Repton's Men & Women Ready To Continue Fairy Tale Super 6s Journey

Photo credit: www.hockeytoday.co.uk (L) and SmifSports Photography (R)

Rod Gilmour of The Hockey Paper spoke to members of Repton HC, whose men and women will both be making their Super 6s Premier Division debuts this weekend, about the club's stunning rise in the indoor game.

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For a club which only formed in 2016, Repton will join Holcombe, Wimbledon and East Grinstead as one of only four teams to have both men’s and women’s teams in their respective Super 6s Premier Divisions this season. It is little wonder that head coach Martin Jones, the former Great Britain international, is “delighted” with the club’s meteoric rise.

“For us to be in with that mix of names so soon, we are pretty pleased with that,” Jones said ahead of their double indoor assault on the top flight, which kicks off on Saturday for the first of two action-packed weekends before finals day on Sunday 30 January.

“Given how low down we are in the outdoor leagues, indoor was a focus for us and we thought we could reach the top pretty quickly,” added a buoyant Jones.

“One of the key things for us as a club was to stretch our good junior players; to expose them to indoor and the national leagues would be a great way to do that. And if we got our house in order and took it really seriously we could get to the Premier Division.”

Under the current regional structure, Repton gained three promotions in one season three years ago which set the indoor ball rolling. Now, Jones says Repton are ready “to cut our teeth” at the top level. “It will be a stretch, particularly on the men’s side,” he admitted, “but it’s still brilliant and we have several U18s involved who will be mixing with the best players.”

On the women’s side, Repton have signed several top indoor talents. Experience is entwined with youth in the shape of Ellie Watton, the former England and Great Britain player, while the club also has Claudia Swain - their first GB Elite Development Programme (EDP) player who was named as a reserve for England at the postponed U21 Women's Junior World Cup - in their ranks.

Indoor exponent Sally Walton, a London 2012 bronze medallist with GB, will captain the side. After reaching the final with Bowdon Hightown at the Copper Box in 2020, Walton joined Repton as the women's outdoor 1st XI player-coach. “She said to us that the club is on an upward trajectory but also that we took indoor seriously, which really appealed to her,” said Jones.

Repton have also managed to secure the services of Germany’s UK-based international Janne Muller-Wieland. Jones said: “Janne will be fantastic and in the friendlies she was amazing, as well as with the junior players. She is a humble person and the right kind of player to bring in and she leads by example on what she can do.”

Jones, a director of hockey at Repton School, will be men's player/coach, while he is also co-coach with the women’s side. His focus, however, will be on the men’s Premier Division over the next two weekends, the club kick starting life in the top flight by hosting the nine-strong league at Repton Sports Centre.

Perhaps he need not worry what will happen with the women’s side at Whitgift School given the team’s current outdoor record. At the winter break, they had racked up a remarkable 10 out of 10 wins, with 100 goals scored and none conceded.

The club’s decision to host the Repton Women’s Cup in the summer - when six local clubs played on consecutive Friday nights - has certainly paid dividends. “We have to find ways to stretch our best players and until we get to the higher leagues we need to do these kinds of things to showcase our players,” added Jones.

With Jones having represented both Cannock and Beeston during his club career, he also harbours dreams of the blossoming Repton enjoying the same success. “I would love Repton to grow and be on the national stage. The indoor is one thing but to get to the national leagues would be brilliant,” he said. “I was lucky to play in the Euro Hockey League for those clubs and if we can do that with Repton men and women that would be pretty big in time.”

Ahead of their first foray in the women's Premier Division, Walton said: “The opportunity to join Repton as player coach came after a break from playing due to Covid and really provided a fresh challenge with an exciting young team, whose ambition is to climb the leagues. To play even a small part in the hockey journey of some really talented girls was a big pull.

“With Repton being freshly promoted to the Super 6s Premier Division, it was a chance to continue playing the form of the game I love and also to coach. The decision not to play for Bowdon this year was a very difficult one. I have so many wonderful memories from down the years with a great club and also playing under my biggest hockey mentor in Tina Cullen. However, we have an exciting young team who are looking forward to mixing it up with some of the best indoor players in the country over the next few weekends.

“One thing the indoor format really allows is an opportunity to bring together a large number of teams to really celebrate the sport. At club level that is a very rare occasion and off the back of a two-year absence, I think it will make it even more special for all involved.”