Reading Hockey Club

Reading Hockey Club is delighted to announce the signing of Irish international Paddy McElhinney, who joins the Men’s 1st XI for the 2026/27 season.

Paddy arrives at Sonning Lane from Team Bath Buccaneers, where he has been a key figure in the Men’s 1st XI competing in Division 1 South of the England Hockey League. An Ireland U21 international and part of Hockey Ireland’s National Performance Pathway, he combined his club hockey in Bath with his studies at the University of Bath, where he was recognised with a sporting scholarship in acknowledgement of his performances at an elite level.

The club’s Chairman, Tim Hunt, welcomed the signing: “Paddy is exactly the calibre of player we want to be attracting to Reading. He’s a Performance Pathway athlete with international experience, and he arrives with real ambition to push on with his career. We’re delighted he’s chosen to join the Reading Hockey Club family.”

Todd Williams, Head of Men’s Performance, added: “Paddy has developed impressively through the Irish pathway and in a competitive Buccaneers side, and he brings quality, energy and a great attitude. Adding him to the group is a really exciting step for the Men’s 1st XI ahead of 2026/27.”

Paddy will link up with his new teammates ahead of pre-season training this summer. The whole club looks forward to welcoming him to Sonning Lane.

Reading Hockey Club is delighted to announce the signing of Daman Bansal, who joins the Men’s 1st XI for the 2026/27 season.

Daman is a standout player who joins from Indian Gymkhana M1, where he has been competing in the England Hockey Men’s Division One South. A former England Futures Cup player, he has built a reputation as a prolific goalscorer.

His record speaks for itself: Daman finished the 2025/26 campaign among Division One South’s leading scorers with 12 goals, and featured for Indian Gymkhana in the England Hockey Men’s Championship Cup final at the Nottingham Hockey Centre. Reading supporters may also remember him only too well — it was Daman’s late equaliser at Sonning Lane in March 2025 that briefly checked Reading’s charge back to the Premier Division. Next season, he’ll be scoring those goals in Sky Blue!

The club’s Chairman, Tim Hunt, welcomed the signing: “Daman is a proven goalscorer at national league level and exactly the kind of attacking talent we want at Reading. Anyone who watched us play Indian Gymkhana knows what he’s capable of — we’re delighted that he’ll be doing it for us next season. He’s an outstanding addition to the squad.”

Head of Men’s Performance, Todd Williams, added: “Daman’s numbers in Division One South put him right up there with the most dangerous forwards in the league. He’s hungry, he knows where the goal is, and he’ll add a real cutting edge to our attack. I can’t wait to get to work with him in pre-season.”

Daman will link up with his new teammates ahead of pre-season training this summer. The whole club looks forward to welcoming him to Sonning Lane.

Reading Hockey Club is delighted to announce that James Lavers will return to Sonning Lane for the 2026/27 season, joining the Men’s 1st XI from Brooklands MU.

James comes back to Reading with top-flight pedigree, having spent the 2025/26 season competing in the England Hockey Premier Division with Brooklands. A forward with a knack for important goals, he was instrumental in Brooklands’ Division 1 North title-winning campaign in 2024/25 and he carried that form into the Premier Division, finding the net against some of the biggest names in the English game.

The club’s Chairman, Tim Hunt, welcomed the signing: “Bringing James home is a special one. He knows this club, and he returns as a better player than when he left — a Premier Division forward who has won promotion and tested himself at the very top level of English hockey. Signings like this show the pull that Reading now has, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him back to Sonning Lane.”

Head of Men’s Performance, Todd Williams, added: “James brings something we value enormously — recent Premier Division experience combined with a genuine connection to this club. He scores big goals in big games, as his record at Brooklands shows, and his knowledge of what it takes to win promotion and compete at the top will be invaluable to this group. I’m really excited to have him back.”

James will link up with the squad ahead of pre-season training this summer. Welcome home, James!

Reading Hockey Club is delighted to announce the signing of Welsh international Jamie Bulbring, who will join the Women’s 1st XI for the 2026/27 season.

Bulbring, a prolific forward, joins from Cardiff & Met Hockey Club, where she was one of the standout attacking players in the England Hockey League. She topped the Conference West scoring charts in the early weeks of the 2025/26 season as Cardiff & Met made a flying start following their promotion, and this summer represented the club in the EuroHockey Club Trophy II in Alanya, Turkey, as they competed at that level of European competition for the first time.

Jamie earned her first senior Wales cap earlier this year, making her international debut at the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad, India. She was named in the 20-player Wales squad alongside fellow new Reading signings Lily Roberts and Anja Atkin — and will now reunite with both at Sonning Lane.

The club’s Chairman, Tim Hunt, welcomed the signing: “Jamie is a fantastic addition to the squad. A senior Welsh international with a proven goalscoring record in the England Hockey League, she brings exactly the kind of attacking threat we’ve been looking to add. We’re thrilled she’s chosen Reading for the next chapter of her career.”

Walid Abdo added: “Jamie’s numbers speak for themselves — she’s a natural goalscorer and her international debut this year shows the trajectory she’s on. Adding her to a forward line alongside players she already knows well from the Wales set-up gives us a really exciting attacking unit for 2026/27.”

Jamie will link up with her new teammates ahead of pre-season training this summer. The whole club looks forward to welcoming her to Sonning Lane.

Reading Hockey Club is thrilled to announce the signing of Scarlett Spavin, who joins the Women’s 1st XI for the 2026/27 season following the completion of her studies at Durham University.

Spavin arrives at Sonning Lane with an outstanding pedigree at both club and international level. The midfielder was captain of the Durham University Women’s 1s side that achieved promotion to the Women’s Premier Division for the first time in the club’s history.

At international level, Scarlett has represented England Women’s U21, featuring at the 4 Nations Tournament in Germany and going on to be part of the England squad that topped their group at the U21 World Cup, with victories over New Zealand and the United States.

Chairman Tim Hunt said: “Scarlett is a real coup for Reading. Captaining a Durham side to a historic Premier Division promotion, and doing so with the quality she showed throughout that campaign, tells you everything about her character and her ability. We’re delighted to welcome her to the club.”

Walid Abdo added: “Scarlett brings exactly the kind of leadership and winning mentality we want in our squad. Her experience at England U21 level and what she achieved as captain at Durham makes her a hugely exciting addition to our Women’s 1st XI. We can’t wait to get her on the pitch at Sonning Lane.”

The whole club looks forward to welcoming Scarlett ahead of pre-season this summer.

Reading Hockey Club is delighted to announce the signing of Welsh international Lily Roberts, who will join the Women’s 1st XI for the 2026/27 season.

Roberts, a 23-year-old forward, joins from Cardiff & Met Hockey Club. She earned her first senior Wales cap in 2024 Summer Series against Malaysia and continues the recruitment of full Internationals into the Reading set up.

Reading HC Chair, Tim Hunt, welcomed the signing: “Lily is exactly the calibre of player we want to be attracting to Reading. International experience at senior level brings a real edge to the squad, and her energy and quality will make a big difference for us next season. We’re delighted she’s chosen to join the Reading Hockey Club family.”

Walid Abdo added: “Lily’s credentials clearly demonstrate she has the composure and quality to perform on the big stage. Bringing more international pedigree into our Women’s 1st XI is a real statement of intent for 2026/27, and we can’t wait to see Lily in sky blue.”

Lily will link up with her new teammates ahead of pre-season training this summer. The whole club looks forward to welcoming her to Sonning Lane.

We are recruiting for a new Head Coach for our Men’s 2s for the 2026/27 season onwards!

To support the Head of Men’s Performance with successful development, delivery, manaagement and sustainability of the Reading Hockey Club’s Men’s Performance Programme and Lead on the Performance of Reading HC’s Men’s 2nd XI

To apply, please send your CV and short cover letter to: [email protected]

Closing date: Sunday 12th July

Reading Hockey Club is delighted to announce the signing of forward Tilly O’Dea for the 2026/27 Women’s England Hockey League season. Tilly arrives at Sonning Lane from the University of Nottingham, where she was part of one of the most successful university hockey programmes in the country.

Tilly’s journey in the game began at Maidenhead Hockey Club, where she established herself as a prolific forward from an early age. She went on to study at the University of Nottingham and established herself as a key member of their Women’s 1st XI with her time there culminated in the ultimate prize: Tilly scored in the 2025 BUCS Big Wednesday final against Loughborough, helping Nottingham clinch their fourth successive women’s title.

Walid Abdo, Head of Women’s Performance: “Tilly is a proven winner - competing in a team with consecutive BUCS titles is a remarkable environment to have come through, and you can see from her performances that she thrives in big moments. She’s a forward who makes things happen, and I’m really excited to have her in our attacking unit.”

Tim Hunt, Chairman of Reading Hockey Club: “Signing a player who has just come out of such a successful hockey programme as Notts Uni tells you everything about the quality and the mentality Tilly brings. We’re thrilled to welcome her to Reading.”

Tilly will join the squad ahead of pre-season for the 2026/27 campaign.

Welcome to Reading, Tilly!

Reading Hockey Club is pleased to announce the signing of Lauren Martin for the 2026/27 Women’s England Hockey League season. Lauren joins the Women’s 1st XI from Guildford Hockey Club, bringing with her a wealth of Premier League experience gathered across three clubs and a passion for the sport that extends well beyond the pitch.

Lauren’s hockey career began at Canterbury, where she made her Premier League debut while still at school. She then moved on to study at Loughborough University, where she continued to play at the top level for Loughborough Students, sharpening her game in one of the most competitive university hockey environments in the country.

From Loughborough, Lauren joined Guildford Hockey Club, where she has played both outdoor and indoor hockey, including two seasons in the Super 6s Premier League - English hockey’s elite indoor competition. That experience across formats and at the highest domestic level gives Lauren a rounded game that she now brings to Sonning Lane. Away from hockey, Lauren works as a teacher at Crosfields School in Reading - making her very much a part of the local community that Reading Hockey Club is proud to serve.

Walid Abdo, Head of Women’s Performance: “Lauren is a player who has been developed in outstanding environments and her experience across outdoor and indoor hockey at Premier League and Super 6s level speaks for itself. She arrives hungry to take the next step, and we’re looking forward to working with her and helping her reach her potential in a Reading shirt.”

Tim Hunt, Chairman of Reading Hockey Club: “It’s brilliant to be welcoming someone who is already embedded in the Reading community. Lauren brings real quality and a wealth of Premier League experience and we hope Sonning Lane feels like a natural home for her.”

Lauren will join the squad ahead of pre-season preparations for the 2026/27 campaign.

Welcome to Reading, Lauren!