Acknowledging the 1980 Olympic Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams - An open letter from Hockey Australia CEO David Pryles

I write with deep respect and a strong sense of historical responsibility to formally acknowledge and share the story of the Australian Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams that were selected to represent our nation at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, but who were ultimately denied the opportunity to compete, the men through enforced withdrawal, and the women through a deeply difficult choice shaped by the political circumstances of that time.

Australia, like many nations, faced an extraordinary national dilemma, balancing loyalty to its allies with its commitment to independent sporting values. The Federal Government, under Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, strongly supported the boycott and placed immense pressure on athletes and sporting bodies to comply. While the Australian Olympic Federation (AOF - as it was then known) did not formally withdraw the entire team and allowed individuals and sports federations to make their own decisions, the pressure to conform to the boycott was overwhelming in many disciplines.

Among the most profoundly impacted were the athletes of the Australian Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams.

Both teams had undergone years of preparation, qualification, and sacrifice. Selected as the best of the best, they had earned the right to wear the green and gold on the world’s greatest sporting stage. However, due to the immense political and moral pressures of the time, Hockey Australia (then the Australian Hockey Association) made the difficult and painful decision to withdraw from the Games.
It is essential to understand that these athletes were not political actors, they were sportsmen and women representing the very best of Australian values: commitment, courage, humility, and excellence. Their Olympic dream was taken not by defeat or disqualification, but by circumstances entirely beyond their control.

The Australian men’s hockey team was selected in May 1980 at the National Championships in Hobart. Australian Hockey Association (AHA) President Pat Ryan met with the team and explained that the Games might involve weakened competition due to geopolitical tensions. He stated AHA would honour the players’ decision. All 16 Kookaburras voted to attend the pre-eminent competition, irrespective of who was competing.

All 32 of our athletes were subsequently named in the Australian team, honoured as future Olympians and received their blazers. One Kookaburra and eight Hockeyroos who were selected would never go on to receive the honour again.

On 23 May 1980, the AOF formally voted 6–5 in support of Australian athletes attending the Games. Yet, by 29 May, media reports stated the teams had withdrawn. Pat Ryan cited a lack of competition for the men’s side as the rationale. He reportedly added that a gold medal might have been attainable, but the team wanted to earn it against the strongest competition. No additional discussion occurred with players after the Hobart meeting.
The men had won silver four years earlier and were tipped to go one better in 1980, while Moscow marked the first time women’s hockey was contested at the Olympics and the women’s team were hot favourites to win the gold, but in their absence, it was Zimbabwe.

On 6 August 1980, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser wrote to each player individually, with the second-last paragraph stating:

 “However, I do believe you will always be able to take quiet satisfaction and pride in the fact that, in the eyes of all Australians, you are an Olympian in every sense, of whom we are all very proud indeed.” 

To this day, the men selected for the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team carry with them a quiet sense of loss, of an opportunity missed, of a moment in history denied. Some have spoken publicly about the emotional toll it took; others have simply moved on with dignity. But all remain bound by the shared experience of what might have been.

As we reflect on the principles that underpin the Olympic movement, peace, unity, the celebration of human potential on the 45th anniversary of the Moscow Olympic Games, it is timely and appropriate to formally recognise and honour these athletes. Their story is a part of Australia’s Olympic narrative, and it deserves to be recorded with respect, empathy, and acknowledgement.

In recent years, there has been commendable progress in recognising athletes who were affected by global events, including boycotts. We respectfully submit that the members of the 1980 men’s and women's hockey teams should be similarly acknowledged, be it through formal Olympic recognition, inclusion in records and ceremonies, or a commemorative honour marking their selection and sacrifice.

These men and women upheld the spirit of the Olympic Games despite being denied participation. Their resilience and integrity set an example for generations of Australian athletes. 

Sincerely,

David Pryles
Chief Executive Officer