England Women Round 7 on Saturday: Champions Surbiton Host Nottingham, Wimbledon Meet East Grinstead
Six games, one Saturday, and the Women’s Premier Division keeps moving. Round 7 of the England Hockey League’s top women’s division is played on Saturday 31 October, and there is something in every game.
The headline game is at Sugden Road, where defending champions Surbiton host the University of Nottingham. Surbiton have added real quality to an already strong squad this season, with Ava Findlay and Lizzy Pocknell arriving from Durham University. They are the team everyone is chasing, and they have been for years. Nottingham, meanwhile, are the kind of side that can make a champion’s afternoon very uncomfortable if they are allowed to settle. Surbiton will expect to win this. They will also know that nothing in this league comes free.
The other game that jumps off the card is Wimbledon v East Grinstead. Wimbledon claimed silver at Finals Weekend last season and will be targeting a return to the top. Their squad has a spine of senior internationals, with Scotland captain Sarah Robertson and Scottish teammate Charlotte Watson alongside England’s Becky Manton. East Grinstead are never an easy trip for anyone, and this one has the feel of a game that could go either way for an hour before someone finds a winner.
Elsewhere, Hampstead and Westminster travel to Bowdon. Hampstead finished third last season and still have one of the division’s most exciting midfielders in Holly Hunt, pulling the strings alongside Lucy Hyams and Sofia Martin. Bowdon at home are a proper test, and Hampstead will need to be sharp from the first whistle.
The two newcomers both have big Saturdays. Buckingham, back in the top flight after a three-year absence, host Reading. Teddington, who have reached the Premier Division for the first time in the club’s long history after a second consecutive promotion, travel to Loughborough Students. Both clubs are still establishing themselves at this level, and both would love a result that says they belong here. Reading and Loughborough are exactly the kind of established sides that make that hard.
The last game on the card is Durham University v Birmingham University. Durham lost two of their brightest players to Surbiton in the summer, which tells you how good their pathway is, and Birmingham will fancy their chances on the road.
No kick-off times are stated here because the fixture listing read for this card did not carry verified local times. Check the England Hockey listings on the day before travelling. What is certain is the shape of the day: champions at home, two of last season’s top sides meeting at Wimbledon, and two newcomers trying to prove a point. That is a Saturday worth following.
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