W1 Visit Reading on Saturday

Surbiton Women travel to Sonning Lane to take on reigning champions Reading in the Women's Hockey League Premier Division on Saturday afternoon (push back 4 pm).

Surbiton and Reading are meeting for the third time in both teams' last five competitive meetings, Surbiton having beaten Reading 3-0 at Sugden Road in the last League Finals Pools match before meeting East Grinstead in the semi-final of the Premier Division Finals. 

The next day, Reading beat Surbiton 1-0, Emma Findlay's spectacular strike giving the Berkshire club their first league title since 2012-13. Surbiton then started the 2025-26 season with a convincing 6-0 home win over Barnes before the Championships finalists cross paths again on Saturday.

The first league meeting of 2024-25 ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Sonning Lane in October 2024 and the teams drew for a second time in March 2025 when the result was 2-2.

Reading started their defence with a last gasp 2-1 win at Wimbledon, Annie Wilson scoring the winner in the last minute to complete a come from behind victory. Flora Fletcher had given Wimbledon a third minute lead before Lorna Mackenzie levelled on the stroke of half time.

Surbiton scored three goals in each half to spoil Barnes' debut in the top-flight, Maddie Axford scoring the opening goal on her Surbiton debut. Ellie Mackenzie scored twice with Darcy Bourne and Izzy Yonge also on target, whilst Amy Costello also netted on her return to Sugden Road.

During the summer, Reading recruited Megan Crowson from Wimbledon, Maddie Goodman from Loughborough Students and Rebecca Daniel from Clifton Robinsons and will miss their top scorer for the last two seasons, Mia Moore who scored twice on her debut for the University of Nottingham at Loughborough Students last week.

Elsewhere, Durham University will hope they can follow up their 2-1 home win over Clifton Robinsons with another victory over the University of Nottingham. Clifton Robinsons and East Grinstead will aim to kickstart their season after losing their opening matches last weekend when they meet in Bristol.

Barnes play their first Premier Division match on home turf when they welcome Wimbledon to Duke's Meadow, another match where the teams will be looking for their first points of the season.

Hampstead & Westminster make the long trip to Bowdon and there is a Midlands University derby at Loughborough Students, where the University of Birmingham are the visitors.