EHL: EHL Men ROUND1 – Meet the Pool C teams – EHL

It’s EHL week as the world’s best club competition back for a 20^th season with men’s ROUND1 hitting the turf at HC Oranje-Rood in Eindhoven from Friday, October 9^th to Sunday, October 11^th.

For this edition, the competition returns to a group format with four groups of three teams with only one from each advancing to next Easter’s FINAL12.

Pool C looks set to be a real cracker of a line-up with hosts Oranje-Rood coming up against Spanish giants Real Club de Polo and English finalists Wimbledon.

Find out more about their teams here:

Pool C – meet the teams

Real Club de Polo (ESP)

• Qualified as Spanish runners-up

• 17th EHL appearance

• Best finish: 4th place (2009/10, 2018/19)

• Current league form: 4^th place – two wins and one loss

Real Club de Polo are one of the EHL’s most frequent contestants with this year’s appearance being their 17th season in the competition.

They enter it with a number of players coming off the back of a successful World Cup with Spain with Marc Miralles, Nico Alvarez and Iñaki Zaldua all winning silver medals.

In addition, the side also features a quartet of players who won bronze at the EuroHockey U21 Championship in Valencia during the summer Gonzalo Álvarez Bustos, captain Matías Barón Estarellas, goalkeeper Francisco de Borja Guitart Catá and Guillermo Umbert Alomar.

Beyond them, Andreas Rafi is in line for his first EHL campaign with the club following a spell with Mannheimer HC, playing in the KO16 in 2023 and 2024.

Find out more here: https://ehlhockey.tv/team/real-club-de-polo-11/

HC Oranje-Rood (NED)

• Qualified as Netherlands regular season winners

• 7th EHL appearance

• Best finish: Winners (2014/15)

• Current league form: 5^th place – one win and one draw

HC Oranje-Rood return to the Euro Hockey League after a seven-year absence, having topped the regular-season standings in the Dutch Hoofdklasse last season. Their return to Europe will be extra special with the club hosting EHL Men’s ROUND1 at their home ground in Eindhoven in October.

The Eindhoven side combines international experience with exciting talent and has plenty of star quality throughout the squad. That was underlined at the recent World Cup where Spanish trio Pol Cabré-Verdiell, Gerard Clapés and Borja Lacalle won silver while Argentine goalkeeper Tomi Santiago returned with a bronze medal.

Dutch internationals Joep de Mol and Tijmen Reyenga and Belgium’s Arthur de Sloover add further world-class experience. Up front, Scottish striker Struan Walker made a huge impact in his first season in Eindhoven, scoring 26 goals and winning the prestigious Gouden Stick as the Hoofdklasse’s best player.

Oranje-Rood have further strengthened their squad for the new season. Jaïr van der Horst returns to Eindhoven from Den Bosch, as does Pim Haring following his spell with Tilburg, while Belgian international Victor Foubert joins from KHC Dragons.

Oranje-Rood’s European heritage runs deep. In 2015, predecessor club Oranje Zwart lifted the EHL trophy with current Oranje-Rood captain Joep de Mol part of that famous team.

Another member of the 2015 EHL-winning side, Thijs Bams, is now part of the Heren 1 coaching staff as assistant coach. – providing a direct link between that historic European triumph and the team returning to the EHL today.

Find out more: https://ehlhockey.tv/team/hc-oranje-rood-4/

Wimbledon (ENG)

• 3rd place in England

• 8th EHL appearance

• Best finish: 4th place (2016/17)

• Current league form: 1^st place – two wins

Wimbledon have made significant additions since qualifying for the EHL once again off the back of their run to the English national final last season.

They have brought in several players to augment a panel under-pinned by England internationals Sam Hooper – a vital figure at corners and in the spine of the team – and Ben Fox.

Welsh trio Toby Reynolds-Cotterill, Ben Francis and Fred Newbold – back after a season in the Hoofdklasse with Hurley – also were part of the World Cup during this summer.

Their talents have been augmented by Irish international and Olympian Ali Empey after a couple of seasons with SCHC in the Netherlands while Graeme Scott is another bringing Dutch experience after five years, most recently with Schaerweijde.

Former South Africa star Mo Mea switches from Holcombe and there are a number of Exeter University graduates. Johnny Sturch-Hibbitt returns to his boyhood club with three England Pro League appearances under his belt and he brings Henry Markham with him.

The latter had scored 17 times in 32 Under-21 international fixtures. George Fletcher completes the incoming list, moving south from Beeston.

With experienced heads like Eddie Way and Liam Ansell in the panel and coach Karl Stagno overseeing his seventh EHL tournament (three with East Grinstead, four with Wimbledon), they will be looking to make their mark.

Find out more: https://ehlhockey.tv/team/wimbledon-hc-4/