions from competing nations to halve the amount of travel time.
The league will now see teams play each other home and away in alternate years. For example, in 2020 Great Britain will play a total of four matches against Argentina (two women’s games and two men’s) before travelling to South America for four away games in 2021. The new schedule is loosely the same as the European Six Nations in rugby union tournament, though countries play each other twice each year instead of once.
Importantly, there will no longer be a Grand Final, with both the men’s and women’s overall champions being determined by which team finishes at the top of the table at the end of the season’s games.
India’s men are included in the world’s best league
The men’s league is set to get even better next year as India’s men join the elite nations in competing for top spot.
Their addition to the tournament means that each of the world’s nine top ranked men’s teams (India are fifth, a place higher than Great Britain with Australia ranked first) will be taking part in the FIH Pro League in 2020.
With the league being so closely fought last time round with great array of talent on show their inclusion will add even more excitement next year as they bring their well known attacking style and pumped up fans to the party.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil stated: “After a successful start of our very first global home and away league, we’re looking forward to pursue the growth of the FIH Pro League. This new match schedule enables to reduce by half the travel of the teams compared to last year, therefore decreasing costs for teams, benefiting athletes’ welfare and reducing the impact on the environment. We welcome India, a great addition to the League! I invite all hockey fans, but also all those who have not had the chance to experience a hockey match yet, to go to the stadiums, see hockey at its best and enjoy the spirit of our sport!”
22nd Feb India vs Australia
23rd Feb India vs Australia
6th March Home Australia vs Argentina
7th March Home Australia vs Argentina
14th march China vs Australia (W)
FPL W China v Netherlands 11 Jan TBA (China)
FPL W China v Netherlands 12 Jan TBA
FPL M India v Netherlands 18 Jan TBA (India)
FPL M India v Netherlands 19 Jan TBA (India)
FPL M Spain v Germany 24 Jan TBA (Spain)
FPL M Australia v Belgium 25 Jan TBA (Australia)
FPL W Australia v Belgium 25 Jan TBA (Australia)
FPL M Spain v Germany 25Jan TBA (Spain)
FPL W USA v Netherlands 25 Jan TBA (USA)
FPL M Australia v Belgium 26 Jan TBA (Australia)
FPL W Australia v Belgium 26 Jan TBA (Australia)
FPL W USA v Netherlands 26 Jan TBA (USA)
FPL M Spain v Netherlands 31 Jan TBA (Spain)
FPL M New Zealand v Belgium 1 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v Belgium 1 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL M Australia v Great Britain 1 Feb TBA (Australia)
FPL W Australia v Great Britain 1 Feb TBA (Australia)
FPL M Spain v Netherlands 1 Feb TBA (Spain)
FPL M New Zealand v Belgium 2 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v Belgium 2 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL M Australia v Great Britain 2 Feb TBA (Australia)
FPL W Australia v Great Britain 2 Feb TBA (Australia)
FPL M Argentina v Spain 7 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v USA 7 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL M New Zealand v Great Britain 8 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v Great Britain 8 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W China v Belgium 8 Feb TBA (China)
FPL M India v Belgium 8 Feb TBA (India)
FPL M Argentina v Spain 8 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v USA 8 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL M New Zealand v Great Britain 9 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v Great Britain 9 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W China v Belgium 9 Feb TBA (China)
FPL M India v Belgium 9 Feb TBA (India)
FPL M New Zealand v Spain 15 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v USA 15 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL M Argentina v Netherlands 15 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v Netherlands 15 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL M New Zealand v Spain 16 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v USA 16 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL M Argentina v Netherlands 16 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v Netherlands 16 Feb TBA (Argentina)
FPL M India v Australia 22 Feb TBA (India)
FPL M India v Australia 23 Feb TBA (India)
FPL M New Zealand v Argentina 28 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v Argentina 28 Feb TBA (New Zealand)
FPL M New Zealand v Argentina 1 Mar TBA (New Zealand)
FPL W New Zealand v Argentina 1 Mar TBA (New Zealand)
FPL M Australia v Argentina 6 Mar TBA (Australia)
FPL W Australia v Argentina 6 Mar TBA (Australia)
FPL M Australia v Argentina 7 Mar TBA (Australia)
FPL W Australia v Argentina 7 Mar TBA (Australia)
FPL W China v Australia 14 Mar TBA (China)
FPL M Spain v Australia 14 Mar TBA (Spain)
FPL W China v Australia 15 Mar TBA (China)
FPL M Spain v Australia 15 Mar TBA (Spain)
FPL W Germany v Belgium 19 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v Belgium 19 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL W Netherlands v New Zealand 19 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL M Netherlands v New Zealand 20 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Germany v Australia 21 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v Australia 21 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL W Germany v Australia 22 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v Australia 22 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL W Netherlands v New Zealand 22 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL M Netherlands v New Zealand 22 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Netherlands Australia 26 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Germany v Belgium 26 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v Belgium 26 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL M Netherlands v Australia 27 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Germany v New Zealand 28 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v New Zealand 28 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL W Germany v New Zealand 29 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v New Zealand 29 Mar TBA (Germany)
FPL W Netherlands v Australia 29 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL M Netherlands v Australia 29 Mar TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Germany v China 25 Apr TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v India 25 Apr TBA (Germany)
FPL W Germany v China 26 Apr TBA (Germany)
FPL M Germany v India 26 Apr TBA (Germany)
FPL W Netherlands v Great Britain 28 Apr TBA (Netherlands)
FPL M Netherlands v Great Britain 28 Apr TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Netherlands v Great Britain 29 Apr TBA (Netherlands)
FPL M Netherlands v Great Britain 29 Apr TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W USA v Australia 1 May TBA (USA)
FPL M Great Britain v India 3 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL M Great Britain v China 3 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W USA v Australia 3 May TBA (USA)
FPL M Great Britain v India 4 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Great Britain v China 4 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W USA v China 9 May TBA (USA)
FPL W USA v China 10 May TBA (USA)
FPL W Belgium v USA 15 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Spain 15 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL W Australia v New Zealand 16 May TBA (Australia)
FPL M Australia v New Zealand 16 May TBA (Australia)
FPL M Great Britain v Argentina 16 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Great Britain v Argentina 16 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Australia v New Zealand 17 May TBA (Australia)
FPL M Australia v New Zealand 17 May TBA (Australia)
FPL W Belgium v USA 17 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Spain 17 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Great Britain v Argentina 17 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Great Britain v Argentina 17 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Belgium v Argentina 21 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Argentina 21 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL W China v New Zealand 23 May TBA (China)
FPL M India v New Zealand 23 May TBA (India)
FPL W Belgium v Argentina 23 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Argentina 23 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL W China v New Zealand 24 May TBA (China)
FPL M India v New Zealand 24 May TBA (India)
FPL M Great Britain v Spain 24 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Great Britain v USA 24 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL M Great Britain v Spain 25 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Great Britain v USA 25 May TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Belgium v Great Britain 29 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Great Britain 29 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Argentina v Germany 29 May TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v Germany 29 May TBA (Argentina)
FPL M Argentina v Germany 30 May TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v Germany 30 May TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Belgium v Great Britain 31 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Great Britain 31 May TBA (Belgium)
FPL W USA v Germany 5 Jun TBA (USA)
FPL M Argentina v India 6 Jun TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v China 6 Jun TBA (Argentina)
FPL M Argentina v India 7 Jun TBA (Argentina)
FPL W Argentina v China 7 Jun TBA (Argentina)
FPL W USA v Germany 7 Jun TBA (USA)
FPL M Spain v India 13 Jun TBA (Spain)
FPL M Great Britain v Germany 13 Jun TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Great Britain v Germany 13 Jun TBA (Great Britain)
FPL M Spain v India 14 Jun TBA (Spain)
FPL M Great Britain v Germany 14 Jun TBA (Great Britain)
FPL W Great Britain v Germany 14 Jun TBA (Great Britain)
FPL M Netherlands v Germany 19 Jun TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Netherlands v Germany 20Jun TBA (Netherlands)
FPL M Netherlands v Germany 21 Jun TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Netherlands v Germany 21 Jun TBA (Netherlands)
FPL W Belgium v Netherlands 26 Jun TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Netherlands 26 Jun TBA (Belgium)
FPL W Belgium v Netherlands 28 Jun TBA (Belgium)
FPL M Belgium v Netherlands 28 Jun TBA (Belgium)