Hampstead & Westminster's Toby Reynolds-Cotterill hailed the ‘huge’ opportunity for hockey on a visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to support a joint England and Wales bid for the 2026 men's World Cup.
With less than 50 days to go until the International Hockey Federation (FIH) make their decision on the where to host the tournament, Reynolds-Cotterill joined over 20 other Wales and England players at the state-of-the-art stadium where both the semi-finals and the final would be played, to get a glimpse of what it might be like to walk out there in four years’ time.
The ‘Back The Bid’ campaign is designed to show the power hosting a World Cup can have in transforming the sport, bringing the Hockey community together, and reaching more diverse audiences.
The Finals Weekend would head to the 62,850 seat stadium, which also hosts a number of other major sports events including NFL matches, with hockey hoping to recreate attendances not seen since women’s hockey was played at Wembley in the 1970s.
Cardiff Arms Park, along with the Twickenham Stoop in London and the cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, are the other venues that would host matches and see more than 320,000 tickets made available, making it the biggest Hockey World Cup in history.
Reynolds-Cotterill said: “We don’t get enough big tournaments in Wales and Cardiff so to play at Cardiff Arms Park and in the centre of the city would be amazing.
"I’m sure the fans will turn out in their numbers and bring the passion and noise that they do. Being at Tottenham has just given the players a taste of what it would be like.
"To host the World Cup would be huge for hockey in Wales and England. It’s about building a legacy – inspiring young people to pick up a stick and developing new facilities.”
England football captain and Tottenham striker Harry Kane added: “I’m backing the bid for England and Wales to host the men’s Hockey World Cup in 2026.
“Matches are set to be played in four world-class stadiums including the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A home World Cup will change perceptions of hockey, encourage participation, and benefit local communities – I’m backing the bid!”
To register your support for the England and Wales 2026 Back The Bid campaign, please visit: https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/backthebid.
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