Hockey: Pan Am results promote Black Sticks to men's World Cup

New Zealand players discussing a penalty corner strategy during 2017 Hockey World League playoff game against Egypt. Photo/Photosport

The Black Sticks have now officially qualified for the men's Hockey World Cup in India next year.

The Kiwis finished sixth at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Johannesburg, meaning they faced an anxious wait to see if that was good enough to earn them qualification to the World Cup, which runs from November 28-December 16, 2018 in Bhubaneswar.

Recent results at the Pan American Cup in Pennsylvania have gone in favour of the Black Sticks, with both finalists - Argentina and Canada - already qualified for the World Cup, via the World League route.

Under FIH regulations, the team that wins its continental qualifier automatically qualifies for the World Cup.

If that team has already qualified by finishing in the top five of the Hockey World League Semi-Finals, where Argentina and Canada were second and fifth respectively, the place is offered to the next highest finisher in the competition - in this case, New Zealand.

The men's Hockey World Cup 2018 will be New Zealand's 10th appearance at the event. Their highest finishing position is seventh, which they have reached on four occasions, including the most recent edition in 2014.

There are still four more continental qualifiers to be played and four more World Cup places remain up for grabs.

The continental qualifiers include Euro Hockey Championships, Oceania Cup, Asia Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.