This Weekend in World Hockey: Johor Cup Opens, Hockey One Round 2 and Hoofdklasse Round 4

Clear your Saturday afternoon.

At 2:05 pm Pakistan time, Pakistan’s under-21s walk out in Johor Bahru to face China, and it’s the start of the biggest week of their young season. They aren’t the only ones playing, either. Australia’s Hockey One hits Round 2 this weekend, the Dutch Hoofdklasse reaches Round 4 on Sunday, and league rounds are rolling right across Europe. Here’s the lot, Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October.

Pakistan’s juniors get going in Johor

The Johor Cup starts Saturday in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and it’s a tight little tournament: five under-21 men’s teams in one group, hosts Malaysia, Pakistan, Canada, China and Japan.

Pakistan open against China on Saturday at 2:05 pm PKT, with Canada playing Japan in the day’s other match. Then it’s Pakistan v Canada on Sunday, 2:05 pm again.

It’s the first big test of a busy season for this young squad, and the margins in a five-team group are thin. Start slow and you’re chasing it all week. We’ll be following every match of Pakistan’s campaign.

Hockey One does things differently

Australia’s Hockey One League is into Round 2 from Friday to Sunday, and its rules take a bit of getting used to. It opens Friday in Newcastle (Pride v Blaze, women 12:30 pm PKT, men 2:15 pm PKT, with Blake Govers chasing the all-time scoring record), continues with Super Saturday’s double-headers in Melbourne, and ends Sunday in Adelaide. There are no draws. Finish level and it goes to a shootout. Score a field goal and you get a shot at converting it for a bonus goal. Nobody parks the bus in this league, because they can’t.

Eight franchises this season, including the new Melbourne Cobras, and the league runs from 8 October to 6 December, with finals weekend on the Gold Coast on 5–6 December. Round 2 won’t decide anything, but it’s where the early-season table starts to take shape.

Round 4 in the Netherlands

The Hoofdklasse reaches Round 4 on Sunday, and for our money it’s still the strongest club league in the world. Twelve men’s teams, twelve women’s, and most of the talent that keeps the Netherlands at the sharp end of the FIH world rankings plays its club hockey here, week in, week out.

The 2026-27 season runs from 27 September through to May 2027. Four rounds in, the title race is already warming up.

The rest of the weekend

There’s plenty more on, too:

• German Bundesliga: Germany’s 12-team men’s and women’s top divisions roll on, with the winter indoor break still to come later in the season.
• Belgian Hockey League: Belgium’s top clubs are back at it as their season builds.
• Spanish División de Honor / Liga MGS: Spain’s top flight continues, with Terrassa’s famous clubs in the thick of it.
• England Hockey League Premier Division: the latest round in England’s premier division.
• EY Hockey League (Ireland): Ireland’s all-island top division keeps going.
• Argentina Metropolitano: Buenos Aires’ famous metropolitan championship is into its late-season phase.

And then it gets really busy

The calendar doesn’t slow down after this weekend. The Asian Champions Trophy runs from 27 October to 5 November in Punjab, India. The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup follows in Ipoh from 20–28 November. And on 8 December, the FIH Pro League 2026–27 season begins, the start of the long road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

Clear the diary.