Australia’s Hockey One League is about to get a strong Indian flavour. Hockey One League has granted the Melbourne Cobras a licence. They will enter the national competition from Season 2026, fielding both men’s and women’s teams. The Cobras will be the league’s eighth franchise and the second from Victoria, after Hockey Club Melbourne.
Hockey Victoria built the franchise around a clear fact. Indians account for nearly 400,000 Victorians. That number is expected to reach one million in the next 15 to 20 years. South Asians are the fastest growing community in Victoria. In fact, the subcontinent diaspora started five of the last newly established community hockey clubs in Melbourne.
The Purpose
Hockey Victoria CEO Andrew Skillern has been frank about the thinking behind the Cobras. He told the Economic Times that Hockey Victoria chose to go global. The goal was simple. Avoid competing for sponsorship with dozens of other sporting teams in Australia.
Skillern put the objectives plainly. “The Melbourne Cobras has two clear objectives. One is to significantly increase the growth of the game in the Victorian South-Asian community in line with population growth. Secondly, to extend our commercial relationships beyond our traditional models, allowing us to re-invest into hockey for the benefit of the game.”
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The Indian Connection to Hockey One League
Among a squad of 25, eight players will be Indian or Indian-origin. Since early 2024, Hockey Victoria has been talking to Hockey India, HIL franchises, players, and coaches.
The ambition is high. Hockey Victoria want to bring active India players to the Cobras. India captain Harmanpreet Singh and former captain Manpreet Singh have been mentioned in those talks. However, the international calendar and domestic commitments make that hard. Hockey Victoria is exploring per-game contracts to give Hockey India flexibility.
The link between Indian hockey and Hockey One already exists. Shilanand Lakra played for HC Melbourne last season. Rupinder Pal Singh played for both Canberra Chill and HC Melbourne after he retired from international hockey.
Who Is Signed
Rani Rampal joins the Cobras as ambassador and player. The current Indian U-18 women’s coach captained India to fourth place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and received the Padma Shri from the Government of India.
Rupinder Pal Singh also joins as ambassador and player. He won Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020 and Asian Games gold in 2014.
Gurjant Singh completes the Indian player group. He retired from international hockey with 130 caps and 33 goals. He won Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Gurjant also scored in the 2016 Junior World Cup final as India won the title in Lucknow.
The Coaches
Hockey Victoria appointed David John as head coach of the women’s team. John was Hockey India’s High Performance Director from 2016 to 2020. He ran both the men’s and women’s national programmes. He later worked as High Performance Manager for the Hockey India League and the State of Odisha.
Mitch Hayde takes charge of the men’s team. He was assistant coach when Hockey Club Melbourne won back-to-back titles. He also has international experience with New Zealand at U21 and U18 level.
What is Hockey One League?
Hockey One is Australia’s national hockey league. Seven teams compete in double headers across Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Each team fields men’s and women’s sides. The season runs from October to November. The Melbourne Cobras join as the eighth franchise from Season 2026.
The Cobras are one to watch. They are entering a competition built around Australian domestic hockey with a very different idea. How they play on the field matters. So does how they connect with the Indian diaspora in the stands. Whether they sign the Indian players they want will decide if this works.
Further details on player signings, matchday arrangements, and membership will be released in due course. Visit melbournecobras.com for updates.
Indian hockey stars are heading to Australia. The Melbourne Cobras are just the beginning. Subscribe to the Give Me Hockey newsletter and stay ahead of the story. Give Me Hockey on Substack
