The ABN AMRO EHL Ranking Cup events land this week with tournaments in Brasschaat, Belgium and Hamburg, Germany.
These tournaments act specifically to finalise the 2020/21 EHL ranking tables while offering all teams who originally qualified for the 2020/21 season’s EHL the chance to finally hit the turf in world hockey’s premier club competition.
The finalisation of the EHL Ranking tables for the 2020/21 season which will, in turn, formally determine how many spots each country will receive for next year’s 2021/22 EHL competitions.
In effect, following last Easter’s FINAL4, the men’s competition will determine who earns the ranking points for positions 5 to 20 for the 2020/21 season while the women’s competition determines 5th to 8th place.
In the men’s Ranking Cup, recently crowned Belgian champions Dragons, complete with a trio of Olympic gold medalists, will play host at their grounds in the park of Brasschaat from September 30 to October 3 with 14 teams taking part.
** Tickets are available to purchase for this tournament here.
The competition is broken into four distinct quadrants with each victory boosting the ranking points on offer.
In the first quadrant, Dinamo Elektrostal will face SV Kampong in game one on September 30 with the winner advancing to meet Austria’s SV Arminen on October 1. This section has been reduced to three teams as Scotland’s Grange Hockey Club have withdrawn due to concerns and issues with Covid-19.
The second quadrant is shaping up nicely with Dutch newcomers Den Bosch facing Saint Germain before going on to face either La Gantoise – another debuting club – or Club de Campo, back in the EHL for the first time since 2014.
Those initial games will be played on September 30 with the meeting between the respective losers and winners taking place a day later on October 1.
Saturday, October 2 sees eight different men’s sides enter the fray. The third section features HC Minsk against Three Rock Rovers and Mannheimer HC taking on Hampstead & Westminster, the latter a repeat of their 2019 KO8 meeting.
The final quadrant has been reduced to three teams with the host club KHC Dragons taking on English champions Surbiton on Saturday. The winner will take on Rot-Weiss Köln on Sunday. Dinamo Ak-Bars were originally due to take part in this section of the draw but a number of Covid-19 within their camp means they will not take part.
The EHL Women’s Cup, meanwhile, will take place on October 2 and 3. It features three teams and will take place at the famous UHC Clubanlage venue. The German club previously welcomed the EHL for the 2009 men’s KO16.
The hosts have a new look team under the coaching of Johannes Persoon who has taken on the mantle from Claus Henkel, stepping up from the assistant coach role.
The competition will feature two matches following the withdrawal of Ireland’s Pegasus. Their first game will see UHC face Belarus champions HC Minsk on Saturday, October 2.
The winner of this tie will meet England’s Surbiton. Whoever wins outright will earn “fifth place” overall in the European rankings with the runner-up deemed “sixth” while the side who loses on Saturday will be awarded “seventh” in the rankings.
** To see the full EHL Men’s Ranking Cup schedule, click here
** To see the full EHL Women’s Ranking Cup schedule, click here
** To buy tickets for the men’s EHL Ranking Cup, click here
EHL Cup 2021 ranking positions to be determined
Men
5th= place: Winner of two matches
9th= place : Winner of game one, loser of game two
13th= place: Loser of game one, winner of game two
17th= place: Loser of two games
Women
5th place: Winner of two matches
6th place : Winner of game one, loser of game two
7th place: Loser of M2
** Click here to see full ranking tables: