 
Women do not seem to have played hockey widely before the modern era. Women's hockey was first played at British Universities and schools, and the first club, Molesey Ladies Hockey Club, was founded in 1887. The first national association was the Irish Ladies Hockey Union in 1894, and though rebuffed by the Hockey Association, women's hockey grew rapidly around the world. This led to the formation of the International Federation of Women's Hockey Associations (IFWHA) in 1927.
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Field hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world; it is the second most popular participation team sport after soccer. Its official name and the one by which it is usually known is hockey. However in some countries and in some encyclopedic references by way of distinguishing it from sports with the same name it is formally known as field hockey.
Hockey has several regular and prestigious international tournaments for both men and women. These events include the Olympic Games, the quadrennial World Hockey Cups, the annual Champions Trophies and World Cups for juniors.
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