After a successful 2025-26 season, England Hockey welcomes 16 new teams into the Open/Men’s and Women’s England Hockey Leagues (EHL) for 2026-27. 

The England Hockey League is the pinnacle of club hockey in England; the top 12 teams compete to be the England Hockey League Premier Division Champions and qualify for the EuroHockey League next season. 

In the Women’s Premier Division, Buckingham return after a three-year absence and Teddington having secured promotion to EHL Conference East in 2023, followed by promotion to Div 1 South in 2025 gained a second consecutive promotion, to reach the Premier Division of the England Hockey League for the first time in the club’s long history.  

Women’s Division One sees Conference Midlands winners, Leicester City return to Division One North and North winners, Bowdon 2s gaining promotion for the first time. In Division One South Team Bath Buccaneers return having won Conference West and Old Loughtonians Conference East champions are newcomers at this level. 

The eight newcomers to the Conferences are the Area League winners. North – Timperley (NW) and City Of York (YNE), Midlands – University of Nottingham 2s (M) and Bedford (E), East –Southgate 2s (L) and East Grinstead 2s (SE), West –Witney (SC) and Penarth (W). 

In the Men’s Premier Division, University of Exeter play at this level for the first time whilst Bowdon are back in the topflight  

Men’s Division One sees Conference Midlands winners, leek securing their second consecutive promotion, are newcomers to Division One North while North winners, Leeds returning having been regulated in 2024-25. In Division One South Hampstead & Westminster 2s who won Conference East and Clifton Robinson who won Conference West, both make the step up. 

The eight newcomers to the Conferences are the Area League winners. North –Brooklands Manchester University 2s (NW) and Sheffield University Bankers (YNE), Midlands –Nottingham Trent University (M) and Blueharts (E), East – Richmond 2s (L) and Oxted 2s (SE), West – Trojans (SC) and Bristol Firebrands (W). 

Women: 

Premier Division

Birmingham University

Bowdon

East Grinstead

Hampstead & Westminster

Loughborough Students

Reading

Surbiton

Wimbledon

Durham University

Teddington

Buckingham

Division One North	Division One South
Beeston	Bristol Firebrands
Ben Rhydding	Exeter University
Clifton Robinsons	Team Bath Buccaneers
Gloucester City	Old Loughtonians
Pendle Forest	Sevenoaks
Sutton Coldfield	Southgate
Loughborough Students 2s	Surbiton 2
Leeds	Holcombe
Bowdon 2	Barnes
Leicester City	Reading 2s

Women’s Conference East	Women’s Conference Midlands	Women’s Conference West	Women’s Conference North
Canterbury	Birmingham University 2	Exeter	Didsbury Northern
Hampstead & Westminster 2	Cambridge City	Lansdown	Durham University 2
London Wayfarers	Cambridge University	Marlow	Fylde
Old Georgians	St Albans	Trojans	Newcastle University
Spencer	Nottingham Trent University	Slough	Whitley Bay & Tynemouth
Wimbledon 2	Stourport	Oxford University	Kirkby Stephen
Guildford	Harleston Magpies	Cardiff & Met	Timperley
Barnes 2	Olton & West Warwickshire	Penarth	City of York
Southgate 2	Bedford	Witney	Alderley Edge
East Grinstead 2	Nottingham Univ 2	Oxford Hawks	Repton

Open/Men’s:

Premier Division

Beeston

Bowdon

Cardiff & Met

East Grinstead

Hampstead & Westminster

Holcombe

Old Georgians

Oxted

Reading

Surbiton

Wimbledon

University Of Exeter

Division One North	Division One South
Birmingham University	Southgate
Durham University	Surbiton 2
Harborne	Indian Gymkhana
Loughborough Students	Old Loughtonians
Nottingham University	Sevenoaks
Brooklands MU	Teddington
Timperley	Richmond
Repton	Guildford
Leeds	Hampstead & Westminster 2
Leek	Clifton Robinsons

Open/Mens Conference East	Open/Mens Conference Midlands	Open/Mens Conference West	Open/Mens Conference North
London Wayfarers	Banbury	Ashmoor	Deeside Ramblers
Old Cranleighan	Barford Tigers	Chichester	Didsbury Northern
Spencer	Norwich City	University of Exeter 2	Doncaster
Bromley & Beckenham	Nottingham University 2	Fareham	Durham University 2
Southgate 2	St Albans	Team Bath Buccaneers	Sheffield
Holcombe 2	City of Peterbrough	Cardiff & Met 2	Lindum
Canterbury	Oxford Hawks	Marlow	Neston
Chelmesford	Olton & West Warwickshire	Trojans	Newcastle University
Richmond 2	Blueharts	Bristol Firebrands	Brooklands MU 2s
Oxted 2	Nottingham Trent University	Havant	Sheffield University Bankers

See the Women’s and Men’s maps showing the allocation of teams to Divisions. In determining the allocations the following is considered  

The need to divide Division One into two Divisions and the Conferences into four Divisions all of 10 teams.

• The overall geographic spread of teams – this means that on occasions clubs that are close to each other may not play in the same Division. Also that Men’s and Women’s teams from the same club may play in different geographic Divisions.
• Travel times as well as geographic proximity.
• The overall impact on the combined travel for all the teams in a particular Division.
• At Conference level minimising the number of Divisions teams from the same Area participate in

Not switching teams between different Divisions each season unless the factors above demonstrate it is clearly required