SA Hockey appoints new coach for women's national team

Cape Town - The South African Hockey Association today has announced Robin van Ginkel as the new head coach of the national women's team.

Van Ginkel will be tasked with leading South Africa through to the 2022 Hockey World Cup.

Van Ginkel has a glowing hockey CV that includes time as the assistant coach to the Austrian men's team, where they finished 7th in the EuroHockey Championship, their highest finish in history as well as winning the Hockey Series Open in Croatia earlier this year.

Further to this, Van Ginkel was alongside Sheldon Rostron for both the South African men and women in the rare feat of the double gold at the African Cup of Nations 2017. He was also part of the coaching staff of the Delhi Waveriders in the Hockey India League for four seasons including the title winning season of 2014.

Van Ginkel has served through the structures in South African hockey, coaching the SA U18 against Australia U18 in 2016. He has also overseen the SA U21 side in recent years including in the guise of the Namaqualand Daisies in the Premier Hockey League where he improved them from last place to a semi-final in 2017. Van Ginkel also has three IPT finals to his name including the fantastic Southern Gauteng triumph in 2015.

Away from the provincial and national roles, Van Ginkel is also currently the Director of Hockey at St. Stithians College in Johannesburg and an international sport scientist.

"I am incredibly honoured that I have been given the opportunity to coach my national team. I am excited about building a team that can challenge and make South Africa proud," he said.

"I am determined to develop the players in the country and it is my goal to leave SA Hockey in a better position that I am given it."

Van Ginkel will begin his reign with a summer series in January with an eye on the Open Series Final in Madrid, an Olympic Qualifying event, in June next year as the major hurdle on the short-term horizon.