The Underwater Hockey World Championship is the peak international event for the underwater sport of Underwater Hockey. The event is conducted on behalf of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) by an affiliated national federation.
History The championship was first held in 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada after the intended initial championship scheduled for 1979 was beset by difficulties and ultimately postponed, due to the invitation of a team from South Africa and the problems associated with apartheid.
Subsequently, a world championship has been held every two years in locations around the world up until 2006. 2006 saw many CMAS-affiliated national federations as well as the majority of the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission members in dispute with CMAS over policy and governance matters concerning underwater hockey. Out of the divide the World Aquachallenge Association (WAA) - an alternative governing body - was born.
In 2007 CMAS intended to incorporate the Underwater Hockey World Championship into its inaugural World Games event in Bari, Italy, an ambitious event intended to showcase all of the underwater disciplines (Underwater Rugby, Finswimming etc) governed by them in one place. As far as underwater hockey goes this event was poorly attended, in part due to it being 'out of synch' with many affiliated federations' training calendars and budgets. The following year - the 'normal' world championship year - the WAA organised their 'rival' 1st World Championship event in Durban, South Africa. This is now held by many to have been the official 2008 World Championship despite it being poorly attended too, in part this time because CMAS organised a major underwater hockey 'zone' event to be held in Istanbul, Turkey on exactly the same dates meaning a majority of European federations were forced to choose which championship their representative teams attended.
The WAA was short-lived and since 2008 CMAS has once again administered all the world championship events in various age/gender divisions with the most recent Elite and Masters competition having been held in Gold Coast, Australia in 2023. World championships in the different age categories are now scheduled for every second year.
Following the 2023 resumption of the tournament following the COVID-19 pandemic, the world championships moved to being held every four years and teams would gain qualification via the new Intercontinental Championships.
Editions summary
Source:
KeyCancelled
Year Date Championship Location Nations Events Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place Ref.1980July 12 – 161st World Championship Vancouver, Canada5Men's Netherlands Great Britain Australia Canada1982 February 20 – 252nd World Championship Brisbane, Australia2Men's Australia New Zealand3Women's Australia New Zealand Canada1984 May 1 – 103rd World Championship Chicago, United States8Men's Australia Netherlands Great Britain United StatesWomen's Australia New Zealand United States Canada1986April 16 – 274th World Championship Adelaide, Australia7Men's Canada Australia New Zealand Netherlands2Women's Australia New Zealand United States1988 April 5 – 135th World Championship Amersfoort, Netherlands9Men's Australia Netherlands Canada New ZealandWomen's New Zealand United States Australia Great Britain1990 May 31 – June 96th World Championship Montreal, Canada9Men's Australia Great Britain Canada New ZealandWomen's Australia New Zealand United States Great Britain1992 May 12 – 207th World Championship Wellington, New Zealand9Men's Elite Australia New Zealand South Africa Great BritainMen's Masters Australia New ZealandWomen's South Africa Australia New Zealand Great Britain1994 April 17 – 248th World Championship Grand Couronne, France10Men's Elite Australia South Africa United States FranceMen's Masters South Africa Great Britain Australia FranceWomen's Australia South Africa Great Britain France1996 July 11 – 209th World Championship Durban, South Africa11Men's Elite Australia South Africa New Zealand NetherlandsMen's Masters South Africa Australia Great Britain United StatesWomen's South Africa Australia France New Zealand1998 June 4 – 1310th World Championship San José, United States14Men's Elite France South Africa Australia New ZealandMen's Masters South Africa Great Britain United States AustraliaWomen's Elite South Africa Australia United States CanadaWomen's Masters South Africa United States Great Britain2000 April 25 – 2911th World Championship Hobart, Australia15Men's Elite Australia France Canada South AfricaMen's Masters Australia South Africa New Zealand United StatesWomen's Elite Australia Canada South Africa United StatesWomen's Masters South Africa Australia New Zealand Great Britain2002July 20 – 2812th World Championship Calgary, Canada13Men's Elite Australia New Zealand France NetherlandsMen's Masters United States South Africa Great Britain CanadaWomen's Elite Australia Canada South Africa Great BritainWomen's Masters South Africa Australia United States Great BritainYouth Great Britain United States Canada2004 March 22 – 3113th World Championship Christchurch, New Zealand9Men's: Elite New Zealand Australia France NetherlandsMen's: Masters United States Australia France Great BritainMen's: U-19 New Zealand Great Britain Australia United StatesWomen's: Elite Netherlands New Zealand South Africa FranceWomen's: Masters United States Australia France Great BritainWomen's: U-19 New Zealand Great Britain South Africa2006 August 15 – 2414th World Championship Sheffield, United Kingdom 17Men's: Elite New Zealand Netherlands France AustraliaMen's: Masters United States South Africa France Great BritainMen's: U-19 New Zealand Great Britain France CanadaWomen's: Elite Australia South Africa Netherlands Great BritainWomen's: Masters United States Great Britain CanadaWomen's: U-19 New Zealand Great Britain South Africa2007July 31 – August 4Disputed 15th World Championship(Part of 1st CMAS Games) Bari, Italy6Men's: Elite France Turkey Slovenia Spain4Women's: Elite France Turkey Spain Belgium2008 April 25 – May 3Alternative 15th World Championship Durban, South Africa10Men's: Elite France New Zealand South Africa AustraliaMen's: Masters South Africa Netherlands France Great BritainMen's: U-19 Spain New Zealand South Africa ColombiaWomen's: Elite Australia South Africa Netherlands New ZealandWomen's: U-19 New Zealand Colombia South Africa Spain2009August 21 – 2916th World Championship Kranj, Slovenia12Men's: Elite France South Africa Great Britain Turkey7Women's: Elite Great Britain South Africa France Spain 2011 July 9 – 16 1st Junior World Championship and Masters World Championships Dordrecht, Netherlands 5Open: Masters Netherlands France Great Britain South Africa 9 Men's: U-23 France Spain Colombia South Africa 9 Men's: U-19 South Africa New Zealand Colombia Australia 5 Women's: U-23 New Zealand Netherlands Colombia Great Britain 8 Women's: U-19 New Zealand South Africa Great Britain Spain2011 August 16 – 2717th World Championship Coimbra, Portugal10Men's: Elite Australia South Africa Colombia France8Women's: Elite Great Britain Australia New Zealand France2013 August 23 – September 118th World Championship and 2nd Junior World Championship Eger, Hungary15Men's: Elite France New Zealand Australia Great Britain9Men's: Masters Australia Netherlands Great Britain16Women's: Elite New Zealand Great Britain South Africa Australia6Women's: Masters Australia South Africa Great Britain6Men's: U-23 New Zealand Australia Colombia France7Men's: U-19 Colombia New Zealand France Australia5Women's: U-23 New Zealand Colombia Great Britain Turkey4Women's: U-19 New Zealand Colombia South Africa Australia2015August 6 – 153rd Junior World Championship Castello de la Plana, Spain 8 Men's: U-23 Turkey Australia New Zealand Colombia 10 Men's: U-19 New Zealand France Colombia Great Britain 8 Women's: U-23 Colombia Netherlands Great Britain Australia 8 Women's: U-19 South Africa New Zealand France Colombia2016 March 22 – April 219th World Championship Stellenbosch, South Africa14Men's: Elite Australia Turkey Great Britain Colombia13Men's: Masters Australia Great Britain France Netherlands9Women's: Elite South Africa New Zealand France Colombia8Women's: Masters Australia South Africa Colombia France2017July 15 – 234th Junior World Championship Hobart, Australia 10 Men's: U-23 Turkey France Colombia New Zealand 9 Men's: U-19 France Great Britain New Zealand Australia 8 Women's: U-23 New Zealand Colombia South Africa Great Britain 7 Women's: U-19 New Zealand Australia South Africa Colombia2018 July 18 – 2820th World Championship Quebec City, Canada14Men's: Elite New Zealand France Turkey Great Britain13Men's: Masters France South Africa Canada Great Britain9Women's: Elite New Zealand Great Britain Colombia South Africa6Women's: Masters France Australia Colombia Canada2019August 14 – 245th Junior World Championship Sheffield, United Kingdom 11 Men's: U-24 Turkey Great Britain New Zealand South Africa 7 Men's: U-19 New Zealand Great Britain Spain South Africa 7 Women's: U-24 New Zealand France South Africa Great Britain 5 Women's: U-19 New Zealand Colombia France Great Britain2020,moved to 2021July 20– August 1 21st World Championshipcancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Gold Coast, AustraliaN/AMen's: Elite N/AMen's: MastersN/AWomen's: Elite N/AWomen's: Masters N/A2023July 18 – 3021st World Championship Gold Coast, Australia12Men's: Elite New Zealand France Great Britain Turkey8Men's: Masters United States France New Zealand Australia13Women's: Elite Australia France Colombia Great Britain5Women's: Masters France Australia New Zealand United States2024July 16 – 276th Junior World Championship Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 11 Men's: U-24 New Zealand Australia Great Britain France 8 Men's: U-19 New Zealand France Turkey Australia 9 Women's: U-24 New Zealand France Colombia Turkey 7 Women's: U-19 Australia France New Zealand Colombia2026July 18 – 257th Junior World Championship Gebze, Turkiye 10 Men's: U-24 New Zealand South Africa Australia Colombiahttps://www.cmas.org/document/2026-cmas-world-underwater-hockey-championships-age-group-final-ranking/download.html 10 Men's: U-19 Turkey Colombia France New Zealand 9 Women's: U-24 New Zealand Turkey Colombia France 7 Women's: U-19 Colombia New Zealand France Turkey
Results by nation
Key
Nation Titles Men's Elite Women's Elite Men's Masters Women's Masters Men's U-23/24 Women's U-23/24 Men's U-19 Women's U-194: 2004, 2006, 2018, 20233: 1988, 2013, 20182: 2013, 20161: 20244: 1992, 1996, 1998, 20163: 1996, 1998, 20081: 20111: 20155: 1998, 2007, 2008, 2009, 20131: 20071: 20182: 2018, 20231: 20111: 20172: 2004, 20061: 20261: 20151: 20131: 20262: 2009, 20111: 20021: 19801: 20041: 20111: 19861: 2008
See also Underwater Hockey European Championships Underwater Hockey Intercontinental Championships Underwater hockey at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games
Notes
References
External links CMAS Championship Archive WAA World Championship Results