EVERY STATE, EVERY AGE, ONE TITLE: MASTERS MEN DESCEND ON THE GOLD COAST TODAY

Australian hockey's largest event of the year gets under way on the Gold Coast today, with 98 teams from around the country contesting the 2026 Hockey Australia Men's Masters Championships, presented by Polytan.

Played at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre at Keith Hunt Park and the Runaway Bay Performance Centre, the championships bring together divisions from 35+ right through to 80+. At the top of the field is the 80+ division, where players well into their eighties are still pulling on a state shirt and chasing a national title. It is the story that sets masters hockey apart. Below them, teams have travelled from every state and territory, many of them clubmates and old rivals who have shared a hockey field for thirty or forty years and still make the trip every season.

The championships double as a national selection trial. More than 30 selectors will be on the ground across the fortnight, weighing up players for the Australian Masters squads that take on New Zealand in the 2027 Trans-Tasman Challenge next May. For plenty in the field, a big week on the Gold Coast is a shot at national honours.

Hockey Australia Chief Events Officer Simon Butterly said: "The Men's Masters Championships are Australian hockey's largest participation event, and they go from strength to strength every year. It's the clearest example of the pathway this sport offers, from juniors in Hookin2Hockey right through to players still competing in their eighties. We always enjoy bringing our national championships to Queensland, and we know the players love making the trip."

Local Member for Bonney Sam O'Connor said: "The Hockey Australia Men's Masters Championships are bringing thousands of visitors to the Gold Coast and delivering a real boost for local cafes, restaurants, accommodation providers and businesses. Hosting events like this showcases everything our region has to offer while supporting local jobs and driving economic activity across the northern Gold Coast. It's fantastic to welcome competitors, officials, and supporters from around the country and see our community take centre stage for another major sporting event."

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said: "The national sporting spotlight will be on the Gold Coast when the best masters athletes hit the fields at Keith Hunt Park next month. Securing this event is proof our city's sporting star is on the rise. We are currently investing in our premier hockey centre to maximise pre-legacy opportunities before the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics and hosting the Hockey Australia Men's Masters confirms we are on the right track."

For more information about the Masters National Championships click here.

This event is supported by Tourism & Events Queensland and Experience Gold Coast.