L1 Start Their Super 6s Campaign This Weekend
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Ladies begin their Super 6s Championships campaign this weekend when they return to the Premier Division at Repton after being promoted from Division One last season.
Surbiton last played in the top flight in 2020 when they were relegated together with Clifton Robinsons after finishing eighth in Telford. Due to Covid-19, there was no competition in 2021 but in 2022, Telford was also the venue where Surbiton began their promotion push before transferring to Bristol where they finished top of Division One, six points ahead of runners-up, Sevenoaks.
Back in the Premier Division, Surbiton have a tough start at 10.30 on Saturday, opening the tournament against hosts and last season's runners-up, Repton, who have signed Janne Muller-Wieland and will be captained by former Surbiton player, Erica Sanders, who was also Surbiton's top scorer back in 2020 as Repton aim to go one better than 2022.
The teams have never met at Super 6s level with Repton winning promotion to the Premier Division in 2020, replacing Surbiton after finishing as runners-up to Wimbledon in Division One. Ironically it was Repton who performed better in 2022, losing narrowly to East Grinstead in a 4-3 thriller in the final whilst Wimbledon were relegated back to Division One.
Surbiton's second game on Saturday is against Sutton Coldfield at 3.30 pm. Surbiton lost 4-3 in the Premier Division in 2020 when the teams last met, but Surbiton won 1-0 in Division One in 2019 when Surbiton again were second tier champions with Sutton Coldfield finishing three points behind in second.
The task doesn't get any easier on Sunday morning when reigning champions East Grinstead provide the opposition at 11 am. East Grinstead taught Surbiton a goalscoring lesson in 2020, running out 10-2 winners with East Grinstead having also won 7-2 in 2015-16.
Surbiton's first weekend concludes with a meeting with Sevenoaks at 3 pm on Sunday. Sevenoaks won 5-3 in Division One in 2017-18, but Surbiton have won the last two meetings, 4-2 in 2018-19 and 6-2 last season.
Over the second weekend, Surbiton will face Buckingham; Leicester; Bowdon Hightown and Slough.
The games can be followed in real time via England Hockey Altius via this link:
There will also be in match goal updates via the Surbiton HC Twitter account.