Reading Hockey Club

17/06/2026

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!

16/06/2026

Reading Hockey Club is thrilled to announce the signing of midfielder Anja Atkin for the 2026/27 Women's England Hockey League season. Anja is a senior Welsh International and joins the club from Guildford Hockey Club.

Anja was one of six players in line to receive a first cap for Wales at the 2023 Tri-Nations Series in Uruguay - a milestone that marked her arrival on the senior international stage and confirmed her as one of the most exciting young forwards in Welsh hockey.

Anja has continued to feature in the Wales setup since her debut, and was included in the Welsh senior squad heading into the 2025/26 season. She arrives at Sonning Lane having developed her club game at Guildford and playing in England Hockey Division 1 South.

Walid Abdo, Head of Women's Performance, said: "Anja is exactly the kind of player we want to be attracting to Reading. She has international pedigree, she's hungry to prove herself at the highest club level, and will be a real asset to the Club. I'm looking forward to working with her and seeing what she can contribute to the squad."

Tim Hunt, Chairman of Reading Hockey Club, added: "I’m delighted to be signing a player of Anja's calibre and bringing another full international into the Club. We've worked hard to build an environment that attracts ambitious players, and Anja choosing Reading is a reflection of that. We're delighted to welcome her."

Anja will link up with the Women's 1st XI squad ahead of pre-season for the 2026/27 campaign.

Welcome to Reading, Anja!

15/06/2026

Reading Hockey Club is delighted to announce the signing of Tilly Crampsie for the 2026/27 season. The talented midfielder joins the Women’s 1st XI from Loughborough University, bringing with her an impressive pedigree at both club and international level.

Walid Abdo, Head of Women’s Performance at Reading Hockey Club, said: “We’re really excited to welcome Tilly to the club. She’s proven herself in a demanding university environment and on the international stage, and we believe she has the quality and the hunger to make a real impact in our Premier Division campaign.”

Chairman Tim Hunt added: “Recruiting players like Tilly is exactly what we’ve been working towards as we continue to build the Women’s 1st XI into a genuine force in English club hockey. We look forward to seeing her develop further playing in blue!”

Welcome to Ding Tilly 🛎️

01/06/2026

Welcome Walid!

Reading Hockey Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Walid Abdo as Head of Women’s Performance.

Walid joins us from Cardiff & Metropolitan Hockey Club, where he served as Men’s 1st XI Head Coach for 18 years - a tenure that included the club becoming the first Welsh side in history to reach the Men’s Premier Division. He has led teams at numerous European tournaments and will continue to serve as Head Coach of the Wales U21 Women’s squad and Assistant Coach to the Senior Welsh Women’s national side.

We are excited about what Walid brings to our Women’s programme and look forward to the season ahead.

🔗 Read the full announcement👇
https://shorturl.at/Vhop4

29/05/2026

Rob Foxall-Smith’s time as our Head of Women’s Performance at the Club has come to an end. For anyone who has watched the Women’s 1st XI’s progress over recent seasons, it is clear just how much Rob has given to this club - and what he has helped our players achieve.

Rob joined the Club in June 2023 and quickly began work to elevate the team’s finishing position from the previous season - they narrowly avoided the drop by a solitary point.

Under his leadership, the rise from that lowly position could not have been steeper and just two seasons later, the team claimed the England Hockey Premier Division title, the highest honour in the domestic game. That triumph then opened the door to European competition, with the squad qualifying for the EHL Finals in Den Bosch earlier this year.

Those achievements don’t happen without high quality coaching, an incredible group of players, and the support of everyone at the Club. Rob’s dedication and application to the role is unquestionable.

We thank him sincerely for his hard work, passion, and professionalism, and we wish him all the very best in whatever comes next.

22/05/2026

WELCOME HELEN JELLEY!

Reading Hockey Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Helen Jelley as Director of Hockey, effective for the 2026/27 season. Helen joins the club with over twelve years of experience spanning high-performance club coaching, national age group programmes, and whole-school hockey leadership, and will take strategic and operational responsibility for all hockey activity at the club.

In her new role, Helen will hold overall responsibility for the club’s hockey strategy and player development pathway, spanning all age groups from U6 through the junior and talent academy sections to the senior teams and will work alongside Reading’s Performance Squad coaches to support the pathway to the very top of the domestic game

Read the full article here 👇
https://shorturl.at/YxXHm

18/05/2026

Thank you for everything .findlay 🩵

From everyone at Reading HC, we would like to say a huge thank you for all you given to Reading Hockey Club over the past 2 seasons!

Wishing you all the best for your next chapter in Germany 🇩🇪 You’ll always be part of the RHC family, and we hope you carry with you as many great memories as you’ve given us! Who cannot forget that great moment last season at Nottingham as you fired home to to help the Women secure the League title 🏆

I’m sure one day we will see you at the lane once more!

Lots of love from everyone at Reading Hockey Club 🩵🩵🩵

18/05/2026

06/05/2026

Coaching roles across the Club!

As this season draws to a close, we are already heavily into planning for next season and on the hunt for new coaches to add to our already impressive cohort.

We are looking for coaches across all levels from Performance to Talent Academy to main club and Juniors. Our new Independent Schools Partnership Programme means we will also be collaborating with a number of schools in our area and providing additional coaching hours every day of the week.

So if you are looking for an incredible club environment with an established coach development programme and plenty of hours available... then please get in touch asap. We anticipate roles going fast so don’t delay!

Find out more on our website👇
https://shorturl.at/og9UM