EHL lands in Den Bosch for six spectacular days
Six days, 26 matches, 20 elite clubs and thousands of fans! The ABN AMRO Euro Hockey League festival lands this week with HC ’s-Hertogenbosch the 18th edition of Easter’s festival.
Wednesday’s opening day of the EHL Women’s FINAL12 brings four decisive match‑ups which all eight sides in action looking to nail down their spot in the FINAL8.
It begins with the Celtic challenge between Railway Union and Scottish debutantes Watsonians. 2025 bronze medalists Gantoise face Czechia’s Slavia Prague before England’s Reading return to Europe after a 13-year break against 2024 silver medalists Mannheimer HC.
The day concludes with current Dutch leaders SCHC looking to start their path to glory against Spanish newcomers Club Egara.
Day two sees the first men’s games with Old Georgians – medalists two years ago in the Wagener Stadium – facing reigning champions Gantoise in the FINAL8. English league leaders Surbiton meet Club de Campo in a repeat of the 2022 Bronze Match which the English side won.
A five-game schedule concludes with with home hosts Den Bosch beginning their women’s title defence against either Railway or Watsonians.
Friday sees Harvestehuder THC lie in wait for either Reading or Mannheim while Braxgata – silver in 2025 – meet the winner of SCHC and Club Egara.
The evening session features the return of AH&BC Amsterdam and Hamburger Polo Club before another German-Dutch affair concludes the EHL Men’s FINAL8 with Kampong facing Crefelder HTC.
Those match-ups set the scene for FINAL4 encounters with the women playing theirs on Saturday afternoon and the men on Sunday. It all builds to Monday’s medal matches when the champions of Europe will be crowned.
But the EHL is even more than simply about top hockey with a range of other events taking place throughout the week.
Chief among them is the ABN AMRO EHL Hockey ID competition which this year features nine teams from across Europe. Pool A has Atlètic Terrassa, Hudito from the Netherlands and Racing Club de France.
Pool B has Barcelona HC, Hockey Together from Belgium and the Netherlands’ Upward. The line-up is completed by Den Bosch, KHC Dragons and England’s Trinity.
The two-day EHL U14 for boys and girls runs through Saturday and Sunday with six clubs competing in both tournaments.
For the girls, the teams are Club Egara, Feltiomare from the Netherlands, Germany’s Uhlenhorst Mülheim, Den Bosch, Surbiton and the Waterloo Ducks.
The boys teams are Berliner HC, HC Bloemendaal, Real Club de Campo de Madrid, Royal Orée, Saint Germain and Surbiton.
A EuroHockey Foundation Walking Hockey event is also on the agenda while youngsters looking to show off their tricks will love the X Skills freestyle challenge.
It all makes for another spectacular installment of the world’s premier club hockey competition.
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