There’s not much time to let the New Year festivities clear as the men’s and women’s hockey seasons begin this weekend.
There are a number of crucial games already in prospect on Saturday, with all teams aiming to make a fast start.
The dominance of Jamie Brown’s Ramsey Crookall Bacchas has been well documented, and they remain the team to beat in the PwC Men’s Premier League.
They have no time to ease themselves into the season though, as they have a stern test against Alex Birch’s Canaccord Genuity Vikings A, whom they met in the Men’s Cup final last year.
The Whites will naturally start as favourites, but Vikings will aim to catch them napping.
With one of the title challengers unable to claim a win, Russell Miller’s Crowe Morgan Valkyrs will be confident of taking both points on offer to claim top spot against LJ Ramsey A. However, a Ramsey side buoyed by their performance in the mixed season won’t be an easy nut to crack.
Craig Leece takes his Bacchas side down to Partitionware Castletown A, and will go into the match as favourites, having dispatched the Reds twice last season.
Town have been building though, and a few new faces in the line-up will be looking for victory to set the scene for their season.
Over to the PwC Women’s Premier League as the indomitable Vikings side defend their title.
Despite their many assets, they have seen their opposition get closer and closer and this could be the season for a surprise.
The closest challengers look to be Keith Corkill’s Ramsey A, who open their season with a game against newly- promoted Harlequins.
With the champions not in action, Emma Leeming’s Bacchas side are also a team progressing rapidly, and they will be confident of success against Dani Kelly’s Castletown A to apply pressure to Vikings already.
In PwC Men’s Division One, there’s a cracking game to start the season, as last season’s top two meet.
New Harlequins’ captain Elliot Henson pit his side’s wits against defending champions Vikings B.
Elsewhere in the division, Barry Powell will look to mastermind a victory for his Saracens team against a strong looking Valkyrs B, before Ramsey B and Bacchas Colts face off in the league’s third game in a fixture that could go either way.
Over to PwC Women’s Division One and it looks to be a battle of the second strings for promotion to the Premier League.
Michelle Poyzer’s Valkyrs B take on Ramsey B as they try to strike the first blow in the title battle, while Valkyrs C will have their work cut out to gain victory against Anne Harrison’s steely Bacchas B.
PwC Men’s Division Two has only four teams, so could prove to be a very tight division.
Mike Taylor takes a Castletown B squad bursting at the seams to Connor Banks’s Harlequins B, while Ian Perry’s young Vikings Colts side complete the fixtures against Bacchas C.
Finally to PwC Women’s Division Two, and Gail Logan’s Saracens should start as favourites against Louise Franklin’s Bacchas C, thanks to a recent recruitment drive.
The second teams of Castletown and Harlequins will round off 2017’s first weekend of hockey.
Dave Clark-Wilson
Fixtures: Saturday, January 7
PwC Men’s Premier League
12.35pmPartitionware Castletown A
v Ramsey Crookall Bacchanalians B @ CRHS
Umpires: John Harrison, James Russell
11.05amLJ Ramsey A
v Crowe Morgan Valkyrs A @ CRHS
Umpires: James Harrison, Andy Whiting
2.05pmCanaccord Genuity Vikings A
v Ramsey Crookall Bacchanalians A @ CRHS
Umpires: Gary Corkhill, Andy Winslade
PwC Women’s Premier League
2.05pmPartitionware Castletown A
v Ramsey Crookall Bacchanalians A @ QEII
Umpires: Kirsty Bowley, Vic Ferns
3.35pmHarlequins A v LJ Ramsey A @ QEII
Umpires: Helen Cave, TBC
PwC Men’s Division One
2.05pmHarlequins A
v Canaccord Genuity Vikings B @ NSC
Umpires: John Pearson, Garreth Roome
2.05pmLJ Ramsey B v Ramsey Crookall Bacchanalians Colts @ RGS
Umpires: Rob McKenzie, TBC
3.35pmSaracens A v Crowe Morgan Valkyrs B @ CRHS
Umpires: James Russell, TBC
PwC Women’s Division One
11.05amCrowe Morgan Valkyrs C v Ramsey Crookall Bacchanalians B @ RGS
Umpires: Alexandria Smith, Sandra Smith
2.05pmCrowe Morgan Valkyrs B
v LJ Ramsey B @ RGS
Umpires: Tim Leeming, TBC
PwC Men’s Division Two
12.35pmPartitionware Castletown B
v Harlequins B @ NSC
Umpires: Peter Foxton, TBC
3.35pmCanaccord Genuity Vikings Colts
v Ramsey Crookall Bacchanalians C @ NSC
Umpires: Peter Foxton, TBC
PwC Women’s Division Two
11:05 Partitionware Castletown B
v Harlequins B @ QEII
Umpires: Jess Tarpey, TBC
11.05amRamsey Crookall Bacchanalians C
v Saracens A @ NSC
Umpires: Andrew Bentley, Ben Cunningham
PwC Mixed Under-16s’ League
3.35pmLJ Ramsey Rogues and Rascals
v Harlequins @ RGS
Umpires: Alison Middleton, TBC
3.35pmCrowe Morgan Valkyrs
v Canaccord Genuity Vikings @ QEII
Umpires: Vic Ferns, TBC