FIH Pro League: Ireland men accept invitation to make debut in 2023-24 season

Head coach Mark Tumilty says competing against the world's best will give his side "added purpose and focus"

The Irish men's hockey team will play in the 2023-24 FIH Pro League after accepting an invitation from the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Ireland will compete in the event for the first time after taking the place of South Africa.

South Africa gained promotion to the top tier of the men's game by winning the inaugural Nations Cup in November.

However, they have chosen not to take their place, paving the way for Nations Cup runners-up Ireland to step in.

Ireland will replace the team who finishes bottom in the 2022-23 campaign. The 2023-2024 Pro League season is expected to get under way in October.

Ireland, ranked 13th in the world, can expect games against world champions Germany and Olympic gold medal winners Belgium, as well as other hockey powerhouses such as Australia, India and Great Britain.

The upcoming season will be the first one applying promotion and relegation.

The current teams in the Pro League are Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, India and Argentina.

"We are delighted this has come about," said Ireland head coach Mark Tumilty.

"It's a big opportunity for us and for men's hockey in Ireland. It's a massive challenge for us but I've said many times before that for Ireland to move forward in world hockey we need to be playing competitive games against the top nations.

"To have the chance now to play sixteen games against the top countries in the world will give our programme added purpose and focus."

It is a huge boost for the men's side who in recent years have lost out on Olympic and World Cup qualification in shootout defeats.

Tumlity has spent the last three years developing a young squad into one that can compete at the highest level following a number of retirements.

Getting games against the world's top nations has proved difficult, but with Tumilty's wishes having ben granted, he will hope the experience bolsters their Olympic qualification bid for next year's Paris Games.

However, Ireland must qualify for that tournament first and will host Division 2 of the EuroHockey Championships in Abbotstown in July, looking to claim one of two places available to continue their Olympic dream before embarking on their Pro League adventure.

Hockey Ireland CEO Ronan Murphy said: "This announcement comes at a very exciting time for Irish hockey, as we look to grow participation in the game and compete at the highest level on the international stage.

"The fact that our senior men are now competing in the Pro League against eight top hockey teams from around the world is a testament to all the hard work to date and is aligned with our high-performance strategy and objectives."