Scotland & Wales for Invercargill qualifier

by Patrick (Pat) Rowley (01.09.09)

Scotland and Wales will have to go to Invercargill in the far South of New Zealand to take part in a men’s World Cup qualifier in November.

Ireland will go to Quilmes in Argentina.

All three countries must have been hoping to been drawn in the third qualifier, at Lille in France even though Pakistan, the highest ranked
team not qualified yet, go there.

Only one country will go forward from each of the qualifiers to the World Cup in Delhi next February.

Scotland will have the benefit of having Russell Garcia, the youngest of Britain’s 1988 Olympic gold medal winning team, as their coach.

Garcia was recently appointed as head coach of the Scottish Under 21 team and assistant coach of the senior team. He has now been promoted to acting coach of Scotland’s senior team.

Scotland have arranged tests with Ireland and Bangladesh but are looking for more international opposition before their qualifier.

Wales have yet to decide if they can afford to go to New Zealand and are in the process of recruiting coaches for the next two years.

The draw for the three Women’s World Cup qualifying tournaments will not be announced until after the Asia Cup (at Bangkok) in November.

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS. (teams in seeding order).

LILLE (France) (Oct 31-Nov 8). Pakistan, Japan, France, Poland, Russia, Italy.

INVERCARGILL (New Zealand) (Nov 7-15). New Zealand, China, Malaysia, Austria, Scotland, Wales.

QUILMES (Argentina) (Nov 14-22). Belgium, Argentina, Ireland, USA, Czech Republic, Chile).

(Italy replace Egypt who have withdrawn).

copy for Daily Telegraph 2.9.2009