The 2021 FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup will take place in Potchefstroom from 5-16 December. See who qualified here:
Pool A: Netherlands, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Korea 
Netherlands
How they qualified: 2nd Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019
About the team: In eight women’s Junior Hockey World Cups, the Netherlands have only failed to secure a podium finish on three occasions, have claimed the title three times (Seongnam 1997, Boston 2009, Mönchengladbach 2013) with one silver and one bronze. The Oranje were the beaten finalists in the most recent edition of the competition, following to a 4-2 loss at the hands of Argentina at Santiago 2016. Five years later, numerous players from both teams faced each other in the final of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the Dutch would emerge winners. They earned their ticket thanks to a second-place finish behind Spain at the EuroHockey Junior Championship 2019, where future Olympic gold medallist Felice Albers scored three times.
Ireland
How they qualified: Nominated as reserve team (following withdrawal of Australia & New Zealand)
About the team: Irish women’s hockey has claimed numerous firsts in recent years, with the senior team claiming a World Cup silver medal before securing Olympic qualification for the first time in their history a year later. The latest first has been achieved by the junior women’s team, who will make their Junior World Cup debut in Potchefstroom after being invited as one of the replacement teams for Australia and New Zealand, who were both forced to withdraw due to COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed by their respective governments. The team coached by Dave Passmore finished seventh at the EuroHockey Junior Championship 2019 in Valencia, but ended the competition on a high with a resounding 5-1 victory over France. If they hit form, Ireland are capable of causing some shocks in South Africa. 
Republic of Korea
How they qualified: Nominated by Asian Hockey Federation
About the team: As the Junior World Cup champions of 2001 and 2005 as well as being silver medallists in 1989 and bronze medallists in 2009, Korea have a fine reputation in this competition. They have competed in all eight previous editions, although at the two most recent events – Mönchengladbach 2013 and Santiago 2016 – could only manage 11th and 12th place respectively. Korea’s place in the competition was confirmed by being nominated by the Asian Hockey Federation following the unfortunate cancellation of the 2021 Junior Asia Cup, which acted as the qualification competition for the Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom. 
Zimbabwe
How they qualified: Nominated by African Hockey Federation
About the team: As the 2021 edition of the Women’s Junior Africa Cup is unable to be staged, Zimbabwe were selected for the Women’s Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom based on being runners up at the Junior Africa Cup in 2016. They will be determined to take the opportunity to showcase their talents on African soil with both hands. This will be Zimbabwe women’s fourth Junior World Cup appearance, having participated in the Ottawa 1989, Santiago 2005 and Santiago 2016 competitions. They finished bottom of the standings on each of those occasions, something they will be keen to rectify this time around.
Pool B: Canada, Uruguay, England, Belgium 
Canada
How they qualified: 1st Place – 2021 Women’s Junior Pan American Championship
About the team: In August 2021, Canada provided one of the remarkable hockey stories of the year with a stunning tournament win at the 2021 Women’s Junior Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile. A 1-0 victory against competition favourites and reigning Junior Hockey World Cup champions Argentina in Pool A saw them secure a place in the competition semi-finals ahead of their illustrious opponents, before recording the same score-lines over Chile and Uruguay in the semis and final respectively to win the title for the first time in their history. Anna Mollenhauer scored the crucial goal in the final, netting a 53rd minute penalty corner to seal a famous victory. Mollenhauer and co will be looking to achieve even great things in Potchefstroom, and they have every chance of doing just that.
Uruguay
How they qualified: 2nd Place – 2021 Women’s Junior Pan American Championship
About the team: 2021 has already been a year to remember for Uruguay, who produced their best ever performance at the Women’s Junior Pan American Championship to claim the silver medal behind Canada at the competition in Santiago, Chile. It was the first time that they had ever achieved a podium finish in the event, topping the 4th place achieved at the 1988 competition in Buenos Aires and earning themselves a first ever Junior World Cup ticket. The team achieved a creditable draw with reigning Junior World Cup holders Argentina in the pool phase before a solitary penalty corner strike from Maria Barreiro helped her team defeat USA in the semi-finals. Shot-stopper Maria Bate was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament and could well be a player to watch in Potchefstroom.
Belgium
How they qualified: 4th Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019
About the team: Belgium may only be competing in their third FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, but their upwards trajectory suggests that a place on the podium in Potchefstroom is certainly a possibility. A 13th place finish at Mönchengladbach 2013 was followed by a vastly improved sixth place at Santiago 2016. The team that finished fourth at the EuroHockey Junior Championship in Valencia featured Charlotte Englebert, Justine Rasire and Shaunda Ikegwuonu, players who have featured for Belgium’s Red Panthers in the FIH Hockey Pro League.
England
How they qualified: 6th Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019
About the team: A sixth place finish at the EuroHockey Junior Championship 2019 in Valencia was perhaps slightly underwhelming for a team many rated as podium contenders. A quick look at the results indicates that it was the drawn matches that proved costly, with three of their four matches ending with the scores level and only suffering defeat at the hands of Germany. England have competed in every Junior World Cup since the competition’s inception in 1989, with fourth places at Boston 2009 and Mönchengladbach 2013 being their joint highest finishes.
Pool C: Argentina, India, Japan, Russia
Argentina
How they qualified: Nominated as reserve team (following withdrawal of Australia & New Zealand)
About the team: By their own very high standards, Argentina’s junior women’s team have had poor 2021. As the reigning world and continental champions, Las Leoncitas arrived at the 2021 Women’s Junior Pan American Championship as red-hot favourites but found themselves eliminated from the competition in the pool phase, with a defeat at the hands of Canada ending their hopes of both defending the title and sealing their ticket to Potchefstroom. However, the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand due to COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed by their respective governments has given Argentina a second chance, being selected for the competition based on the high ranking of their senior team. It is an opportunity that the nation crowned champions in 1993 and 2016 will be desperate to grab with both hands. 
Japan
How they qualified: Nominated by Asian Hockey Federation
About the team: Competing in only their second Women’s Junior World Cup after making their debut at Santiago 2016, Japan will be hugely excited about the prospect of taking on the world’s finest youth international teams in Potchefstroom. Finishing ninth out of 16 in Santiago was certainly a pretty good start for the team, who booked their ticket to that event by finishing runners up to China in the Junior Asia Cup 2015. Japan claimed a measure of revenge against China in Santiago, snatching a 2-0 victory in the ninth-tenth classification match. Japan place in the competition was confirmed by being nominated by the Asian Hockey Federation following the unfortunate cancellation of the 2021 Junior Asia Cup, which acted as the qualification competition for the Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom. 
Russia
How they qualified: 5th Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019
About the team: Russia secured qualification for the Potchefstroom 2021 Junior World Cup thanks to a fine performance at the EuroHockey Junior Championships 2019 in Valencia, where they picked up notable wins against Ireland, France and England to finish in fifth position. They faced England in the 5-6 classification match, falling behind twice before finding equalisers from Svetlana Eroshina and Dayana Yushkova to force a shoot-out, emerging 3-2 winners thanks to goals from Eroshina, Aleksandra Eliseeva and team captain Mariia Bordolimova. Russia have competed in three Junior World Cups, with a tenth-place finish at Terrassa 1993 being their best performance to date.
India
How they qualified: Nominated by Asian Hockey Federation About the team: India take part in their fifth FIH Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup, having participated at Buenos Aires 2001, Santiago 2005, Boston 2009 and Mönchengladbach 2013. Prior to Mönchengladbach, the team had never finished higher than ninth place, but a stunning bronze medal in 2013 – inspired by the brilliance of current senior women’s team captain Rani – put the Junior Eves firmly on the map. The team missed out on the Santiago 2016 Junior World Cup due to a fourth-place finish at the 2015 Junior Asia Cup in Changzhou (CHN). However, they are back in the hunt for the 2021 edition after being nominated by the Asian Hockey Federation following the unfortunate cancellation of the 2021 Junior Asia Cup, which acted as the qualification competition for the Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom.
Pool D: South Africa, USA, Germany, Spain
South Africa
How they qualified: Host nation
About the team: South Africa will be looking to make home advantage count at Potchefstroom, with surpassing their previous best Junior World Cup finish of sixth place being very much the target. The team achieved those markers at the Seongnam 1997 (KOR) and Buenos Aires 2001 (ARG) competitions, with 14th at the 2016 competition in Santiago, Chile being their lowest finish. The team coached by South Africa double Olympian Lenise Marais is expected to feature some of the players took part in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, with Mishka Ellis, Nepo Serage and Kayla de Waal all members of the squad that reached the bronze medal match in the Hockey5s competition.
Spain
How they qualified: 1st Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019
About the team: Spain have competed in seven of the eight women’s Junior World Cup competitions that have been played so far, only missing the 1989 debut event in Ottawa, Canada. The Junior Red Sticks achieved their highest ever finish at the 2016 competition in Chile, and – following their triumph at the EuroHockey Junior Championship 2019 on home soil in Valencia – will feel that a place on the podium is within their capabilities this time around. Isabel Zaldúa and Laura Barrios – who represented the senior team at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – scored four goals apiece in Valencia, with the team defeating the Netherlands in the final courtesy of a shoot-out.
Germany
How they qualified: 3rd Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019
About the team: Germany sealed a berth at the Junior World Cup thanks to a third-place finish at the EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019, beating Belgium to the bronze medal in a sudden-death shoot-out after regular time finished level at 1-1. Germany have a fine Junior World Cup record, having claimed the inaugural title at the Ottawa 1989 event and claimed medals at Terrassa 1993 (bronze) and Santiago 2005 (silver). The team finished fifth at Santiago 2016, with numerous players such as Lena Micheel, Viktoria Huse, and Hannah Gablac now regulars with the senior international team. 
USA
How they qualified: 3rd Place – 2021 Women’s Junior Pan American Championship
About the team: The USA have a hugely impressive record in the Junior Pan American Championship, with their recent bronze medal in Santiago, Chile – which sealed their ticket to Potchefstroom – being their eighth podium finish in nine appearances. Two of their players caught the eye in Santiago, with Hope Rose being named as Player of the Tournament while Charlotte de Vries took the tournament top scorer prize with five goals. USA have appeared in seven of the previous eight Junior World Cups, with their best finish being seventh, which was achieved at both the Santiago 2005 and Mönchengladbach 2013 competitions.
