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Ireland hockey teams discover pool opponents for World Cup

Ireland's Matthew Nelson celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal against Belgium
Ireland's men's team are riding high in the world rankings at number nine in the standings

Ireland's men's and women's teams discovered their pool opponents for this summer's FIH Hockey World Cup when the draw took place at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam this afternoon.

The women's team were drawn in Pool C alongside Belgium, Spain and New Zealand in the 16-nation competition.

Their male counterparts will also figure in Pool C, with Australia, Spain and South Africa providing the opposition for Mark Tumilty's charges.

Ireland's men's team took top spot in their World Cup qualifying tournament in Chile earlier this month, seeing off Canada, Korea, Poland, Wales and France to boast a perfect record.

The women's team advanced to the finals after a nail-biting penalty shootout win over Japan in Santiago in a third place play-off.

Conveniently for Ireland fans, both teams will be based in the Belgian city of Wavre during the pool stages.

The World Cup takes place in the Netherlands and Belgium from 15-30 August.

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