South Africa Junior Hockey Women to Kick Off World Cup Campaign against Austria
African champions South Africa will begin their FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup campaign on Tuesday against Austria, with further Pool D fixtures to follow against England and China as they look to make their mark at the global showpiece in Santiago, Chile, South America, from 1 to 13 December 2025.
(Scroll down for an all-fixtures graphic)
The junior SA team qualified for their ninth World Cup appearance after being crowned African Champions in Namibia in October, and will be joined in the global youth platform by African compatriots Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Drawn in Pool D alongside Austria, China, and England, the South Africans know the importance of finishing strongly in the group phase of the newly expanded 24-team tournament, with higher pool placings opening pathways to more competitive playoff brackets.
Of their three Pool fixtures, England will be the clutch tie of South Africa’s matches, the world no.4-ranked team holding a vast leaderboard points advantage over 11th-placed African champs; but the junior SA team will be well-advised to approach EuroHockey contenders Austria with caution in spite of their 19th-place rankings; and Asian Hockey Federation’s China, sixteenth in the all-nations ranking, will also pose a stern challenge to South Africa’s intentions.
Approached for comment, the SA skipper was humble in reply:
“The Junior World Cup is a special opportunity for us to learn, challenge ourselves, and showcase the future of South African hockey. We’re excited to embrace every moment and test ourselves against the best.”
South Africa Junior Women Captain, Ane Janse van Vuuren
Speaking for five-time champions the Netherlands, Noor van den Nieuwenhof said: “We expect a super nice tournament with lots of strong countries and great matches. We will wear our orange shirts with pride and do everything we can to defend our title.”
Noor underlined the team’s unwavering expectations. “As Netherlands, we always go for the gold medal. We really want to defend our title,” she said.
“We’ve worked extremely hard over the last couple of months, and now we want to enjoy the World Cup and make the Dutch proud again.”
The Netherlands Junior Women Captain, Noor van den Nieuwenhof
Meanwhile, hosts Chile are beaming with ambition, belief, and a captain determined to lead from the front. Florencia Barrios, the team’s skipper, outlined her expectations and the mindset driving “Las Diablas” as they prepare to take on the world’s best:
“Our expectation for the tournament is always to take Chile as high as possible,” said Barrios. “We want to play on equal terms with any opponent we face and put on an incredible show for all the local fans who come to support us.”
Tyron Barnard: The Media Manager Driving SA Women’s Hockey to National Acclaim, One Story at a Time
SA Hockey Media Manager Tyron Barnard revels in his ‘absolutely vital’ role in consistently elevating…
‘The Greatest Privilege of My Life’ – SA Hockey Star Robyn Johnson Retires
SA Hockey bids farewell to dual-format star Robyn Johnson who retires after eight years, 112…
SA Women’s Indoor Hockey Squad Announced for 2025 Nkosi Cup
The Spar South Africa Women’s Indoor Hockey team for the 2025 Nkosi Cup in Cape…
‘The Girl Who Loves Sport’ Hockey Star Malikah Hamza Highlights Perseverance and Hard Work
National hockey star Malikah Hamza shares her true story in ‘Malikah: The Girl Who Loves…
South Africa’s 8th Consecutive African Champions Title Secures World Cup Qualification
South Africa’s women’s hockey team secured a clinical 4–nil victory over Ghana in the African…
South Africa Thump Nigeria to Book Spot in African Cup of Nations Final
The South African women’s hockey team produced a composed and commanding display to defeat Nigeria…
Fans will be able to follow the tournament on Watch.Hockey, with further broadcast details to be confirmed in due course.
The FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025 in Santiago, Chile, from 1 to 13 December, 2025
Pool A
Netherlands
Japan
Chile
Malaysia
Pool B
Argentina
Belgium
Zimbabwe
Wales
Pool C
Germany
India
Ireland
Namibia
Pool D
England
South Africa
China
Austria
Pool E
Australia
Spain
Canada
Scotland
Pool F
United States
Korea
New Zealand
Uruguay
South Africa’s Pool D Group Fixtures (all Matches 14h00 CAT)
2 Dec: South Africa vs Austria
4 Dec: South Africa vs England
6 Dec: South Africa vs China
South African Squad for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025
Ane Janse van Vuuren
Leah du Plessis
Reabetswe Phume
Anja Tromp
Malikah Hamza
Richele Norval
Baylee Engelke
Manisha Desai
Taheera Augousti
Emily Macquet
Nomsa Mzizi
Tara Pakendorf
Germarie Spershott
Ntsopa Mokoena
Teshawn De la Rey
Hannah Quinton
Paris-Gail Isaacs
Thabelani Metu
Original Copy: FIH, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: African champions South Africa will begin their FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup campaign on Tuesday against Austria, with further Pool D fixtures to follow against England and China as the world junior hockey showpiece gets underway in Santiago, Chile, South America, from 1 to 13 December, 2025. Photo: FIH
Photo 2 Caption: The Netherlands Junior Women Captain, Noor van den Nieuwenhof, is upbeat and confident ahead of their defence their 2023 title. File Photo: FIH
Crédito: Link de origem