Fresh of the back off a victorious 2022 World Cup campaign, the Aussie Steelers are kicking off their next campaign with the first stage of the XVIII WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup, with a regional qualification tournament against other teams in Oceania. This marks the start of a new format for Softball World Cups, which involves three stages: the upcoming Continental qualifier, a group stage in 2024, with top teams from the Group Stage progressing to the World Cup Finals in 2025.  

The Oceania Qualifiers for the WBSC Men’s World Cup Group Stage will take place in American Samoa on 9th – 11th November 2023, and will also feature New Zealand and American Samoa. 

The competition dates and venue were announced recently, and given the short notice a number of players from the 2022 Steelers line-up are not available for this tournament. This has given Softball Australia the chance to provide opportunities to a wider group of players to represent the Steelers.  

“I’m looking forward to bringing a new group of players in the Steelers fold through this competition. It gives a great opportunity to bring through a new group of players who will be keen to contest selection for the World Cup group stage next year” said Head Coach Laing Harrow. 

The tournament will consist of a double round-robin format, with the team playing 6 games in 3 days. The top two teams at the conclusion of the double round-robin will progress to the WBSC World Cup - Group Stage in 2024.  

Follow their journey on the Aussie Steelers Facebook Page and stay tuned for updates as they strive for World Cup qualification. 

Team List  

Coaches:  

Head Coach: Laing Harrow
Assistant Coach: Nathan Jones
Physiotherapist: Thomas Rossiter