Reading Hockey Club is a professional field hockey club based at Sonning Lane in the English town of Reading. It is one of the most successful clubs in the United Kingdom with National League and Cup honours. The men's team have been champions of England on six occasions and the women's team on three occasions.
The men's first team play in the Men's England Hockey League Premier Division and the Ladies 1st XI team play in the Women's England Hockey League Premier Division.
RHC runs 11 men's teams, 8 ladies teams and has a flourishing junior (colts) section. It is also runs an England Hockey Talent academy. Players range from 5 to 70+ years old. RHC has over 500 senior and nearly 550 junior members and is based at a top class facility in Sonning Lane, where they have been since 1984. There are 2 pitches at the clubhouse, Sonning Lane Water and Sonning Lane Sand.
History The origins of the club are slightly confusing despite the official formation listed as 1904. A club by the same name existed previously alongside a second club in Reading called Reading Thistles. Mentions of the Reading Hockey Club included a fixture cancellation due to Influenza in 1895 and a defeat to Marlborough in 1900. The Athenian Hockey Club based in Earley, changed its name to Reading Hockey Club in 1903 but to confuse matters further, the club is listed a being re-formed in 1912 following a meeting at the Queen's Hotel and then disbanded in 1913. Once the effects of World War I were out of the way, a new club was formed following a meeting at the George Hotel in September 1920, with a ground at Cintra. By the mid-1920s the club had multiple teams and played at Prospect Park.
A new two-storey clubhouse was constructed and built during 1985.
In 1997, Reading hosted the European Cup Winners Tournament, and more recently, Reading has hosted International matches, alongside charity matches for the Hockey For Heroes.
The men's team have been champions of England on six occasions (1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12) and the women's team were premier league champions in 2010-11 and 2012-13.
In 2025, Reading won the women's 2024–25 league title and the men's team won Division One South title to return to Premier Division again.
Players Men's First Team Squad 2025–26 season
Women's First Team Squad 2025–26 season
Major National Honours National champions 1996-97 Men's League champions 2000–01 Men's League champions 2001–02 Men's League champions 2006–07 Men's League champions 2007–08 Men's League champions 2011–12 Men's League champions 2010–11 Women's League champions 2012–13 Women's League champions 2024-25 Women's League champions
National Cup Winners 1995-96 Men's National Cup winners 1998-99 Men's National Cup winners 1999-00 Men's National Cup winners 2002–03 Men's National Cup winners 2003–04 Men's National Cup winners 2005–06 Men's National Cup winners 2008–09 Men's National Cup winners 2014–15 Men's National Cup winners 2015–16 Men's National Cup winners 2017–18 Men's National Cup winners
National Tournaments 2001-02 Men's Premiership Tournament Winners 2002-03 Men's Premiership Tournament Winners 2003-04 Men's Premiership Tournament Winners 2005-06 Men's Super Cup Winners
Notable players Men's internationals
PlayerEventsNotes/Ref Tommy Alexander CG (2018) Tim Atkins Matt Wright WC 2027 James Bailey WC (2014) Tom Bertram Oly (2004) Nick Brothers WC (2006, 2010) James Carson CG (2018) Tom Carson WC (2014) Nicholas Catlin Oly (2012), WC (2014) Darren Cheesman CT (2012) Chris Cargo Jonty Clarke Oly (2008, 2012), CG (2006), WC (2006, 2010) Owain Dolan-Gray CG (2018) Benjamin Francis CG (2018) Jonny Gooch 2016–2017 Howard Hoskin CG (2002) Dale Hutchinson CG (2018) John Jackson Hardeep Jawanda Huw Jones CG (2014) Daniel Kyriakides CG (2018) Stuart Loughrey WC (2018) Iain Mackay Oly (2012), CG (2010), WC (2010) Richard Mantell Oly (2008), CG (2010), WC (2006, 2010) Simon Mantell Oly (2008), CG (2006, 2010, 2014), WC (2006, 2014) Simon Mason Oly (1996, 2000, 2004), CG (1998, 2002), WC (1998, 2002) Lee Morton CG (2018) Fred Newbold WC (2023), EC (2021, 2023, 2025) Chris Newman Richard Norris 1957–1959 Mark Pearn Oly (2000, 2004), CG (1998, 2002), WC (1998, 2002) Duncan Riddell CG (2018) Liam Sanford CG (2018), WC (2018) Peter Scott Dan Shingles WC (2014) Austin Smith Oly (2008) Peter Swainson 2006–2009 Robert Todd CG (2002), WC (2002) Jimmy Wallis WC (2002) Jon Wyatt Oly (1996, 2000), CG (1998, 2002), WC (1998, 2002)
Key Oly = Olympic Games CG = Commonwealth Games WC = World Cup CT = Champions Trophy EC = European Championships
Women's internationals
PlayerEventsNotes/Ref Alex Danson Chantal de Bruijn Susie Gilbert Sarah Jones Emily Maguire Livy Paige Helen Richardson-Walsh Kate Richardson-Walsh Beth Storry Amy Tennant Susannah Townsend Key Oly = Olympic Games CG = Commonwealth Games WC = World Cup CT = Champions Trophy EC = European Championships
References
External links