3rd October: The EHF is delighted to announce that the top outdoor Women’s Club event in 2018 will be hosted by Surbiton HC. This is the first time that an English club will host the EHCC in its new format since the launch in 2010. It seems therefore fitting that Surbiton, one of the oldest hockey clubs in the world and England’s current champions are the hosts.
The best women’s clubs in Europe will compete over four days (from 17-20 May 2018) to become Champions of Europe along with the €5,000 prize winning cheque.
Along with hosts Surbiton the strong field is led by the current champions and Europe’s most successful team HC ‘s-Hertogenbosch from the Netherlands, they are joined by fellow Dutchwomen AHBC Amsterdam. Germany also have 2 teams UHC Hamburg (GER) and Mannheimer HC (GER). Spain are represented by Club Campo Villa de Madrid, Ireland by UCD Ladies HC and Belaurs’ HC Victorya Smolevichi complete the line-up.
In addition to hosting this top event, the 2nd edition of the Junior EHCC will take place over the same weekend. Letters of invitation to all the teams playing in the EHCC have been extended to their Under 14 girls teams to participate in the newest EHF women’s event. This fantastic new event that exposes the future stars of our game to playing at the highest level against clubs from around Europe. We had the pleasure of having EHF Hall of Famer, Maartje Paumen present the medals last year, her inspiring words to the young players continue to resonate, she told the teams last year to “go have fun, have fun with your team mates, train hard, play hard.”
Speaking at the announcement of the hosts, EHF President Marijke Fleuren said “At the core of the EHF is our clubs. There is simply nothing like players playing with their team mates that they have known for years. The EHCC is our top outdoor women’s club event in Europe. I am really delighted that we are bringing this competitive, topclass event to England, home of the current Olympic Champions. We know that the huge fan base in England will be excited to see the best of the best women players compete on their home soil. We are also very pleased that Surbiton will host the Junior EHCC. It was a really delightful, well organised event last year in ’s Hertogenbosch, the girls had fun, played some really incredible hockey, but mostly were very excited to wear their club colours, support their first team and enjoy themselves!”
Surbiton’s Club Captain, Mark Waller said “We are delighted and thrilled to have been selected to host the EuroHockey Club Cup (Women) tournament in May next year. It is a huge honour and opportunity, not only to showcase the very best of European women’s club hockey, but also to host the next generation of talent who will participate in the Junior EHCC tournament. Hosting the tournament will help us to further increase the visibility and levels of support for hockey in this country, already on a high following the GB women’s success in Rio last year, and ahead of the Women’s Hockey World Cup, which will take place in London in July 2018. We also look forward to welcoming the other competing teams and their supporters, EHF officials, sponsors and the media to Surbiton. The club will work hard to ensure that participants and visitors alike enjoy a fantastic weekend of hockey and being part of the wider hockey family.”
Sarah Haycroft, Surbiton Ladies Team Captain added “It’s fantastic that we will have the opportunity to play in the top European competition in front of our home crowd at Surbiton HC. Having qualified for and played in the last three tournaments, we are looking forward to competing against Europe’s top teams on our home pitch.”
The Match Schedule will be announced soon and will be based on the EHCC current rankings. (click here).
Photograph: Surbiton’s Sarah Haycroft in action at the 2017 EHCC (Ady Kerry (c))