Ireland, Ukraine and Czechia received confirmation today they will have one spot in next season’s Euro Hockey League Women FINAL12.
It follows the conclusion of last weekend’s EuroHockey Club Trophy II in Alanya which was the last event of the 2023/24 season from which to gain EHL ranking points.
For Ireland and Ukraine, they were all but assured of earning a spot and this was confirmed over the weekend.
Irish club UCD won the Trophy II tournament with a resounding 4-1 final win over Türkiye’s Gaziantep Polisgücü, a result which retains their country’s place in sixth on the EHL Ranking Table.
The direct beneficiaries will be Railway Union who won this season’s EY Champions Trophy thanks to a last minute Róisín Upton penalty stroke to defeat Loreto 1-0 in their national final.
For good measure, Railway won the Irish Senior Cup 1-0 as well, Katie Fearon getting the decisive goal against Catholic Institute.
Ukraine benefited from MSC Sumchanka’s fourth place at Easter’s Trophy I event in Hamburg which was the key driver in adding to their points total.
Their EHL spot was confirmed once IFK SumDPU finished in fifth place in EuroHockey Club Challenge I in Vienna last weekend.
It means a Ukraine club – to be determined later this month – will make their debut in the expanded Euro Hockey League next year.
Czechia’s national champion will complete the line-up of representatives next season. For them, the combination of SK Slavia Prague’s sixth place in the EuroHockey Club Trophy I at Easter and HC 1972 Rakovnik earning bronze in Trophy II in Alanya.
Their representative has also yet to be confirmed with the national championship still ongoing.
