HC ‘s-Hertogenbosch will host the ABN AMRO Euro Hockey League FINALS next Easter for the first time with their venue at Oosterplas ready to welcome 20 of Europe’s best club teams.
The event runs from Wednesday, April 16th to Monday, April 21st, 2025 and will feature the first edition of the expanded EHL Women FINAL12 competition along with the EHL Men FINAL8.
Twenty-six elite games will take place over the course of the six-day festival which will run alongside the ABN AMRO EHL Hockey ID and Under 14 tournaments in the heart of Brabant.
Speaking about the announcement, EHL chairman Peter Elders said: “We are delighted to bring the Euro Hockey League to Den Bosch for the first time.
“We received a number of very attractive bids for next Easter’s showpiece event and we are encouraged to see very motivated clubs putting themselves forward to host.
“Both the club, BrabantSport and the Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch have been incredibly welcoming already and it will be great to play our finals at the venue of a club whose women’s team is steeped in EuroHockey history.
“We look forward to extending this welcome to fans from all across Europe in April.”
The club has won EHL Women twice in the past four years having previously won the EuroHockey Club Cup 16 times. The club also hosted the Club Cup on seven occasions.
For host club Den Bosch, they cannot wait to bring the event to life following a rich history in European club competition.
Club Chairman Rob Almering said: “It has been nearly ten years since we last organised this kind of event and we are thrilled to once again showcase the pinnacle of European club hockey.
“Our beautiful venue, paired with the warm hospitality of Brabant, provide the perfect backdrop for this exciting occasion. This event presents an excellent opportunity to inspire the youth and ignite their passion for our sport.
“Let’s come together to celebrate the game and foster the next generation of hockey enthusiasts!”
This season, EHL Women FINAL12 makes its first appearance with the competition expanding from eight to 12 teams. In addition to the hosts, Dutch club SCHC, Germany’s Mannheimer HC and Düsseldorfer HC; Spain’s Club de Campo de Madrid; Belgium’s Gantoise and England’s Surbiton all return to the competition.
They will be joined by debutantes Braxgata (Belgium), Real Club de Polo (Spain), Railway Union (Ireland), MSC Sumchanka (Ukraine) and Slavia Prague (Czechia).
The EHL Men FINAL8 features SV Kampong (Netherlands), Old Georgians (England), Gantoise (Belgium) and Club de Campo (Spain) who all pre-qualified. They are joined a quartet of successful KO16 clubs – HC Bloemendaal and HC Rotterdam (Netherlands), Surbiton (England) and Royal Léopold (Belgium).
The event will be supported significantly by Brabant Sport and the Municiplaity of ‘s-Hertogenbosch as part of their strategy to bring top sport to the region.
BrabantSport’s Robert van den Hoogenband said: “We are incredibly proud that, next year men, women, and youth will compete for the European title in Brabant during the EHL.
“Elite sports and high-profile sporting eventslike the EHL are an inspiration for our region. They create excitement, connect people, and also provide economic and social added value to Brabant. We are already looking forward to next year.”
Municipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch councillor for sport Marianne van der Sloot added: “What a great opportunity to bring this event to the city. We already see top hockey and top performances every week in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
“With the European Hockey League, the top hockey teams from Europe are coming to our city. That will be a sporting highlight in advance in 2025. I am really looking forward to it.”
The draw for the EHL Women FINAL12 and Men FINAL8 will be made in the coming weeks with the match schedule and tickets launched soon after.
