WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup 2022: New Zealand v Czech Republic to open tournament as groups & schedule confirmed
11/10/2022 2 Minute Read

WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup 2022: New Zealand v Czech Republic to open tournament as groups & schedule confirmed

The 50-game tournament, slated for 26 November to 4 December, will be played at Rosedale Park in Auckland, New Zealand.

Seven-time world champions and hosts New Zealand will take on the Czech Republic in a superb first game of the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup 2022, following the unveiling of the tournament schedule today by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), Softball New Zealand and the Local Organising Committee. The 50-game tournament, slated for 26 November to 4 December, will be played at Rosedale Park in Auckland, New Zealand.

Men's Softball World Cup 2022 Schedule

The 12 participating teams will begin the global competition with a group stage:

  • Group A: No. 1 Argentina, No. 5 Czech Republic, No. 6 New Zealand, No. 7 USA, No. 12 Cuba and No. 21 Philippines
  • Group B: No. 2 Japan, No. 3 Canada, No. 4 Australia, No. 9 Venezuela, No. 10 Denmark and No. 11 South Africa 

The tournament will start on 26 November with the Opening Ceremony, scheduled at noon (all local times), preceding the six games of the day. For the second edition in a row New Zealand will play the Czech Republic in Game 1 of the Men's Softball World Cup (13:30), while 2013 silver medallists Venezuela and four-time champions Canada meet in the opening game on Field 2 at 14:00. 

Argentina will start their world championship defence against Cuba at 16:30, and Australia will take on Denmark at 17:00. In the last two games of Day 1, South Africa will play Japan (19:30) and the Philippines take on five-time champions USA (20:00).

The 30-game Opening Round will finish on 30 November, with the top three finishers from each group advancing to the Super Round, while the other six teams will participate in the Placement Round. 

The top two teams from the Super Round, to be played from 1-3 December, will compete for the Men’s Softball World Champions title, while the number three and four placed teams will play for the bronze medal. The World Championship Final is scheduled on 4 December at 16:00, preceded by the Bronze Medal Game at 13:00.

Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, will host the top men’s softball event for the second time in the tournament’s 57-year history, after Rosedale Park was also the stage for the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup in 2013. Lower Hutt (1976) and Christchurch (2004) are the other two New Zealand cities that have hosted the tournament.

Argentina are the defending world champions after their memorable campaign in Prague 2019, when they defeated Japan, 3-2, in a 10-inning drama-filled final to clinch their first Men’s Softball World Cup title.

With seven world titles and 13 overall medals, New Zealand is the most successful nation in the history of the event. USA (5), Canada (4), Australia (1) and Argentina (1) are the only other countries to win the Men’s Softball World Cup.