EuroHockey Club Champions Cup
Encyclopedia
The EuroHockey Club Champions Cup, previously known as the European Club Championship, is the leading woman's field hockey
competition for clubs in Europe
. It is held annually. Prior to the creation of the Euro Hockey League
in 2007, the woman's competition also had a men's counterpart of the same name. Both the men's and women's competitions began in 1974, although the men's competition was first held unofficially in 1969.
Eight teams, all champions of their respective national competitions, compete in the Cup, which is held in the summer at a single venue. The participating countries are those whose champions finished in the top six of the previous year's competition, together with the two countries whose clubs reached the final of the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy. The bottom two countries in the previous season's Cup play in the Trophy. Similar promotion and relegation takes place between the Trophy and the Challenge I competition, and between Challenge I and Challenge II.
The 2006 Men's Cup was held at Cannock Hockey Club
in England
, and was won by HTC Stuttgart Kickers. The Women's Cup was held in Berlin
, and was won by HC Den Bosch
.
member countries' ranking.
member countries' National Association's, depending on those National Association's EHF Club Ranking. National Associations ranked 1-4 in the EHL Ranking Table may enter two teams each into the Club Champions Cup, while National Associations ranked 5-8 may enter one teams each.
National Associations rankings are derived from each country's results in the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup and EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy over the previous 3 years, with the points in the earlier years discounted by 50% (year 2) and 75% (year 1). This ranking of National Associations is based on the performance of all their clubs in the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup and EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy. The total number of points won by clubs from each country is divided by the number of clubs to which the National Association was entitled in that year's competitions.
Each qualifying National Association is required to enter their national champion club, but is otherwise free to decide the system of qualification for their own clubs for any remaining places to which they are entitled that year.
Round 1 of the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup starts the tournament with a round-robin
group stage. The league's 24 clubs are drawn into four pools (A - D) of three clubs, and each club in a pool plays the other 2 clubs in their pool once. The top 2 clubs in each pool go forward into Round 2. Round 1 is usually played Friday to Sunday inclusive at Easter.
Round 2 sees the tournament switch to a straight knock out format. Four crossover matches A1 v B2, B1 v A2, C1 v D2 and D1 v C2 are played, where A1 is the winner of pool A, and B2 is the team that came second in pool B, etc. The winners of each match qualify for the semi-finals. Rounds 2 is played on Easter Monday.
Clubs finishing in third place in each pool also play on Easter Monday in matches A3 v B3 and C3 v D3.
Round 3 (semi-final) and Round 4 (final, and 3 place playoff) are played at Whitsun
at a single venue.
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
competition for clubs in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It is held annually. Prior to the creation of the Euro Hockey League
Euro Hockey League
The Euro Hockey League is an annual mens field hockey cup competition organised by the EHF for the very top hockey clubs in Europe. The competition was launched at the start of the 2007-08 hockey season, when it merged and replaced the mens EuroHockey Club Champions Cup and European Cup II...
in 2007, the woman's competition also had a men's counterpart of the same name. Both the men's and women's competitions began in 1974, although the men's competition was first held unofficially in 1969.
Eight teams, all champions of their respective national competitions, compete in the Cup, which is held in the summer at a single venue. The participating countries are those whose champions finished in the top six of the previous year's competition, together with the two countries whose clubs reached the final of the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy. The bottom two countries in the previous season's Cup play in the Trophy. Similar promotion and relegation takes place between the Trophy and the Challenge I competition, and between Challenge I and Challenge II.
The 2006 Men's Cup was held at Cannock Hockey Club
Cannock Hockey Club
Cannock Hockey Club are an English field hockey team. They were established in 1905, and are based in the village of Hatherton, near Cannock, Staffordshire. Both the men's and women's first teams play in the England Hockey League Premier Division, the top division of hockey in England...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was won by HTC Stuttgart Kickers. The Women's Cup was held in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and was won by HC Den Bosch
HC Den Bosch
Hockeyclub 's-Hertogenbosch is a Dutch field hockey club, which was founded on July 14, 1937 in 's-Hertogenbosch. With a total number of 1.977 members it is currently the sixth hockeyclub in the Netherlands....
.
Format
The format of the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup was changed for the 2010 competition. Prior to 2010 the tournament featured 8 clubs, but in 2010 the number of clubs was increased to 12 and the rules of competition were changed. Entry into the tournament depends on EHFEuropean Hockey Federation
The European Hockey Federation is an European sports federation for field hockey, based in Dublin, Ireland. It is the umbrella organisation for all European national federations and organises the Euro Hockey League...
member countries' ranking.
Qualification
Each year the 12 available league places are allocated between eight EHFEuropean Hockey Federation
The European Hockey Federation is an European sports federation for field hockey, based in Dublin, Ireland. It is the umbrella organisation for all European national federations and organises the Euro Hockey League...
member countries' National Association's, depending on those National Association's EHF Club Ranking. National Associations ranked 1-4 in the EHL Ranking Table may enter two teams each into the Club Champions Cup, while National Associations ranked 5-8 may enter one teams each.
National Associations rankings are derived from each country's results in the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup and EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy over the previous 3 years, with the points in the earlier years discounted by 50% (year 2) and 75% (year 1). This ranking of National Associations is based on the performance of all their clubs in the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup and EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy. The total number of points won by clubs from each country is divided by the number of clubs to which the National Association was entitled in that year's competitions.
Each qualifying National Association is required to enter their national champion club, but is otherwise free to decide the system of qualification for their own clubs for any remaining places to which they are entitled that year.
Tournament
The EuroHockey Club Champions Cup consists of four rounds.Round 1 of the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup starts the tournament with a round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
group stage. The league's 24 clubs are drawn into four pools (A - D) of three clubs, and each club in a pool plays the other 2 clubs in their pool once. The top 2 clubs in each pool go forward into Round 2. Round 1 is usually played Friday to Sunday inclusive at Easter.
Round 2 sees the tournament switch to a straight knock out format. Four crossover matches A1 v B2, B1 v A2, C1 v D2 and D1 v C2 are played, where A1 is the winner of pool A, and B2 is the team that came second in pool B, etc. The winners of each match qualify for the semi-finals. Rounds 2 is played on Easter Monday.
Clubs finishing in third place in each pool also play on Easter Monday in matches A3 v B3 and C3 v D3.
Round 3 (semi-final) and Round 4 (final, and 3 place playoff) are played at Whitsun
Whitsun
Whitsun is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples...
at a single venue.
Men's Winners
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 |  Crefelder HTC |
 Atlètic Terrassa |
 HC BloemendaalHC Bloemendaal Hockey Club Bloemendaal is a Dutch field hockey club, which was established on April 16, 1895, and is therefore one of the oldest field hockey clubs in the Netherlands... |
| 2006 | Stuttgart Kickers |
Atlètic Terrassa |
Oranje Zwart Oranje Zwart Mixed Hockeyclub Oranje Zwart is a Dutch field hockey club located in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, which was founded on September 1, 1933. With around 1.700 members – as of May 31, 2006 – it is one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands.... |
| 2005 | Amsterdam H&BC |
 Reading HC |
Atlètic Terrassa |
| 2004 | RC de Polo |
Der Club an der Alster |
Amsterdam H&BC |
| 2003 | Reading HC |
RC de Polo |
HC Bloemendaal HC Bloemendaal Hockey Club Bloemendaal is a Dutch field hockey club, which was established on April 16, 1895, and is therefore one of the oldest field hockey clubs in the Netherlands... |
| 2002 | Der Club an der Alster |
HC Den Bosch |
Club Egara Club Egara Club Egara is a field hockey club from Terrassa . It was founded in 1935 with the name 'CD Armonia Egara'. It plays in the Pla del Bon Aire facilities. It's one of the best teams in Spain, it won 13 Spanish leagues.... |
| 2001 | HC Bloemendaal HC Bloemendaal Hockey Club Bloemendaal is a Dutch field hockey club, which was established on April 16, 1895, and is therefore one of the oldest field hockey clubs in the Netherlands... |
Harvesthüder THC |
Club Egara Club Egara Club Egara is a field hockey club from Terrassa . It was founded in 1935 with the name 'CD Armonia Egara'. It plays in the Pla del Bon Aire facilities. It's one of the best teams in Spain, it won 13 Spanish leagues.... |