The event, scheduled to be held from July 8 to 23 at the Randburg Hockey Turf in Johannesburg, is the first major International Hockey Federation (FIH) competition to be staged in South Africa since 2011.

Hockey in the nation suffered a severe blow when men’s and women’s teams were denied the chance to compete at the recent Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro by the South Africa Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

Both sides had qualified for the Olympic tournament at Rio 2016 after winning their respective FIH African Championships.

SASCOC, however, had insisted that teams qualify through the highest possible route, the HWL, which South Africa had failed to do, and that places earned at continental level would not be sufficient.

The stance sparked widespread criticism in the nation and meant there was no African representative in either the men’s or women’s events at Rio 2016, won by Argentina and Britain respectively.

The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London had already been confirmed as the venue for the first men’s HWL semi-final by the FIH.

The facility, which hosted last year’s European Championships as well as June’s Champions Trophy, will hold the competition from June 15 to 25.

The FIH revealed today that the opening women’s semi-final will be held at the Stade Fallon in Brussels, with the event due to run from June 21 to July 2.

A total of 10 teams will compete in each semi-final, comprised of six nations who qualify based on their FIH world ranking and four who qualify through HWL round two events taking place earlier on in the year.

As well as places in the HWL final, with the men’s event set to be held in India and the women’s in New Zealand, nations will be bidding to book their 2018 World Cup berths.

The HWL, along with the Champions Trophy, has been axed from the FIH’s calendar from 2018 onwards in favour of a new three-tier home and away competition, set to come into effect in 2019.