Ten men’s and 10 women’s teams will be competing at the University of the Witwatersrand with places in the 2017 Hockey World League Finals also up for grabs.

The top five finishers in the men's competition will be guaranteed a place at the 2018 Hockey World Cup in Indian city Bhubaneswar.

They will join Argentina, Canada, England, Malaysia and The Netherlands, all of whom sealed their respective tickets with top-five finishes at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in London last month. 

In terms of qualification for the Hockey World League Final in Bhubaneswar, the top-three finishers will be assured of a place alongside the top-three finishers from London - Argentina, England and The Netherlands - as well as host nation India and the higher ranked of the two fourth-place finishers from the Semi-Final events in London and Johannesburg.

The team that finished fourth in London was Malaysia, who will secure their place in the World League Final providing the team that finishes fourth in Johannesburg are placed below them in the International Hockey Federation world rankings.

A top-four finish in the women’s competition will guarantee a place in the World League Finals in Auckland in New Zealand at the end of the year.

They will join China, The Netherlands, New Zealand and South Korea, who occupied the top-four places at the recent Hockey World League Semi-Final in Brussels in Belgium.

A top-five placement at this event will ensure a place at next year’s Hockey World Cup in London alongside the top five from Brussels, the winners of the upcoming continental championships and hosts England.

If England finish in the top five at this event, it will mean that the highest ranked of the two sixth-place finishers from Brussels and Johannesburg will also secure a place at the World Cup. 

The women’s competition in Johannesburg features two pools of five teams, all of which will need a top-four finish to claim a place in the cross-over quarter-finals.

England, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Poland will all be competing in Pool A in a bid to finish as high up the standings as possible, with a first-place finish being rewarded with a quarter-final match against the team that finishes fourth in Pool B.

England are the highest-ranked team in the pool and have a team containing numerous players from Great Britain’s Rio 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning side, including team captain Alex Danson and goalkeeper Maddie Hinch.

Rio 2016 bronze medallists Germany are widely expected to be England’s biggest threat.

Argentina, the current World League and Champions Trophy title holders, are seen as the team to beat in Pool B thanks to a squad containing a host of world-class players including Delfina Merino, Maria Granatto and Noel Barrionnuevo.

The United States are likely to run them close in the race to top the pool as head coach Janneke Schopman aims to build on the fifth-place finish at Rio 2016 secured by her predecessor Craig Parnham. 

Pool B also contains India, hosts South Africa and Chile.

In the men’s event, Australia will look to stamp their authority on Pool A.

As the reigning World Cup, Champions Trophy, Oceania Cup, Hockey World League and Champions Trophy title holders, they are rated as favourites for top spot.

France, Japan, New Zealand and Spain provide the opposition for Australia.

Pool B is arguably more competitive with Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists Belgium and bronze medallists Germany expected to be the frontrunners.

Egypt, Ireland and South Africa complete the line-up.

Focus is on the women’s competition tomorrow as Japan face Ireland and Germany meet Poland in Pool A.

Pool B sees the US go up against Chile and South Africa do battle with India.

The men’s competition is due to start on Sunday (July 9).