Hockey Ireland men's head coach Mark Tumilty embracing "massive challenge" of Pro League

Ireland finished runners-up to South Africa in the inaugural FIH Nations Cup tournament last November, losing a thrilling final 4-3.

It meant South Africa gained promotion to the Pro League for 2023-2024 replacing the nation that will finish bottom at the end of the current season.

However South Africa have decided not to take up their place and as runners-up in the Nations Cup, Ireland have been invited by the FIH to replace them and have chosen to do so.

It’s expected that the campaign will get underway in October with matches coming up against new world champions Germany, Olympic gold medallists Belgium, Australia, India and Great Britian.

“We are delighted this has come about,” said 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.”

Hockey Ireland CEO Ronan Murphy also welcomed the news, saying it’s “testament” to the hard work put in by all involved.

"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,” he said.

"The fact that our senior men are now competing in World Hockey's 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.

“As we continue our Olympic qualification campaign, we have a very busy year ahead with the EuroHockey Championships in Abbotstown in July offering a perfect opportunity for Irish hockey fans to come along and watch the team in full international action.”